BOOM! September 2022

7BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard Contents September 2022 BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine is published monthly by River Region Publications, P.O. Box 6203, Montgomery, AL 36106. The phone number is 334.324.3472. Copyright 2022 by River Region Publications. No part of this publication can be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products and services herein. Volume 13 Issue 3 CommunityHumorAdviceHealth You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” BOOM!, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine Thought RelationshipsTasteInspiration Get Gameday Ready Facelift FAQ’s Dr. Blake Raggio Publisher's Column Fall Foliage 2022 Supreme Court Surprises Nick MINIThomasCHICKEN QUESADILLAS MGM Regional Airport: Runway Run Experience! ASF, Laurie Jean Weil Esteemed Artist Award Keep Your Retirement Susan Moore You Could Live 9 Years Longer in Hawaii Neighborhood BOOM!ArtsOctoberWalk2022–23GogueGRANDPARENTFallCommunities-SusanGardenHarris2022AUMOLLIALERT:CenterannouncesFamilySeriesofLifeisBack,15th,GetInvolved!inTheHeartofAugustaCoverProfile Linda Echols, Phoenix Essential Oils and Insects Tracy Bhalla The Dutch Adventure & More, Julian McPhillips 4 18161211 34322422 36 40 41 44 6260525046 DepartmentsFeatures 44 This and That A variety of TIDBITS 58 Greg Budell “THE DOG DAYS OF AUGUST” 30 Want to Know Your Biological Age? Buyer Beware Facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom C.S. Lewis 26 Sitting & Watching TV May Boost Older Adults’ Dementia Risk Free Subscriptions @ www.riverregionboom.com page 52 42 Travel Experiences: Jeff Barganier: All Aboard! Nashville 38 The Advantages of Older Entrepreneurs Thanks for Reading BOOM! page 21 page 38 page 58 page 60page 46page 45page 36 page 42page 62page 32page 16

You should also know that other procedures routinely combined with the facelift include the following: browlift, blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), surgical lip lift, chin augmentation, and a chemical peel. The point is that you should work closely with your surgeon to create a customized facial rejuvenation plan.

How can I learn more about a Facelift?

In Good Health, Dr. Blake Raggio Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Alabama Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Dr.Raggio@alplasticsurgery.comwww.ALplasticsurgery.com334-373-3611

In last month’s article we discussed the ins and outs of the “Liquid Facelift” using dermal fillers, a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure which has recently gained attention as a viable alternative to a traditional surgical Facelift. That said, as effective as a “liquid facelift” can be at rejuvenating the face, there should be no mistake about it that for many people looking to reverse the signs of aging, the surgical Facelift remains the gold standard for delivering predictable, natural, and durable (long-lasting) results. Before you decide if a Facelift is right for you, however, several questions need to be asked to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure, which we will address below. Without further ado, let’s discuss the Facelift. What is a “Facelift”? In short, the term “Facelift,” traditionally known as a Rhytidectomy, describes the surgical procedure wherein the soft tissues of the face, cheek, and/or neck are repositioned in a manner that restores a more youthful appearance those structures affected by the aging process. Once these underlying tissues are tightened and resuspended (aka, “lifted”), the excess face and neck skin is excised, the combination of which creates a more rejuvenated appearance to the face.

The procedure is typically performed in an operating room setting, takes 4-6 hours, with social downtime lasting anywhere from 1-3 weeks depending on several factors including your underlying health and soft tissue quality. Costs vary considerably ($6000 and up) and will be based upon your surgeon’s experience and preferred technique, the operative setting and required anesthesia, the need for other combined procedures, amongst other variables.

11BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom

The average age for a patient undergoing Facelift surgery lingers around 50 years old. That said, anybody of any age who suffers from increased skin laxity, facial volume loss, poorly defined facial contours, and deepened hollows/ folds (e.g., jowls, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, platysmal bands), would benefit from a facelift and/or Necklift. Ultimately, a detailed assessment of your underlying anatomy is required to determine if a facelift surgery matches up with your aesthetic goals and expectations.

Dr. Blake Raggio, Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

What are the different types of “Facelifts”? The facelift has undergone many iterations since its initial description wherein a large skin excision was performed without any repositioning of the underlying structures, creating the unsightly “pulled” or “windswept” associated with such antiquated procedures. Thankfully, we now better understand the anatomy of aging and the role various structures have on the facial aging process, including the importance of the suspensory ligaments of the face and the distribution of the facial fat compartments.

Facelift FAQ’s

The term, “lift and fill,” refers to a Facelift combined with a facial volumizing procedure (i.e., facial fat grafting). As alluded to above, we now appreciate the importance of volume (or lack thereof) associated with the aging process. Therefore, many surgeons, myself included, often recommend facial volumization with fat grafting to “fill” the hollowed areas and augment the effects of the facelift.

If you are interested in learning more about a Facelift, I suggest consulting with a surgeon experienced in facial rejuvenation surgery. This will ensure that you receive a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan. As a fellowship-trained and double board-certified Facial Plastic Surgeon and Head & Neck Surgeon, I always encourage patients to understand the nuances of their proposed treatments before deciding on their plan of action, as often-times, multiple treatment options exist.As always, choose a surgeon whom you trust. There is nothing more important than the relationship you have with your doctor.

To this effect several types of Facelifts exist today, but most fall under the category of “mini-lifts” versus “SMAS-lifts.” For simplicity, you should understand that a “mini-lift” tends to rely on suture suspension of deeper tissues, whereas the “SMAS-lift” typically involve some type of dissection and/or release of the deeper structures which in theory allows for a more comprehensive repositioning of the underlying tissues. Whether one option is superior remains controversial, however, most Facelift surgeons would agree that the more durable (longer-lasting), powerful, and natural results would be associated with the “SMAS-lift.” The “mini-lift” has its advantages, however, as the procedure tends to be more affordable, can be performed under local anesthesia, has less associated downtime given the minimal dissection. Ultimately, every patient is different, and every surgeon is different; so, find someone whom you are confident will deliver results consistent with your expectations.

What is the “Lift and Fill” Facelift?

Who is a good candidate for a surgical Facelift?

There are many advantages to aging and one of those is in Entrepreneurship. In fact, there are more business owners ages 50 to 59 than any other age group. This age group has much to offer and when it’s applied to a business, success is more likely. What about you, are you an entrepreneur?

Jim Watson, jim@riverregionboom.comPublisher Jim 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.comcell/text RECYCLE Share with a Friend!

334.324.3472Publisher/EditorJimWatsoncell/text jim@riverregionboom.com Contributing Writers JeffTracyBarganierBhallaAlexisBlue Greg Budell Chris JulianSusanFarrellHarrisMcPhillips Kerri Miller Susan Moore Ernie Mundell Ed Perkins Dr. Blake Raggio YvetteNickJones-SmedleyThomas Cover PhotographyPhotographybyDiAnnaPaulk photographybydiannapaulk.com Advertising Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com The mission of BOOM! is to serve the folks of the River Region age 50 plus with information and ideas to inspire new experiences, better quality of life and new beginnings. Publisher’s Letter Facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom Aging

RiverRegionBoom.com12 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Julian and Leslie McPhillips recently went on a Dutch Adventure with a side trip to Greenland. They share a glimpse into their travels, a once in a lifetime experience! Julian and Leslie did a lot of walking on their trip, a challenge for any of us in our seventies, but as other stories point out this month, exercise is once again important to aging well. For example, one article says sitting and watching TV may increase your risk for dementia. You think! Sometimes our habits become so subtle we don’t think about their impact until we have a problem. Maybe regular exercise can offset your TV habit. Many people are focused on their biological age for a better idea of how healthy or fit they are. We offer a story that suggests you should be a bit of a skeptic; buyer beware when it comes to the validity of some of those tests. Again, experts emphasize the real key to longevity is exercise. You don’t have to take a Dutch Adventure like Julian and Leslie to get your dose of exercise, but maybe a few walks around the neighborhood or maybe even a trip to Costco would do the trick! Our advertisers are an important part of what we do each month. We consider each of them a Marketing Partner and we encourage each of you to consider their services when you have a need, they can help you with, whether it’s entertainment, maybe a passport or even new flooring for your empty nest. They all would appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

Thanks for taking a few moments of your valuable time and reading the September issue, and maybe sharing with friends and family, I appreciate the BOOM! Share. Age well my friends. Well Has Benefits

Thanks for picking up your copy of the September BOOM! This month was a labor of love just like all the others. There is much to enjoy about this issue beginning with our cover profile, Yvette Jones-Smedley. Yvette is an accomplished performer in the arts and in the last year has taken on the leadership role of the Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Montgomery. In her new role, she is taking on the challenge and mission to help identify, recognize, support, and promote the diverse cultural and artistic sectors of Greater Montgomery. Montgomery has diverse cultural influences, and we look forward to experiencing what Yvette has planned to highlight the unique culture of Montgomery. I hope you enjoy the Q & A with Yvette; she has a life full of quality experiences that should serve us all as we strive to improve our quality of life in the River Region. We have plenty more good reads to stimulate your thinking in some way. Our friend Greg Budell shares his Dog Days of August story, a story of love and hope which many of us can relate to. Jeff Barganier heads off to Nashville with his wife Cindy for a little exploration of a classic piece of architecture from the train era but with a modern twist.

Road Trip

Fall Foliage 2022

In case you haven’t already started, it’s time to plan for any fall foliage trips you might want to take. Although New England has pushed the idea that it is fall foliage central, you can find good fall foliage viewing throughout much of the U.S. and Canada — maples, oaks, and such east of the Mississippi, aspens in the Rockies. Peak times typically move from north to south ride.roadviewNovember.mid-Septemberbetweenandmid-Andyoucanfoliagedisplaysasatrip,bustour,ortrainYoucanmakeitanextended weeklong tour or a day trip.

Where to Find it

Most people think of fall foliage as a road trip. Local-area fall foliage websites typically include driving directions, many with links to local visitor activities, tours, and accommodations. Lock in your accommodations as early as you can, and take care to avoid football weekends at big-time college towns. Day trips out of your hometown or some other center are easy to find, and if you want to visit, say, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, you can fly to Knoxville and rent a car. If you plan a longer trip, your main challenge will be to lock in accommodations at popular spots.

Tour Package Tour operators great and small operate foliage tours in the most popular spots, ranging from day excursions to weeklong regional trips. A quick search of “Fall foliage tours,” including a base city, will return a bewildering variety of options, ranging from budget to luxury. Almost all will be entirely or mostly by tour bus; the few that advertise “rail” trips usually include only a day or two of rail travel, with the rest by bus. And most extended tours include a lot of non-foliage stops. A big advantage of a package is that operators normally secure accommodations in destination areas that can sell out early to the general public. Amtrak I’m a big fan of rail travel, so I spent some time looking for Amtrak options. This year, one itinerary looked promising: the newly extended Ethan Allen Express between Burlington Vermont and New York via the Green Mountains and the Hudson Valley, coupled in a loop with the Vermonter between Essex Junction (just six miles from Burlington) and New York via the Berkshires and western EquallytrainssouthboundforUnfortunately,Connecticut.schedulesbothfull-daytripsfavortravel.Bothrequirereservations.unfortunately,

Tourist Railroads

Most of the country’s popular tourist trains have reopened, and many of those feature local fall color trips. Among those recommended pre-COVID: Mount Washington Cog Railway (www.thecog. com); Durango & Silverton, (www. durangotrain.com); Adirondack Scenic Railroad, (adirondackrr.com/); Blue Ridge Scenic Railway (www.brscenic. com); Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (www.cvsr.com); and Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (www.gsmr.com). But dozens of others also feature fall foliage packages, many behind vintage steam locomotives. In almost all cases, these are short one-day out-and-back

Whateverexcursions.your preference, start planning. But be warned: Some sources say that the unusually hot weather in much of the country this year means that leaf displays will be less colorful than usual.

By Ed Perkins

RiverRegionBoom.com16 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

When to Go Most of the usual fall foliage “best times” maps haven’t yet posted 2022 data and cover only 2021. The best nationwide current-year source I’ve found is www. seeker.io/places-to-see-fall-foliage/, which provides dates and places for 14 top centers from New England to the Ozarks to Glacier Park. A date-limited search for “2022 fall foliage” returns a bunch of local current-year summaries — especially for New England — but so far the nationwide stuff is still outdated.

If you aren’t sure where and when you want to go, a good place to start is TripSavvy’s (www.tripsavvy.com) “Complete Guide.” Individual pages summarize “state-by-state guide,” “best places,” and “best National Parks” lists. Although the current posting dates from 2020, the basic “best place” information doesn’t change much from year to year.

Amtrak still hasn’t resumed its pre-COVID consensus favorite foliage trip — the Adirondack from New York to Montreal — that used to carry a dome car on alternate days. For an out-and-back day trip, consider a Downeaster round-trip from Boston to Brunswick, Maine.

RiverRegionBoom.com18 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

photographed as an imposing cluster of nine Snape-like black-robed figures, the current court consists of Chief Justice Roberts, along with eight sidekick Associate Justices: Thomas, Alito, Sotomayer, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson. To learn more about the Supreme Court, I searched online for helpful websites, but there was no active site named jobs4life. gov. That’s right, unless justices do something really bad like publicly bragging about turning up for work on the bench without their briefs, they’ve got the gig for as long as they want. One nugget of interesting Supreme Court history I unearthed concerns a truly odd name overlap. This occurred with the 14th and 15th Chief Justices: Earl Warren (1953-69) was followed by Warren Earl Burger (1969-86) who were, I gather, no relation – just a bizarre name coincidence. Then there’s the media’s unofficial naming of a court after the presiding Chief Justice: thus, we currently have the Roberts Court. So back in 1906, when William Moody was appointed as an associate justice, the country was probably relieved he was not chosen as Chief Justice – rulings made by a Moody Court might have unsettled the public.

Throughout the decades, controversy has sometimes surrounded Supreme Court Justices – both their nominations and their rulings – and this has certainly been the case in recent times with four new justices added to the bench in almost as many years, the latest following the retirement of Justice Breyer in TraditionallyJune.

www.getnickt.orgBy Nick ThomasJest a Moment Read the

The court, I also learned, has its own gymnasium. This is where the court’s newest member, Justice Jackson, presumably spent her first days on the new job – at the training bench. I suppose this is also used by members of the media covering court proceedings, because where else would you expect to find the bench press? On their website, (supremecourt.gov) downloadable activity and coloring booklets are available. Presumably these are for kids, not the justices during lengthy sessions. One features animal figures found in the building architecture. This includes several tortoises meant to represent “the slow and steady pace of justice” rather than the desire of some justices to retreat into hiding after casting a controversial vote. And did you know the Supreme Court has an (independently operated) gift shop? They sell “books, folders, statues and woven throws, to writing instruments, learning games, jewelry, ties, and scarves” according to their website. Suitably educational and conventional items, perhaps, although not particularly Maybeimaginative.thejustices should consider offering more personal items for sale, such as a line of Action Jackson figures to inspire young girls. And who wouldn’t want to stock up on Clarence Thomas bobbleheads for Christmas stockingstuffers? Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for many newspapers and magazines. See digital version from your phone, tablet, ipad or computer, www.RiverRegionBoom.com

Tell Your Friends BOOM! Available Here and 200 other locations! Renfroe's Market_Adams Drugs_Sommer's Place_Fresh Market_ Tomatino's_MCA Fitness_Vintage Cafe_Derk's_UPS Stores_Steak Out_Steaks & Wine The Vintage Olive_Capital City-Ace Hardware_Orange Therapy_Down the Street Chappy's Deli_Health Wise Foods_Eastbrook Flea Market_John Lee Paints Home Care Assistance_Doug's 2_Baumhower’s Restaurant_Jan's Beach House San Marcos_Chris' Hot Dogs_Lek's_SaZas_Mexico Tipico_La Zona Rosa

Supreme Court Surprises

I also discovered that there’s a cafeteria in the Supreme Court building and would love to see their menu over the years. Going back to the 70s and 80s, did some witty chef create and serve Warren AndBurgers?what about current offerings? Can you order a Taco Supreme? What about an Alito Burrito or a bowl of Gorsuch Borscht? Shouldn’t Kavanaugh Caviar be a specialty? Can you get a slice of freshly baked Barrett Cake? And surely they served Breyer’s ice cream in recent years.

RiverRegionBoom.com22 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine Crowd-pleasing snack-size quesadillas with refried beans, leftover rotisserie chicken + melted cheese! SO SO GOOD! ▪Ingredients:11/2cupsleftover finely shredded rotisserie ▪chicken11/2cups shredded Mexican blend cheese ▪ 1/3 cup restaurant-style salsa ▪ 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves ▪ Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, taste ▪ 1 cup refried beans, homemade or from store ▪ 16 street tacos flour tortillas ▪ 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided For serving ▪ 1 cup guacamole ▪ 1 cup pico de gallo ▪ 1/4 cup sour cream 1.Directions:Preheatoven to 200 degrees F. 2. CHICKEN MIXTURE: In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, salsa and cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste. 3. Spread refried beans on half of the tortilla; top with CHICKEN MIXTURE, folding over to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make 16 4.quesadillas.Heat1tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Working in batches, add quesadillas to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side; keep warm in oven up to 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining canola oil and 5.quesadillas.Serveimmediately with desired toppings. Source: www.damndelicious.net GAMEDAY + MINI CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

participation medal. The Airport’s commercial aviation runway will be operational, allowing participants to soak in an up-closeand-personal sight of various aircraft.

NEW

RiverRegionBoom.com24 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine eventatoninauguralhostingforwardisAirportRegionalMontgomeryThe(MGM)lookingtoitsfirstruntherunwayMGM.Thewill take place on 2022.OctoberSaturday,22,TheMGM

Additionally, the race will begin at 8:30 a.m., with all participants off the runway by 9:30 a.m., allowing MGM to resume full operations for the afternoon peak of flights starting on Saturday. To register visit www.flymgm.com/mgm5k/ Walkers Get Ready for a Experience!

Runners &

5K Run will offers runners and walkers the chance to lace up their sneakers for a unique experience on the Runway. “We look forward to hosting our first annual 5K Runway Run as this is an exciting event for MGM and the community,” said Wade A. Davis, C.M. Executive Director of Montgomery Regional Airport. “We are allowing the Montgomery and Tri-County community a chance to experience our airport and airport grounds like never before, and we are thrilled to host this history-making Theexperience.”racewill begin near the southwest side of the Airport’s general aviation runway, wrapping by the airport’s active runway, Runway 3-21 and looping by aircraft static displays. Participants are encouraged to sign up early as limited space will cap at 500 participants. Early registration is $40 per backpack,bottle,shirt,commemorativewilllimited.beregistrationafter.1,throughparticipantOctoberand$45DayofwillavailablebutRacersreceivea5Kwaterclearanda

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Grandparent's Day at Zoo Celebrate Grandparent’s Day at the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, September 11. A big thank you to all the Grandparents out there. With much gratitude and appreciation of your dedicated and loyal service to our sons, daughters, and grandkids, please celebrate Grandparent’s Day at the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum. All Grandparents receive FREE admission to the Montgomery Zoo and the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum. Join us for our Grandparent's special day. Admission includes: Admission to the Zoo Admission to the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum Entry to the Petting Zoo Entry to Parakeet Cove Entry to Waters of the World Entry to the Reptile Facility Admission to Elephant keeper talk at 11:30am daily to Lion keeper talk and training at 1:30pm daily

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Kimberly Clenney of Clenney and Palmer presents Mary Lewis a gift certificate for a complete Estate Planning. Mary's name was pulled from a recent raffle held at Eastdale Mall.

READ IT LOVE IT - SHARE IT BOOM! starts conversations and shares stories. Share your business with BOOM! readers. For more information call/text 334.324.3472 visit www.riverregionboom.com

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“Our study shows that physical activity doesn’t fully mitigate the risk of dementia from too much sitting in the same way it does for other diseases, however what we do while we’re sitting matters,” Raichlen

“Our ability to ask and answer these research questions is a testament to large-scale biomedical databases linked to medical records, such as the UK Biobank,” says coauthor Yann Klimentidis, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatics in the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. “They increasingly allow us to gain new insights into risk factors for dementia and many other diseases.”

“We know from past studies that watching TV involves low levels of muscle activity and energy use compared with using a computer or reading,” Raichlen says. “And while research has shown that uninterrupted sitting for long periods is linked with reduced blood flow in the brain, the relatively greater intellectual stimulation that occurs during computer use may counteract the negative effects of between sedentary behavior and dementia risk persists even among participants who are physically active, the research “Althoughshows.weknow that physical activity is good for our brain health, many of us think that if we are just more physically active during the day, we can counter the negative effects of time spent sitting,” says coauthor Gene Alexander, a professor in the psychology department at the University of Arizona and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute.

“Thissays.

RiverRegionBoom.com26 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine Free Subscriptions www.RiverRegionBoom.com

By Alexis Blue

Alexis Blue is the assistant director of University Relations Communications at the University of Arizona. This article was previously published on Futurity.org under Creative Commons by 4.0.

Thesitting.”link

May Boost Older Adults’ Dementia Risk

“Our findings suggest that the brain impacts of sitting during our leisure activities are really separate from how physically active we are, and that being more mentally active, like when using computers, may be a key way to help counter the increased risk of dementia related to more passive sedentary behaviors, like watching TV.”

The results remained the same even after the scientists accounted for levels of physical activity. Even in individuals who are highly physically active, time spent watching TV was associated with an increased risk of dementia. In contrast, leisure-time spent using a computer was associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia.

knowledge is critical when it comes to designing targeted public health interventions aimed at reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disease from sedentary activities through positive behavior change.” Additional coauthors of the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are from USC and the University of Arizona. The National Institutes of Health, the state of Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation funded the work.

Sitting and Watching TV

After an average of nearly 12 years of follow-up, the researchers used hospital inpatient records to determine dementia diagnosis. They found 3,507 positive cases.

Source: www.epochtimes.com

The team adjusted for certain demographics—such as a person’s age, sex, race/ ethnicity, and employment type—and characteristics—suchlifestyle as exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and time spent sleeping and engaging in social contact— that could affect brain health.

Adults 60 and older who sit for long periods watching TV or engaging in other passive, sedentary behaviors may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study. The risk is lower for those who are more active while sitting—engaging in behaviors like reading or using a computer. “It isn’t the time spent sitting, per se, but the type of sedentary activity performed during leisure time that impacts dementia risk,” says lead author David Raichlen, who was previously on the University of Arizona faculty and is now a professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California.

Researchers used self-reported data from the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database of more than 500,000 participants across the United Kingdom, to investigate possible correlations between sedentary, leisure activity, and dementia in older adults. More than 145,000 participants aged 60 and older—all of whom did not have a diagnosis of dementia at the start of the project—used touchscreen questionnaires to self-report information about their levels of sedentary behavior during the 20062010 baseline examination period.

For

RiverRegionBoom.com28 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, reaches more children than any other early childhood book gifting program and mails free, high-quality, ageappropriate books to children from birth until age five - no matter their family's income! Since its founding in 1995, the library has gifted nearly 200 million books to children worldwide. If you are a resident of Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon or Montgomery County and have a grandchild age 5 or under, you are eligible to register for this wonderful gifting program through the River Region United Way. further information or to enroll your child, please click

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The Kentucky Wildlands is a beautiful area that comprises 14,000 square miles of southern and eastern Kentucky and contains all of the KY counties that were declared disaster areas as a result of the recent flooding. The Kentucky Wildlands (TKW) team is helping neighbors, businesses and families impacted by the floods with donations and sales of a very special t-shirt. The t-shirt has become an anthem of recovery with a Kentucky Wildlands Strong logo and mountainscape on the front. The shirt costs $20 and can be purchased at https://explorekywildlands.myshopify.com, with 100% of all proceeds being donated to Eastern Kentucky flood relief. Monetary donations (tax deductible) can also be made through PayPal using pride@centertech. com. Money raised will go directly to supplies and the families affected by the floods, with the goal to create a grant program that provides much-needed support for the weeks and months to come.

EasternSupportKentuckyFloodVictims

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When 66-year-old Maurice Frank of Asheville, North Carolina, opened the email last spring from InsideTracker, a health analysis and biological age testing company, he expected good news. "I thought I would come in three to five years younger," he said. Instead, when he saw the results, he blurted out a four-letter word, "which I normally don't do." His biological age was 3.3 years older than his chronological age. "I was shocked," he remembers. "I thought I was leading a very healthy lifestyle, with exercise and Concerned,diet."

Elysium Health's "Index" test, also $499, is a saliva collection kit. Both companies analyze DNA methylation, a biomarker in which scientists examine the patterns of atoms, or methyl groups, on genes.

Dr. Morgan Levine, a Yale PhD. research scientist, who developed the latest bio age test at Elysium and authored the book, "True Age," says giving someone information about how they're aging can be a valuable catalyst for making changes.

How Bio Age Tests Work For $499 TruDiagnostic will send a TruAge "Complete Collection" kit to your doorstep. It includes two lancets, with which to collect your blood, a blood collection card to apply the blood smear, an alcohol wipe and a band-aid. An illustrated guide leads you through the steps.

"We're not just looking to get to some magic number in terms of longevity," she said. "The goal is healthier later life."

Think of telomeres as a kind of protective cap at the end of a strand of DNA. As we age, our telomeres shorten. Trauma, stress and smoking can also shorten telomeres. Even a serious case of COVID can shorten telomeres.

Methylation can turn a gene off or on.

Belsky's skepticism, like Notterman's, is partially focused on the fact that using different measurement methods produces different results. Both scientists said that analyzing telomere length, DNA methylation, CRP or albumin levels will give you a different biological age.

RiverRegionBoom.com30 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

and Princeton University molecular biologist, Dr. Daniel Notterman, thinks Frank's primary care physician is right. "I have a healthy skepticism about this measuring biological age because I wonder what people are supposed to do."

"In the aging field, we really like to talk about the modifiability of this," she said. "Yes, everyone is going to age, but we like to think that rate is modifiable and people have a lot of control over it."

Dr. Daniel Belsky, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia's Aging Center in New York, is even more blunt about the use of consumer-facing biological testing. "I don't think it can do what it says it can do."

Frank took the lab analysis to his doctor. "And he literally laughed. He said, 'You're okay, don't worry about this.'" "I was shocked. I thought I was leading a very healthy lifestyle, with exercise and Physiciandiet."

Maurice Frank hiking at Catawba Falls near Old Fort, North Carolina Credit: Courtesy of Maurice Frank

'I Don't Believe in Their Test' But Notterman argues that you don't need to spend $500 to do what most of us already know we should be doing. "There's nothing you can do about it other than the things you should be doing anyway: exercise, eat well, don't smoke, don't work all the time, don't fight with your partner."

The bio age companies then put your methylation results into a computer algorithm to come up with your biological age. If your results are like most people, your biological age will be within a few years, plus or minus, of your chronological age.

Notterman first heard about how companies were marketing biological age testing direct-to-consumers during a visit to his mother-in-law's house in a Florida retirement community. Some companies use blood or saliva samples. Others are selling what they claim are more sophisticated measurements, like assessing "Shetelomeres.gaveme a brochure about some guy who would come to speak who represented a telomere measurement company," he said, chuckling. "They would measure your telomeres and then they have various elixirs that would help you lengthen your telomeres."

Want to Know Your Biological Age?

Belsky, who developed a test at Columbia to measure the pace of aging for public health surveillance research, has been invited to join Elysium Health's Scientific Advisory Board. But he said, "I don't believe in their test," adding, "We rush these metrics out because they are exciting and pretty exotic. They're cool. But I'm not exactly a cheerleader of this technology."

By Kerri Miller

Buyer Beware...No matter what age tests reveal, experts say the real key to longevity is exercise

Levine noted that advances in intelligence"andinwithcellsthattechnologymeasurecoupled"theboomdatascienceartificialhas made biological age testing more precise.

Notterman, who has published research into the biology of aging, says "no potion or drug" can lengthen telomeres.

31BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom

And while most assume that if there is a gap between their chronological and biological age, it happened in their later years, Belsky argues that the gap could have appeared at any point in your life. And the biological tests can't tell you that. "I wouldn't pay for this," Belsky said, "and if it was given to me for free, I wouldn't take it too seriously."

Kerri Miller is the host of a show about books & authors for Minnesota Public Radio and the Chief Enthusiast for a book-focused travel company called Source:SirenSojourns.www.nextavenue.org Free BOOM! Digital SignSubscriptionsUpToday!

The True Anti-Aging Elixir There is one "magic potion" that all three scientists did agree on. To age with vibrance and resilience, make exercise a consistent part of your daily routine. Studies on epigenetics and exercise, including a clever 2014 study out of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, where participants pedaled a bike with one leg, find that DNA methylation patterns are changed by routine exercise. Levine, the developer of the bio test at Elysium said, "Exercise is, to me, the miracle intervention. People have shown that it reverses disease, it prevents disease, and we know that it slows the rate at which we Sheage."added that when people who know she's an age researcher ask her which supplements she takes, "I always say, 'If you don't exercise, I don't know why you're so focused on that because it's free and it works better than anything else we have.'"

Maurice Frank has always been active, playing pickleball and lifting weights. But the analysis from InsideTracker prompted some changes in his life. He's skipping the scones at the coffee shop more often and driving by the craft beer brewery instead of stopping. And he's dropped 12 pounds in four months. "I didn't go cold turkey," he says. "But I actually surprised myself that I was able to make these changes."

�� Tell Your Friends BOOM! Available Here and 200 other locations! Renfroe's Market_Adams Drugs_Sommer's Place_Fresh Market _Tomatino's_MCA Fitness_Vintage Cafe_Derk's_UPS Stores_ Steak Out_Steaks & Wine_The Vintage Olive_Capital City-Ace Hardware_Orange Therapy_Down the Street _Chappy's Deli_Health Wise Foods_Eastbrook Flea Market_John Lee Paints_Home Care Assistance_Doug's 2_Baumhower’s Restaurant_Jan's Beach House_San Marcos_Chris' Hot Dogs_Lek's_SaZas_Mexico Tipico_La Zona Rosa

The Arts Experience

As a child, Laurie Jean Weil dreamed of becoming a stage actress. Destiny had other plans. Laurie became every actor’s dream — a true theatre enthusiast, a theatre patron. Laurie has experienced almost every ASF production since the theatre opened in Montgomery, served on the ASF board for well over 20 years to become chairman of the board from 2013 – 2018, and is a Trustee on the ASF Endowment Trust. One only needs to read Laurie’s theatre reviews to know that she lives and breathes theatre, particularly theatre on ASF stages. Her reviews bring the plays to life in a way that only Laurie can pen. The Laurie Jean Weil Esteemed Artist Award is a natural extension of Laurie’s affinity for our theatre and the players on our stages. The first recipient of this award was presented to Carrie Preston in 2019. Norbert Leo Butz received the Laurie Jean Esteemed Artist Award in 2022. Butz won Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical for his performances in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Catch Me If You Can. After receiving his BFA from Webster University, he earned his Master of Fine Arts in Theatre through the Professional actor Training Program at the University of Alabama and Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He then spent four seasons at ASF as part of the resident acting company. While at ASF, he appeared in Lizard, Saint Joan, Hamlet, and Balm in Gilead. Since departing ASF, Butz’s career has spanned stage, film, and television. After being cast in the original production of Rent, he also originated the role of Fiyero Tigelaar in the blockbuster hit Wicked. He has appeared on Broadway in Big Fish, Dead Accounts, Catch Me If You Can, Enron, Speed-the-Plow, Is He Dead?, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Thou Shalt Not, and My Fair Lady. His Off-Broadway credits include The Whirligig, How I Learned to Drive, Fifty Words, Buicks (Drama Desk nomination), The Last Five Years (Drama Desk nomination), and Juno and the Paycock. “I’m honored to receive this award,” said Butz. “It’s so important that Alabama Shakespeare is here in this state. I have such love and fond memories from my time and experience here.”

RiverRegionBoom.com32 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Laurie Jean Weil and Norbert Leo Butz

Two-Time Tony Award Winner Norbert Leo Butz Honored with Laurie Jean Weil Esteemed Artist Award

Wynton M. “Red” Blount was a worldrenowned industrialist and philanthropist. He built and gave to the State of Alabama a theatre complex, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which in 1985 was the single largest gift ever made to an American theatre company. His son, Thomas A. Blount with his partner, Perry Pitman, were the architects of the 100,000 square foot theatre complex located in Montgomery, InAlabama.2019,ASF implemented the Wynton M. Blount Patrons of the Arts Award to recognition individuals who, like Red Blount, exhibit extraordinary vision, leadership, and generosity. Laura and Barrie Harmon were the first recipients of this award. In 2022, the Wynton M. Blount Patrons of the Arts Award was presented to the Caddell Family. John and Joyce Caddell and their children have long togenerositygraciousnessTheirorganizations.Montgomerysupportedartsparticipation,andcontinuemakeameaningful and lasting contribution to arts organizations in Montgomery. “On behalf of myself and the memory of beloved wife, Joyce, I thank you for this very special honor,” wrote John Caddell. “Our commitment to the arts was influenced by our many years of association with Wynton “Red” Blount as we witnessed his passion for art in its many forms and expressions, as well as his support for our community. We know that the arts are fundamental to our humanity. They serve to inspire us and foster creativity, empathy, and beauty. The John and Joyce Caddell Foundation and the Caddell Family remain deeply committed to these goals and will strive to inspire and challenge succeeding generations to take up this important cause.”

Cathy Caddell and Tom Blount

Henry Wootten and Karsten Reed

33BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom

Wynton M. Blount Patrons of the Arts Award

Young actors Henry Wootten and Karsten Reed shared their learning experiences as young actors cast in ASF’s Season 50 production of andPlayhouse,CloverdaledirectorexecutiveSamtheWoottenMacbeth.issonofWootten,ofEmilyWootten, executive director of the JK Lowder Family Foundation and ASF Board member. Reed is the son of Montgomery, Ala. Mayor Steven Reed and Tamika Reed, an attorney for the Alabama Education Association.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney or tax advisor regarding your individual situation bogle-forecasts-lower-stock-and-bond-returnshttps://www.financial-planning.com/opinion/jackdalio-says-gold-could-prove-prinvestment-returns-will-be-very-low-going-forward-ray-https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-11/ Low-Yield%20World.aspxPercent%20Rule%20Is%20Not%20Safe%20in%20a%20https://www.onefpa.org/journal/Pages/The%204%20

²

³

As a retiree, are you at risk for outliving your income?

.

Susan Clayton Moore, J.D., is a financial advisor and wealth manager of Moore Wealth Management, Inc, with offices in Auburn, Montgomery, and Alexander City, AL. Susan has under advisement assets over $170 million (as of 1.21.2022) in brokerage and advisory assets through Kestra Financial and has been a financial planner for over 38 years. Contact Susan at 334.270.1672. Email contact is susan@moorewealthmanagement.com

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Kestra IS or Kestra AS are not affiliated with Moore Wealth Management, Inc. https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures

As a retiree, are you at risk for outliving your income? A serious question for serious times. Recently, several key assumptions traditionally used in retirement income planning are being challenged by leading financial industry experts. Are retirees who made those traditional assumptions still okay?

RiverRegionBoom.com34 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

On Wednesday, September 28th, Susan Moore of Moore Wealth Management, Inc. will be conducting a complimentary webinar on methods of how to not outlive your retirement income. The workshop covers a number of issues including factoring in the above-mentioned changes to traditional assumptions, key risks (i.e., sequence rate of return and inflation), and various approaches to mitigating the risks of outliving your income. If you would like to be included in the webinar, please call 334.270.1672 or sarah@moorewealthmanagement.com

For example, lately several famous market observers, including John Bogle¹, the founder of the Vanguard Group, have warned that investors should reduce their expectations for their stock market investment returns to 4% a year. Ray Dalio², founder of one of the largest and most successful hedge funds in the world, also recently warned that “investment returns will be very low going forward.” In addition, several leading studies have challenged the validity of the traditional “4% rule.” Developed back in the 1990’s when interest rates were higher for CDs and bonds, the rule stated that if a retiree kept their withdrawals limited to 4% of their initial retirement portfolio balance, that it should provide a sustained income for thirty years of retirement. However, Wade Pfau³, a professor of retirement income at the American College of Financial Services and Michael Finke of Texas Tech University, found that given the sustained current level of low interest rates that the level of acceptable initial withdrawals needed to be limited to 2.85% to provide an income for thirty years of Theretirement.Stanford Center on Longevity recently published a study that recommended that retirees should focus on sources that were not exposed to stock market risk to cover essential expenses, i.e., Social Security or an annuity of one type or another. It found that if income to cover essential expenses was exposed to stock market risk that the emotional cost of worrying about meeting expenses during a stock market downturn would prompt many investors to make illadvised investment decisions.

¹

Financial Thoughts with Susan Moore sarah@moorewealthmanagement.com334.270.1672at

September Workshop (webinar) How to Not Outlive Your Retirement Income to register, call our Montgomery office

How to Keep Your Retirement On Track in a World of Low Returns

By Susan Clayton Moore, J.D. Principal of Moore Wealth Management, Inc.

Differences in lifestyles and other factors are linked to big gaps in life

Women still tend to outlive men, living an average of 5.7 years longer than their male peers in 2020, the researchers noted.

RiverRegionBoom.com36 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine You Could Live 9 Years Longer in Hawaii

By Ernie Mundell

example,thanwereSometeamD.C,”forbirthexpectancyto“Fromspans.Americanshrinkinglife20192020,lifeatdeclinedallstatesandtheCDCnoted.stateshitharderothers:ForinNew

On the other hand, Hawaii seemed relatively spared: In the Aloha State, life expectancy fell by just 0.2 years between 2019 and 2020. In New Hampshire, the decline was just 0.4 years, the report found.

SOURCE: National Vital Statistics Reports, Aug 23, 2022 Source: www.theepochtimes.com

highestHawaiistates“Amongshows.andfortheamorealmostThatshows.states,ofbetweenexpectancyresidentsvariousU.S.2020datacouldmeanadecadeorlessoflife,newreportfromU.S.CentersDiseaseControlPreventionthe50andD.C.,hadthelifeexpectancy at birth, 80.7 years in 2020, and Mississippi had the lowest, 71.9 years,” concluded a team led by Elizabeth Arias, of the CDC’s Division of Vital Statistics. For the report, the researchers pored over data from each state on mortality rates, as well as 2010 census data and Medicare data, to tally up life expectancy at birth per state. Much of the differences fell along regional lines, with Americans living in Hawaii, the Northwest, California and the Northeast living the longest. People living in the Southeast typically had the shortest expected lifespans. The top 10 longest-lived states, by average life expectancy in years, are: Hawaii — 80.7 Washington — 79.2 Minnesota — 79.1 California — Massachusetts79— 79 New Hampshire — 79 Vermont — 78.8 Oregon — 78.8 Utah — Connecticut78.6— 78.4 The states ranking in the bottom 10, by average life expectancy in years, are: Mississippi — 71.9 West Virginia — 72.8 Louisiana — 73.1 Alabama — 73.2 Kentucky — 73.5 Tennessee — 73.8 Arkansas — 73.8 Oklahoma — 74.1 New Mexico — 74.5 South Carolina — 74.8

More information Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org has tips to help you lead a long, healthy life.

York life spans fell by three years during the pandemic, and in Louisiana life expectancy declined by 2.6 years.

As seen in other tallies of national life expectancy data, the pandemic played a big role in

Abundant experience, wide networks and personal capital help to make people over 50 particularly successful in starting small businesses

RiverRegionBoom.com38 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

By Chris Farrell

SomeoneDorseySpiegelhighlightYoungermightBillSteveAmongyoungermyTheentrepreneurship.fortypicalanswerinexperienceisthegeneration.olderadults,Jobs(Apple)andGates(Microsoft)bementioned.adultscouldfoundersEvan(Snap)andJack(Twitter).alwaysseems to quote Meta's Mark Zuckerberg famous (or to my mind infamous) remark at Stanford University years ago that "Young people are just Yetsmarter."America's hotbed of entrepreneurship increasingly lies with the older generation. The data in the aggregate tell the story. The Kauffman Foundation figures about onequarter of new entrepreneurs in recent years have been ages 55 to 64 years.

Rosalie Guillam left her long career in human resources in France and moved to Sarasota, Florida in 2005 at age 52; in 2009 she and her daughter opened the French pastry shop Le Macaron, a business they have since franchised across the country.

Every entrepreneur in the series noted in different ways that starting and running a business is

Mellin and her two sisters quickly went into business. They invested $7,000 each and they started researching and testing the product. Eight years later, running EazyHold remains "a lot of work," says Mellin. "It's exciting one day, challenging the next."

The Advantages of Older Entrepreneurs

Meet Some Success Stories

To say that these and other founder stories in the series are impressive is an understatement. Several themes emerged from the series that could be useful for future encore entrepreneurs to know, lessons that I supplemented by reaching out to several of the founders.

Entrepreneurship Is Hard Work

The experience and unexpected success of Darrold and Martha Glanville stands out. When they retired, they moved in 2006 to rural North Branch, Minnesota (population 10,585). Their company, Sunrise Flour Mill, evolved out of their search for wheat that didn't trigger Darrold's gluten intolerance. Heritage wheat did the trick. Their business started out selling heritage wheat at farmers markets and it gradually evolved into an enterprise with a

daysShephysicallyhercostumer.decadesforKerryalsocreative.challenging,rewarding,andAstartupisdemandingwork.MellinworkedmorethanthreeasaTVShelovedjob,butitwasdemanding.couldseethatherasacostumer were numbered. In 2014 while cleaning out a barn, her thumb joints were sore, and she could barely handle the broom. She jury-rigged a solution and out of that painful experience came the business EazyHold. The silicone cuff makes it easier for, say, older adults with arthritis or people of any age dealing with disabilities to hold objects without pain.

From left, Darrold and Martha Glanville, Lori Volk, Lisa Lane Credit: Sunrise Flour Mill, Lori Volk, Lisa Lane

If you want to take a conversation in an interesting direction, ask a group of adults what they think is the most popular age

David Sperstad wanted to own a bike shop since he was 13 years old in 1976 and, 39 years later, he and his wife Susan opened Touright Bicycle Shop in Little Falls, LoriMinnesota.Volklost her school district job at age 50 when funding ran out for her position; two years later she started Lori's Original Lemonade in Ventura, California.

Three Times More Likely to Succeed Older entrepreneurs also tend to do better. A 60-year-old who starts a new business is three times more likely to succeed than a 30-year-old peer, four economists calculate in "Age and HighGrowth Entrepreneurship," a research paper published in the journal American Economic Review: Insights. Baby boomers (57 to 75 years old) account for nearly half of small business owners, compared with 7% for Millennials (ages 26 to 41), according to Guidant's Financial 2022 Small Business Trends survey. The U.S. Census's latest Annual Business Survey reports that there are more business owners ages 50 to 59 than any other age group.

Don't Undersell Older Entrepreneurs

"I'm looking forward to my next chapter," she says. "OMG, I get to go into business with my kids. They are bringing so much, so many Darroldideas."andMartha Glanville are pushing 80 and they feel it's time for them to let go. They're looking to sell the Sunrise Flour Mill to someone with the passion to deliver the best heritage flour to customers, someone they can trust to honor its mission. "We are looking for people with an interest in the business and taking it to the next level," says Darrold.

The stories in America's Entrepreneurs illuminate the underappreciated promise and opportunities with the aging of the population.

"Older and senior entrepreneurs are creating jobs for themselves and for others," write the authors of the special report "Senior Entrepreneurship" by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. "Moreover, these older and senior entrepreneurs contribute billions in taxes."

Sad to say, the demographics of aging is still mostly treated as an economic and social problem in the corridors of power in Wall Street, Washington D.C., and state capitals, as well as in much academic and media commentary. The dismaying message is that the swelling ranks of older people will diminish the economy's dynamism and society's willingness to embrace change — or so we're told, wrongly. Older adults who pursue entrepreneurship and self-employment have certain advantages. In the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study "Senior Entrepreneurship," the author, Teemu Kautonen, notes that older entrepreneurs have several underappreciated advantages when it comes to starting a business.

A Startup Takes a Village You need a support network and people you can rely on to build your business. Part of the process is figuring out what you do well and what you don't know or understand. Weinberger and her cofounders are good at mentoring. Web design? Not so much. "The number one thing is to establish the areas you have an expertise in," says Weinberger. "And identify the areas you know nothing about and hire people for that." The three sisters behind EazyHold brought different skills into the family business. In addition to the costumer, another sister had a background in education and the third had studied art. Together their skills complemented one another. "I trusted them," says Mellin. "We're a close family."

"The first thing I feel is that you better have a lot of energy, and you better have a lot of reserve energy," says Darrold. "It will take a lot of effort." Martha quickly adds: "We didn't go into this thinking it would grow as much as it did."

Flexibility Is Key (as Is Determination) Business plans help anyone thinking about starting an enterprise to think through and refine their idea. The plans deal with the basics, from financing to marketing to pricing. But be prepared to jettison your well-thought-out plan — multiple times.

The founders in the America's Entrepreneurship series aren't an anecdote or the exception. They're part of a much bigger trend, a grassroots movement overturning stereotypes about the relationship between age and Chrisentrepreneurship.Farrellissenioreconomics contributor for American Public Media's Marketplace. An award-winning journalist, he is author of the books Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money and Happiness in the Second Half of Life and Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community, and The Good Life. Source: www.nextavenue.org

For instance, Stephanie Weinberger had built the Cocoa Exchange from an experiment in New Jersey into a national business for Mars Inc., the family-owned food giant. But Mars closed the division and, at age 56, she wondered what came Tonext.make a long story short, she joined with several former colleagues — all over age 50 — to create LifiBifi, a marketplace for small businesses. (LifiBifi stands for Little Fish, Big Fish.) Reflecting on her experience to date, Weinberger emphasized the importance of flexibility. "Just be prepared to roll with the punches," she says. "You have to be able to Putpivot."somewhat differently, the ability to pivot also reflects the willingness to persevere. "The first thing that comes to my mind is that it is a real long-term process," says Mellin. "Things take a while, especially bringing a brand-new product to market. It's not a sprint. It's a marathon."

The Advantages of Age Specifically, says Kautonen, a professor at Aalto University in Finland, older entrepreneurs may have more-developed networks to tap into; more work and industry experience to draw on; more technical and managerial skills; and a stronger financial position to fund their Therebusiness.isn't an age limit on prosperity.

Tap Into Professional Resources

There are plenty of resources to reach out to for information and mentoring, although not that many specifically targeted at the midlife entrepreneur. Several of the founders in their first-person stories mentioned SCORE, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Small Business Administration that focuses on counseling and mentoring entrepreneurs. Public Private Strategies in partnership with AARP offers a learning platform, Small Business Resource Center for the 50+. AARP also offers its Work for Yourself@50+ program. (See Kerry Hannon's column "A Roundup of Business Startup Programs for People 50+" for additional suggestions.)

39BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom 5,200-square-foot building, employees and several product lines available online.

Ask Yourself: What's Next? What is your "exit strategy"? That is jargon for what will you do with the business when the time comes to do something else. For example, Mellin is 65 years old, and her sisters are five and six years older than her. They're ready to retire. Her older sisters are being bought out by Mellin's son and his wife. Mellin is excited that EazyHold will remain a family business. Eventually, she will pass the business on to her son and daughter-in-law. But not yet.

READ IT - LOVE IT - SHARE IT

Neighborhood

One day I was walking by Old

By Susan HarrisMaster Gardener's Perspective Garden Communities

They suggested that I investigate joining the garden community. I did and before I had time to think about it, I became the proud gardener of a 4’ by 8’ raised bed. The only problem was that I did not know how to garden. I was a city girl—I bought my vegetables. My first endeavor was to prepare the soil. This was before I learned about PH measurements and soil testing. All I knew was that one gardener swore by iguana poop soil, while another said you couldn’t go wrong with Happy Frog. I wanted to use the iguana soil—it sounded so tropical! However, for good measure, I combined the two. My animal, soiled bed looked beautiful and just ripe

someonesproutsIbeautiful.plantsbrusselscoleslaw.passableMysproutwereButneversawtheuntiltoldme

Lifestage Magazine

RiverRegionBoom.com40 BOOM! September 2022 River Region’s 50+

The

Susan Harris, an intern in the Master Gardener 2022 Master Gardener Class. For more information on becoming a master gardener, visit www. capcitymga.org or email capcitymga@gmail.com

to look on the stems. The lettuce was Yes,strawberries.grewdiewasTheasuccessabsoluteananddelight.arugulatofor.Itwojust two and they were delicious. I think my favorite growth was the baby

BOOM! starts conversations and shares stories. Share your business with BOOM! readers. For more information call/text 334.324.3472 or visit www.riverregionboom.com watermelon. It started growing down the side of the bed, so I had to make a hammock to secure it. The baby, hammock held, watermelon became the star of the garden. Even non-gardeners stopped by to see its Iprogress.haveloved gardening and having a community of gardeners to teach me the ropes. The community,however,ismuchlarger than the gardeners. It is the thatneighborhooddays.forthatneighborhoodrunning.gardenthatneighborhoodCloverdaleOldkeepstheupandItistheshowsupclean-upItisthekeepsthe library and children’s library in business. It was the neighborhood that had a successful concert and a community day to raise money for improvements. It is the neighborhood that makes the garden such a success and such a wonderful place to garden. I think the world would be a kinder place if all neighborhoods had a community garden.

aandcollardsIplanting.forgrewmadedelicious collard soup. I grew cabbage and made a

likeandItWeIvegetables.plantingfriendstowasGardenCommunityCloverdaleandsurprisedseetwostopped.talked.soundedlookedsomuchfun.

October 18: Maire Martello, with Alaina Doten, Executive Director of the Fitzgerald Museum, Stepping Out with Scott and Zelda: Touring the Fitzgeralds' Montgomery ($11.95)

41BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom www.aum.edu/OLLI

A new Bonus Opportunity added for the 2022 fall term is Books and Coffee. On four Tuesday mornings during the fall term, members are invited to the Center at 8:30 a.m. to hear authors speak about their books, with an opportunity to buy the books and get them signed or inscribed for unique gifts. Scheduled for the fall Octoberare:04: Tim Lockette, Atty at Law and Tell It True (Whippoorwill Prize)

November 01: John Dersham, Changing Moods: Sixty Years in Black and White (will also talk about some Alabama tourism photography projects)

Fall 2022 AUM OLLI Opportunities scan QR code for more JOIN TODAY! Tell your friends!

November 15: Wayne Flynt, Afternoons with Harper Lee

Lunch Presentations are also included in the basic membership: Oroville Dam Disaster on October 04 and San Francisco’s Leaning Millennium Tower on November 01. These are held from 11:35 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. One last Lunch Opportunity is the AUM OLLI Potluck on Thursday, November 03, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Members bring dishes and, over lunch, visit with classmates and instructors. Over the past few years, AUM OLLI members have demonstrated their outstanding culinary Registrationskills! is requested for all of these activities.

You will need to register for these sessions individually.

The AUM OLLI schedule for the fall of 2022 has been released (see the August 2022 issue of BOOM for details). Membership in AUM OLLI provides access to Bonus Opportunities and Lunch Presentations, all of which are included in the basic annual membership fee of $40.00. Bonus Opportunities for the fall of 2022 include two book discussion groups (one at the Center for Lifelong Learning, which meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month, and one at the Selma – Dallas County Library, which meets the second Tuesday of each Themonth).tour of the 250 acres of woods on the AUM campus, led by AUM faculty members, is a popular Bonus Opportunity, often repeated in various terms. The fall term tour is scheduled for October 21 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

All Aboard!

I can see those Gilded Age travelers in my mind’s eye: They’re strolling into the stunning neo-Romanesque lobby beneath 128 panels of curved stained glass and massive crystal chandeliers. A couple scans

Nashville's Union Station Hotel Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier

RiverRegionBoom.com42 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

We recently visited Nashville to attend a writer’s elevatorhadspeed-datinginanddrinkandformeetingBottomplaceSoutheast.agentsconventionfeaturingconference,sometwo-dozenandtourismfromacrosstheTheeventtookin,ofallplaces,FatBrewery’sspaciousroom.Workedme.Itwasallthebeersnacksyoucouldandeatwhilewritersagentsconvergedfive-minutesessions,style.Youtohaveyourthirty-secondspilldowntonavigate the two and a-half hour marathon—like drinking tourism info through a fire hose. But next time I visit Nashville, I’ll definitely entertain a stop at Fat Bottom, one of Nashville’s premier craft breweries. A huge plus on this trip was the opportunity to lodge in a train Cindydepot.loves old depots and this one was special. It seems historic train depots are everywhere, hearkening back to a bygone era. Some are modest buildings while others assume a grandeur unmatched by modern architecture. Nashville’s Union Station is definitely one of the latter. This depot is so magnificent that words hardly do it justice. It’s a structure you have to experience in the flesh. And you can! Marriott reopened it as a hotel in 1986 and added it to its Autograph Collection in When2012.Iwas a kid, I did what every red-blooded American boy did if he could get away with it—I played on the railroad tracks. Yeah, I’ll bet American boys—back in the days when boys were boys and girls were proud of it—probably placed millions of pennies on the nation’s railroad tracks. My friends and I would place pennies on the track and wait for L&N’s famous passenger train “Humming Bird” to transform them into shiny elliptical sheets of copper. It was an expensive gambit. In those days a penny was actually worth something. Two of them would buy a piece of bubble gum. Ten would get you a coke. Today, who even bends over to pick up a lost penny? With government-induced freight-trainlike inflation bearing down on us, consider this: Two hundred million pennies ($200,000) built this timeless palatial edifice called Union Station Nashville Yards! As aptly stated on its Web site, “The Union Station Nashville Yards is the city’s signature historic hotel for modern-day travelers. Established in 1900, the former train terminal features grand architectural elements and original art that transport guests to a gilded era while offering modern boutique accommodations and amenities that signal the hotel’s timeless grace and enduring spirit.”

Nashville from 1900 to 1979, the last train stopped at Union Station with only 22 passengers.Present day, the isroom125-hotelsituatedwithin the Nashville Yards business and entertainment district along the perimeter of the city’s growing downtown, minutes from the amenities and attractions of Nashville’s dynamic urban includingneighborhoods,TheGulch, Midtown, and Music Row. Thus, Union Station makes a wonderful hub from which to explore not only Nashville but points minutes north in Tennessee’s scenic agricultural countryside. That’s where we found quaint and lively Springfield, Tennessee, the perfect place for lunch on our drive north to the Red River Meeting House in Adairville, Kentucky. Watch future issues of BOOM! for the story of our pilgrimage to this nextawakening?ofonCouldCentury.outAwakeningAmerica’sofChristianhistorichouseworshipwhere2ndGreatbrokelateinthe18thAmericabethethresholdathirdspiritualMyfeaturewill disclose what American frontier settlers—eye witnesses of that transformative move of God—had to say; and their shocking prophecy about America’s future. Are you ready? All aboard! www.unionstationhotelnashville.comwww.fatbottombrewing.com

Jeff S. Barganier is a novelist, travel writer and manager of Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC (www.cindybarganier. com). He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact: Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Instagram: @jeffbarganier. You may print out Jeff’s features at www.jeffbarganier.com the schedule board for the next departure of the thousandsDuringthelateststandnewspaperoverothersfireplace.limestoneginormousfronttheirstandpassengersBird.HummingOtherwarminghandsinoftheAndsteptothefortheeditionofTimes.war,oftroops departed Union Station to deploy overseas. It’s told that one grief-stricken young lady whose soldier never came home from war, flung herself in front of a train. Some say her spirit lurks on the 7th floor. Umm, Okay. Our airy room with its eighteen-foot ceiling was once an artworkThetheofficialswindowbalcony.locatedadministrativeL&Nofficeonthe5thfloorItshugearchedusedtoallowtogazedownonpassengersbelow.spectacularreliefonthisfloortells

Union

Cindy beside Depot Newell Post Days Gone By Train Schedule Station Ceiling

43 the history of transportation from the “beginning of time” until 1900. Clocks are prominent at either end of the 5th floor, speaking to the punctuality of the trains that passed through the station. Twenty unique “angels of commerce” circle the lobby. Each holds a different item of aftertobacco.livestockwheatcornrangingproduction,TennesseefromandtoandSadly,serving

i

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GRANDPARENT ALERT: Gogue Center announces 2022–23 Family Series Series includes four family-friendly performances with tickets priced at $10 each

Montgomery’s Greek Community is Cooking Again!

For the 74th consecutive year, Montgomery’s Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is sponsoring the Capital City’s largest Labor Day Barbecue featuring pit-smoked Boston butts, long-simmered camp stew, and their signature Greek pastries. Pre-ordering is encouraged but not required and can be done online until 9 p.m. the Sunday before Labor Day. To pre-order, visit the church Facebook page (www.facebook/mgm.goc). There's a link to select the items you want. You can also place orders at Chris’ Hotdogs in downtown Montgomery. Pick-up of all items is on Labor Day, 8 a.m. to noon, at the church on the corner of Mt. Meigs Road and S. Capital Parkway. Drive-thru pick-up is available. Food not sold as pre-orders will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis during pick-up hours. “This event was started by our grandfathers," said Gus Katechis, co-chair of the event, "and has been held each year since 1948." Boston butts will be $40 each, quarts of camp stew $15, a Greek pastry sampler box $30, and a Baklava box for $18. Large and small spanakopitas (spinach pies) will also be sold along with tyropitas (cheese pies) and tsoureki (sweet bread). “Over the decades of this event, response from the River Region has been incredible," said Katechis. "We're very thankful to the community for the support we receive."

The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University presents its 2022–23 Family Series beginning this October. The series, which features four family-friendly performances, will bring innovative, high-level children’s programming to the East Alabama performing arts venue throughout its current performance season. Arriving just in time for Halloween, the 2022–23 Family Series begins with the bilingual, multicultural musical “Sugar Skull: A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure” on Sunday, October 23. The new year brings a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood in Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh” on Tuesday, January 31. Two of Kwame Alexander beloved children’s books burst to life on stage as “Acoustic Rooster Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Bloom” on Thursday, March 16. The series will conclude next spring as Mexican vocalist and songwriter Sonia De Los Santos joins Grammy-winning Americana folk duo the Okee Dokee Brothers for “Somos Amigos: Songs on Common Ground” on Friday, May 12. Seating for all four performances is general admission. Tickets are priced at $10 each. All performances in the series will be presented indoors at the Woltosz Theatre. Tickets for 2022–23 Family Series performances and all Gogue Center events can be purchased online at goguecentertickets.auburn.edu. For additional information, contact the Gogue Center box office at 334.844.TIXS (8497) or gpactickets@auburn.edu

BOOM! starts conversations and shares stories. Share your business with BOOM! readers. For more information call/text 334.324.3472 or visit www.riverregionboom.com

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BOOMERS, share your stuff with BOOM! We Love to Bring BOOMERS Together, send info and pics to jim@riverregionboom.com

Shirley Grant has been with Home Care Assistance of Montgomery since April 2021 and has come with over 40 years of caregiving experience. Shirley has proven to be reliable, caring, compassionate, and has a genuine love for people. Whenever HCA has called upon Mrs. Grant, she was always available to lend a helping hand. “Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” -Leo Buscaglia We appreciate your hard work and dedication, thank you for a Job Well Done!! For more information visit www.homecareassistancemontgomery.com

Caregiver of the Month Spotlight: Shirley Grant

The Montgomery Smooth Jazz Festival celebrates various music genres with an emphasis on Smooth Jazz and R & B. In our inaugural year we will provide a full day of outstanding performances for numerous jazz and R & B artists. Our main stage at the Riverfront Amphitheater will feature live performances accentuated with large video screens including a specially designed interactive screen allowing the artists to stylishly operate harmoniously with the music. We are offering music lovers top notch entertainment with the world’s best artists, in a unique setting along the Alabama River, resulting in the type of musical experience that you can’t find anywhere else. We will provide an enjoyable festival with safe spaces for our artists, attendees, staff and volunteers. For tickets visitwww.montgomerysmoothjazzfestival.orgMontgomeryMusic Jazz Fest, September 16-17

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Zoobilation is the signature annual fundraising event for the Montgomery Zoo. This year’s event will be held Thursday night, September 15, 2022. Reserve your spot TODAY for this grand event which supports one of the River Region’s most valued, recognizable, visited educational and cultural icons. SAVE THE DATE, WE ARE BACK! After two years of not being able to host this event due to the COVID pandemic, we are extremely excited for what this year’s event will hold and provide to the community at large. This year’s Zoobilation proceeds will be used to build a brand-new, state-of-the-art Reptile Facility and Exhibit which will be fun, exciting, educational, and appealing to visitors of any age. There will be something for everyone in this newly designed and much-needed enhancement to OUR ZOO. For any additional questions and/or Zoobilation info, please contact Steven Pierce, (334) 306-4253 or scpierce@montgomeryal.gov or visit www.montgomeryzoo.com

Our Walk of Life for breast cancer is back! Join the fun! No matter if you’re a walker, a runner or just someone who wants to enjoy getting outside and helping others in the process, our Walk of Life has something for you! Plus, it’s exciting to see thousands of people take to the streets of downtown Montgomery to show their support for those dealing with breast cancer! Your participation provides mammograms + breast screening services to women and men in every county of Alabama. EARLY DETECTION IS SAVING LIVES — thanks to you! Registration is open, so head over to www.joytolife. org and sign up as a runner, walker, volunteer or team today! Join us October 15th for family fun for everyone—including a 5K run/walk, Kids Zone, food trucks, games, music and much more! Register online at www.joytolife.org today as an individual, team, volunteer or survivor! Remember—the registration fee gets you to the start line, but your fundraising helps us get to the finish line in the fight against breast cancer! The Walk of Life, October 15th. Register today at www.joytolife.org

SAVE THE DATE: WE ARE BACK!

Quilt Show & Sale Featuring 50+ Locally Handmade Quilts at the Pike Road Arts Center

Zoobilation, September 15 @ the Montgomery Zoo

Walk of Life is Back, October 15th, Get Involved!

On weekends in September, discover over 50 colorful, meaningful quilts created by the Pike Road Quilters! These local masterpieces will be on display and for sale at the Pike Road Arts Center (944 Wallahatchie Rd) from Sept. 3 - 18. Stop by the Arts Center during Open Hours:

• Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Sundays: 1 - 4 p.m. • The PRAC is also open by appointment - just email patty@pikeroad.us.

The Pike Road Quilters meet every Tuesday to share their skills, sew together, and celebrate the ancient art of quilting. The Quilters are always ready to welcome new people of all ages and skill levels to their group. Learn more or join the fun: Email patty@pikeroad.us

This & tHAT i

RiverRegionBoom.com46 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Learn

Author of "Twenty Pieces: A Walk Through Love, Loss and Midlife Reinvention"

Meet and Greet with Lisa Weldon

O

A GriefShare Support Group -- Your Journey from Mourning to Joy -- begins Sept. 7, and will meet every Wednesday through Nov. 30 from 10 AM until noon. All meetings will be in the East Sanctuary. This is a free group with discussion concerning stages of grief, the storms that accompany it, and ways of dealing with loss. Sorry, childcare is not available during this time.

Capital City Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn, the 1st Wednesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They will meet at Armory Learning Arts Building, 1018 Madison Ave., Montgomery 36104. Mark your calendars, September 7, “Landscaping with Japanese Maples” David Doggett, Advanced Master Gardener, will present a program on “Landscaping with Japanese Maples”. Join us to find out about Japanese maples, which varieties are suitable for your yard, where to plant them, how to care for them, and lots of other tips. October 5, “Planting Bulbs & Tubers for Next Year’s Bloomers” Karen Weber, Horticulturist and Master Gardener, will present a program on “Planting Bulbs & Tubers for Next Year’s Bloomers”. Come join us to learn about bulbs to plant for brilliant color next year. Discover the best varieties and how to care for each. Should you plant tulips and irises in this area? Do these plants return each year? Let’s find out! BRING A SACK LUNCH, FREE PROGRAM, WATER PROVIDED, For information, please contact the Montgomery County Extension Office 334.270.4133. Also visit www.capcitymga.org.

Sponsored by Well Red Bookstore in Auburn, is excited to welcome Lisa Weldon to the store to read from her stunning memoir, TWENTY PIECES, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 22! This memoir tells the incredible story of how the author claimed her own happiness at age 58 after a series of hardships altered her life forever. Recently divorced, facing foreclosure on her home, and grappling with a stagnant advertising career, Lisa woke up one day with the realization that her life would never be the same. Then, an impossible idea became a reality: for one month, she would live in New York City on her own, taking a crash course in advertising in the morning and walking a different Manhattan neighborhood after class. Along the way, Lisa opened herself up to the circumstances of her changed life - and slowly began to welcome the newer, stronger person she was becoming. The memoir that was borne from this journey is a testament to readers faced with the incredible task of revising themselves - one determined step at a time. There will be copies of Lisa’s book available in the following weeks for those who’d like to make their purchase before the event. Well Red Bookstore, 223 Opelika Rd, Auburn, AL 36830. For more info call 334.246.3021 or visit www.wellredau.com saw it 9/30/2022 if you are 1st Responder 334.277.9925 5147

Lunch & @ The Armory

CONTACT BJ Nave, rnave@frazer.church, 334.495.6343, www.frazer.church

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10% BOOM! Business Partner: Health Wise Foods Off Your Purchase Please present coupon or mention you

Atlanta Highway, Montgomery Capital City Master Gardeners Association

Receive an additional 10% off

a Senior Citizen, Military or

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in the BOOM! Digital Issue. Offer Expires

CAVA Mediterranean will replace Zoe’s Kitchen at Zelda Place. The build-your-own Mediterranean bowl concept will open with a completely redesigned interior to reflect the vibe of the fast-casual chain, which acquired Zoe’s Kitchen in 2018. Meals start with a choice of greens or grains (or both), including options like RightRice, which is made from chickpeas and lentils, and Supergreens – raw shaved brussels sprouts, broccoli, chicory, and cabbage. Diners then select up to three dips, like hummus, tzatziki, and jalapeno-feta mousse dubbed “Crazy Feta.” Proteins range from spicy lamb meatballs and harissa honey chicken to lightly packed falafel. Top it off with cabbage slaw, pickled onions, Fresno peppers, and dressing like lemon herb tahini. For more information about CAVA visit www.cava.com

RiverRegionBoom.com48 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

www.crumblcookies.com

Lions Live at Montgomery Botanical Gardens in Oak Park

CAVA Mediterranean and Crumbl Cookies Make their Montgomery Debuts at Zelda Place

A piece of history was installed at the Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park. We are pleased to announce the installation of two lions at the entrance of the terrace. These lions have travelled though Montgomery over the past fifty years. A historical marker will be installed that reads” In Memory of John Hall Haardt (19011971) This gift of this majestic pair of life size iron lions by Anton Haardt and Haardt Moses to The Montgomery Botanical Gardens. The Lions were cast by the Robert Wood Foundry circa 1860 and guarded the Haardt home at 44 S Haardt Drive for more than 50 years. The Lions previously stood at Morning View, the estate of General Mitchell B. Houghton in Capitol Heights. John Haardt was well known for his real estate entrepreneurial endeavors, antique collecting, and his great love of Montgomery. He was active in civic organizations and served as President of the Montgomery Rotary Club.” We would like to thank the Haardt Family for this generous donation and the many people that helped with the restoration and installation of these beautiful additions. Board members Ethel Dozier Boykin and Fairlie Rinehart spearheaded this project. A special thank you to Robinson Iron Works for repairing and securing the lions in the garden. Pictured with Lions, Ethel Dozier Boykin, Mary Helen and Ken Mahan, Fairlie Rinehart and Dr. Tyna Davis, their leadership at the Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park is much appreciated. If you would like to see the Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park continue to grow, please consider a membership or a donation, www.montgomerybotanicalgardens.com

. Crumbl Cookies, the nation’s fastest growing gourmet cookie company, is known for its weekly rotating menu, famous pink box, and passionate social media following. Inside the Zelda Place Crumbl Cookies store, staff members will mix, bake, and prepare the cookies fresh in an open kitchen for all to see. Some of the Crumbl specialty cookies include Milk Chocolate Chip, Muddy Buddy, Biscoff Lava, Funfetti, Snickerdoodle, Coconut Lime, Chocolate Caramel, Hazelnut Sea Salt, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Rocky Road, S’Mores, and Pumpkin Pie. In addition, Crumbl Cream – Crumbl’s housemade gourmet ice cream – is available along with cold milk to pair with the cookies. For more information about Crumbl visit

. “We are thrilled to partner with CAVA and Crumbl on their openings in the Montgomery market,” stated Gary Jones, senior leasing representative with Aronov. “These are truly two of the country’s premier concepts and we are delighted they have chosen Montgomery and Zelda Place as their newest locations.”

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Many are surprised to learn that Augusta, Ga., although rooted in southern history, has a fantastic diverse and global scene. Thanks to the city’s military base, the booming healthcare industry, great educational offerings and Cyber Security Center, people from around the world have come to join and live in the community, making Augusta a global melting pot. To celebrate this and the many cultures represented throughout the city, Augusta is proud to announce that after a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the highly anticipated Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival is returning for the 40thyear Friday, September 16th through, Sunday, September 18th. The festival, which is presented by the Greater Augusta Arts Council, celebrates Augusta’s diversity and culture through the display of art and delicious cuisine from over 20 countries worldwide. With a large fine art and crafts market, a global village full of international fare and five stages with constant live entertainment, it is no wonder that over 80,000 people attend this festival each year. Since its founding in 1981, this highly anticipated award-winning festival, voted best festival in the southeast, has continued to garner more and more attention at both the local and regional level each year. With activities and performances suitable for children and adults, there is truly something for guests of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. A true feast for the senses, guests can choose to spend the weekend exploring the best of Augusta art while tasting a delectable variety of food from all over the world in a vibrant setting amongst foodies of all types. New for 2022, Augusta is proud to announce that the Arts in the Heart festival will expand another city block! The festival will now encompass the Augusta Common and the 600, 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Broad Street. As one of Augusta’s largest festivals each year, this is an event that visitors will not want to Themiss.Fine Arts and Crafts Market displays works from more than 150 artists, both local and nationwide, allowing festivalgoers to interact with the talented craftsmen. The Global Village, a popular component of the festival each year, provides visitors the opportunity to sample a wide range of different types of authentic international food, all prepared by 19 local ethnic associations. The five entertainment stages at the festival will provide nonstop performances including a Community Stage for local talent, a Global Stage for large, international acts, a Family Stage, a Jazz Stage, and a new Soul Suite Stage featuring poetry, acoustic sounds and more! This year, enjoy the finals of the Press Play singer-songwriter contest Friday Night on Global Stage. The Swanee Quintet, known for touring with and opening for Mr. James Brown, will be closing the Global Stage Sunday evening with an unforgettable, soulful Don’tperformance.missout on an opportunity to enjoy every moment of the festival as well as all the other unique experiences Augusta, Ga. has to offer. From history, museums, public art, one-of-a-kind dining experiences, family adventures and outdoor excursions, Augusta has so much more to explore while in town for the festival. Build the perfect weekend getaway with Destination Augusta’s new Trip Builder feature, allowing guests to create and plan their own individual itineraries in this eclectic Augustacity.ishome to a number of hotels located right in the heart of the action.

• Holiday Inn Express Augusta Downtown • Hyatt House Augusta • The Partridge Inn For more information visit https://artsintheheartofaugusta.com

Arts in The Heart of Augusta Festival

RiverRegionBoom.com50 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

51BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom

CelebratingBirthdayTai's Yvette & Tai, Beach Tme for the Girls

Ageing well is maturing in wisdom gracefully, sharing what you know, and passing on the torch while it is still aglow.

Yvette Jones-Smedley

This month’s cover profile is Yvette Jones-Smedley. Yvette is the Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Montgomery. Her role and leadership are a new beginning for the city as it officially tries to identify, recognize, support, and promote the diverse cultural and artistic sectors of Greater Montgomery. Many of us know that when it comes to our local culture we have a rich variety of influences, both historical and contemporary. Embracing our cultural diversity is what Yvette is shepherding so we can define “Montgomery Now” and into a better future for all of us. We recently shared some time with Yvette and getting to know her was both a joy and a pleasure. We hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as we have

BOOM!: Please give us a family,married,schools,familyraisearea,Montgomeryyouwhateducation,you’rei.e.,biography,briefwherefrom,broughttothedidyouyourhere,etc.?

Yvette: I am a native of Montgomery, daughter of Gilbert Jones (decd) and Dorothy Posey Jones, and the second born of five siblings; three sisters and one brother, Donna, Rodney, Sheila, and Karen. We were a singing family known as the 5J’s, before the Jackson 5! We sang a lot of socials and benefits from the time my baby sister was about 4 years old. We all attended parochial school at St. John Elementary and St. Jude Catholic High School. I married while still in college at the University of Louisville, then we soon moved to Birmingham, where I continued working in community theatre as both an actor and director with various theaters also doing industrial film work. My work earned me recognition as the first African American to win an Obelisk award for acting from Birmingham Regional Arts Commission (BRAC) for my role of Sylvia in Two Tuscaloosa.AlabamaUniversitystudiesundergraduateIfromGentlemenVerona.finishedmyattheofinIn February 1988

RiverRegionBoom.com52 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine BOOM! COVER PROFILE

theIbornSiobhanTai-KristindaughtermywasandfoundedAldridge

Repertory Theatre greaterwasdaughterOctober.thatMythelabor of love. In 1989 I joined Actors Equity, Inc. As a member of the company at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) I was the first African American on the stage as a professional actor in the role of Gower in Pericles Prince of Tyre under the direction of Martin Platt, founder of ASF. In 1997 I earned my Master’s in Theatre Management and Arts Administration. The graduate degree program brought me back to Montgomery because the curriculum required 9 months in Tuscaloosa managing the administration for the BFA Theatre and Dance Programs and then 15 months of residency at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. After graduate school, because arts administrative jobs were scarce, I went back to the stage performing for two seasons at ASF. I then became an adjunct professor of Theatre at both Auburn University Montgomery and Alabama State University. Then in 2005 accepted the position of Performing Arts Program Manager with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, where I remained until January 2021. My daughter, who was in the third grade when I returned program,MagnetTheatretheSchoolMagnetSchool,CatholicResurrectionattendedinMontgomerytogradschool,BTWHighinMusical graduated with a BFA in Opera Theatre from the University of Kentucky, spent Mother's Day with Daughter Tai

February 2022 they give me my first grandchild Judah Cade Bestick. BOOM!: You are the Director of the Cultural Affairs Department for the City of Montgomery. The title sounds like a new way to approach our local arts community. Please share how you became the director of the Cultural Affairs Department and what its mission and purposes are. How would you describe what “Cultural Affairs” are for the city? How would Montgomery?fooddescribeyouthescenein Yvette: fromrecommendationbasedwasAffairsofDepartmentTheCultural(DCA)createdonathe 2020 Reed learnedCommittee.EntertainmentTeam'sTransitionAdministrationArtsandIaboutthe position during that summer and applied, then after several interviews, I was offered the position in December of 2020 and began on January 8, 2021. The mission of DCA is to help identify, recognize, support, and promote the diverse cultural and engagements,communityperformances,curatedthroughcommunityartsandelevateenlightenequitablythehasTheMontgomery.sectorsartisticofGreaterdepartmenttakenchargetoengage,andadiverseinclusiveandculturalaseriesof

Tai-Kristin with Husband Nate and their son Judah Yvette sharing a precious moment with grandson, Judah

The only difference here is that the Reed administration, in response to the recommendations from the Transition Team, saw fit to put adequate structure in place with the qualified personnel to develop appropriate strategies to meet the objectives. Through these endeavors, DCA recognizes and celebrates culture as the benevolent customs and traditions of kindred peoples and communities throughout Montgomery that inspire, inform, and ignite our vocational, intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual pursuits. The food scene in Montgomery is as diverse as the population. DCA celebrates this diversity with activities designed to bring attention to our food culture including the Iron Skillet, Iron Wok, and Wooden Spatula contest. DCA involves food trucks at all of our public events, and we have begun planning collaborations with the Curb Market on Madison Avenue.

and strategic cultural collaborations. Although this may sound like it is a new approach, I would argue that point, based on original documents of incorporation and city council proclamation calling the Arts Council of Montgomery into being, and organizing documents for the founding of the Armory Arts and Learning Center.

BOOM!: Before your new position with the City of Montgomery you have been fully immersed in the arts world, as a professional actor, program director for The Alabama Arts Council and many other roles. Would you please share with our readers why the arts are an important part of the quality of life in Alabama and its cities?

Grandson Judah

the next 7 years at the and(pandemic)10/10/2020marriedBestick.NathanhusbandsheKingtheFestivalofinKingdomWorld-AnimalDisneytheroleKibbiinofLionwheremetherCadeTheyonin

Yvette: I personally believe that the arts are a win-win situation no matter where you are in the world. For example, when you attend a sporting event, you go there (player or fan) wishing, wanting, and expecting somebody/team to get whipped. On the other hand, no one attends an arts event wishing, wanting, or expecting anyone to drop a line, miss a cue, or a dance step. Further in the arts, there is a mutual appreciation for the role that everyone who is involved plays. The performers appreciate the audience members, and the audience is there to enjoy the performances of the players. I might add these two basic elements of visual and performing arts are interdependent, teaching us to respect and value the roles we all play on the global stage as we interact as human beings. Finally, this culture of mutual respect creates an environment

53BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom

Yvette: I particularlydirecting,enjoyworking with youth. I believe that if you have 15 minutes of a child’s time then you should be imparting life-giving observations into their lives, sharing something that helps them on their journey of authentic self-discovery, and that improves their association with others. I am a big picture person, so organizing, planning, and staffing appropriately to create these healthy environments is very rewarding. Overall the most rewarding experience is when the plan you have worked on comes together and everyone involved goes away changed for the better. My favorite roles off stage are Momma, Grandma, and daughter to my 92-yearold Momma. Favorite roles on stage include Lena Younger in A Raisin In The Sun, Gower in Pericles Prince of Tyre, and Sarah Louise Delany in Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years.

BOOM!: With a busy life, how do you like to spend time with family and friends? Describe your experience as a mother and grandmother? Tell us about your grandbaby, does he have a name for you yet?

BOOM!: What are some of your favorite travel experiences? Favorite planned?dreamstravelspot?vacationAny

as an extra getaway. I enjoy New York, Tanglewood (Pittsville, MA), Seattle, San Jose, and Cancun (Yucatan peninsula). I want to visit the Redwood Forest in San Francisco. I love trees! I climbed a lot of them as a child. BOOM!: Do you have time to be involved in community, civic or church activities?

Yvette: Honestly, peace and quiet does it for me, but it takes a few hours of that to completely unwind from the day. I’ve created what I call my shesanctuary at home, so once I’ve had something to eat, Yvette & Mommie after church

BOOM!: In the arts experience?rewardingjobs?favoritesomewhatcommunityhavebeenofyourroles/Most

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine that everyoneencouragesto operate at capacitymaximumfor the good of the many.

Yvette: I withspendingliketimemyfamily and friends outside at picnics, Tai-Kristin,waswhengotbeenmanyBeingbeach.thebarbequesandaroundpoolorontheamomtheseyearshasgreat,butlifereallygrandmygrandsonborn!herhusband

BOOM!: In your experience what can we do to encourage young people to explore the world of arts? Yvette: We can create settings where young people can introduced/exposedbe to an array of traditional and nontraditional art forms. Then we can provide the young with environments where they may feel safe to explore the range of their artistic talent(s) consistently.

RiverRegionBoom.com54 BOOM! September 2022

Yvette: I was fairly active before covid-19. Not so much now, but that is because the DCA position keeps me hopping with events. I really enjoy church activities, and look forward to that picking back up.

BOOM!: How do you like to relax and wind down from a full day of activity?

Nathan, and Judah live in Minnesota. I was privileged to be there when Judah came home from the hospital and I got to hold him for the first time. My maternal Grandma Tena Mae Posey, we called her Mamma Tee, used to always speak of tears of joy, and I have had a few in my day, but nothing like the volume of tears I shed holding him that day. We do a lot of Facetime because of the distance. But so far I’ve spent about 50 days with him since February despite the distance. He’s doing a lot of baby talk right now, but it sounded like he said Grandmommie about two weeks ago, so we’re going with that for now.

Parents Dorothy and Gilbert make 60th Anniversary Toast in 3013 at home with family. Yvette with Mother, Daughter, Sisters, Nieces playing all her favorite roles off stage

Yvette: I loved beachvisitedFlorida,beingthere,wasTai-KristinWorldDisneyvisitingwhenworkingandinweaortwo

BOOM!: Give us three words that describe you? Yvette:

Acting Head

Yvette: When I was younger my priorities were tied to my endeavor to leave something behind that spoke truth to power about our humanity by providing an opportunity for individuals to transact cultural and artistic business with accuracy in an accountable fashion. I thought to do this with the founding of Art, Inc.

Today it is the oldest African American Theatre organization in Alabama, Tuskegee Repertory Theater is the second oldest. Being seasoned by age and experience, I find my priorities have not changed. I still desire above all that truth be the currency of our transactions with one another. Although I realize that truth without graciousness may sometimes be harsh, I still feel that this can be accomplished through the creative community.

ConsiderateMethodical-MeticulousI hang out there till bedtime. I choose not to watch network TV after hours, so if I have the television on its usually something that is not challenging our humanity, like National Geographic. Recently, my favorite way to unwind is watching Judah discover his world.

of Daughter Tai, and Acting

Yvette has Loved Trees Since She was a Little Girl

BOOM!: What is it about living in RegionMontgomery/Rivertheareathatyou like? What do we need more of? Yvette: What I like about living in Montgomery is that it is full of opportunities, and it is relatively easy to connect with folk who can help make things happen. We have a rich and complex history in Montgomery, but the full story has yet to be told. I see this as an opportunity for young and old alike to come together and share with accuracy who Montgomery is now. We need more green space downtown. We need more arts programs for our youth. BOOM!: As you’ve aged, how have your priorities changed? How would you describe what it means to “age well”? Shot Head Shot of

Ageing well is maturing in wisdom gracefully, sharing what you know, and passing on the torch while it is still aglow.

Yvette, 28 years apart

Yvette: This position as DCA with the city has not perhaps renewed my goals, as much as it has given me an operating system (DCA) wherein I can go all out in pursuit of my goals. When I finished grad school I wrote a vison and mission statement for myself. The short version is as follows: To live as a good steward of my time, talent, treasure, and temple and to be able to use my formal and practical training and natural administrative and artistic gifts in some altruistic endeavor for the uplift of my fellow man. Its working!

For those seeking renewal of purpose: If you have been purpose-driven then stay the course, the renewal station is built into your calling/journey.

We want to thank Yvette for sharing some of her life's story with us this month. Be sure and let her know you read her story in BOOM! Also, as you seek new things to do in the city like special events, concerts, museums, etc., think about our culture and it's value to the quality of life for all of us. If you want to reach out to Yvette, email her at yjones-smedley@montgomeryal.gov

BOOM!: Do you have any hobbies or other activities that grab attention?your Yvette: Hobbies I enjoy include putting systems.aboutlearningroadswimming,puzzles,large-scaletogetherreading,trips,andmoreoperating

BOOM!: Many people, as they age, experience a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, etc. How would you describe this sense of renewal in your life? Any advice for the rest of us seeking renewal? What are your thoughts on retirement?

Yvette: DCA: Networking effectively for the greater good of the many. Maintaining consistency in quality experiences across DCA programming. But with these challenges will come the greatest Personally:rewards.Trying to make the 900+ miles between Alabama and Minnesota seem not that far in the coming months and years.

RiverRegionBoom.com56 BOOM! September 2022 River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

On Retirement: I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like for this season in my life I’m on an assignment from my creator for everything, and just like He gave me the assignment, He will release me when it is time to retire.

BOOM!: What are some of the future challenges you’re contemplating for the Department of Cultural Affairs? For yourself?

The

. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please text them to Jim Watson at 334.324.3472 or email them to jim@riverregionboom.com

Yvette with "My Shot" Cast at 2017 Celebration of the Arts Award Yvette received 2022 Marian Gallaway Award 2019 "Bring It On" Cast at the Celebration of Arts Department of Cultural Affairs Team Free BOOM! Digital Subscriptions Sign Up Today! �� www.riverregionboom.com

additionalfundsadditionalbemonth,thisI’lldeliveringtocover care.

RiverRegionBoom.com58 BOOM!

While Hershey sat and watched in the By Greg BudellThe Mayor of BOOMTOWN

me a message via my kitchen, I began making and selling Bingo Key Lime Pies. They’re good. VERY good. I put my stepson through a year at AUM selling them. Over the next several weeks, I made and sold over 80 pies which easily helped Whitney meet the $4500 fundraising goal. They’re still selling, and when I meet Bingo

Greg's daughter, Janelle with Bingo

Bingo has adapted to his 3-legged life with lots of love and no self-pity (a human killer). My daughter has been over to visit every day and Bingo knows a beauty when he sees one! The generosity of listeners and strangers for this far-away dog was my sustenanceemotionalas it became clear I’d have to make the heart-breaking decision on Hershey. When the DOG DAYS OF AUGUST”

Hershey's Sweet 16 Birthday Party!

Here's Bingo posing in Fruit Loop undies (so he didn’t pick out sutures from the leg removal). What a handsome model!

As August began, Hershey’s health had begun to deteriorate. The vet said he had an enlarged heart, and ahisHethingstobyhimPrescriptionsfluid.keptgoingbutoneonehisabilitydoroutinedeclined.stoppedusingfavoritebed,massivecream-colored cushion. I always thought he looked like a little raisin in a puddle of vanilla pudding. The powerlessness of being able to do nothing more was my great, painful Thenfrustration.Godsent

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I made a donation. I also kept an eye on the fund, which was growing slowly. I brought Bingo’s story to the Newstalk 93.1FM audience and that added several hundred dollars. However, we’re living in a time where people are watching their money carefully. An economy like the current one is a disaster for all fundraising efforts. By this time, I’d become “attached” to Bingo, who ultimately would lose a leg (repairs didn’t take). Through it all, this dog wanted to live. From an environment of abuse, he’d found the love of Whitney, Janelle and their friends. I was sent video clips featuring Bingo’s huge tail swishing back and forth with happiness. He was no longer tied to a pole in the Miami heat. He was tethered to some genuine (and airconditioned) human love!

September 2022

Inenervated.March,I celebrated my “baby boy” Hershey’s Sweet 16 birthday, complete with a custom cake. The “Manshtaweenie could still sit up and beg for a treat!

"Greg's little raisin"

Bingo with Cone Greg and Tammy Burkhalter selling Key Lime Pies

Rescuer Whitney w/Bingo Bingo in undies

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage daughter Janelle that gave me a perfect situation to channel my frustration. It was a link to a GoFundMe set up to help a dog named Bingo. Janelle’s friend Whitney found him hobbling alone (he’d been hit by a car) on a Miami Street. Whitney checked Bingo’s tags which listed a home address. She took Bingo to that location and was told by the owners “we don’t want him”. Whitney then delivered Bingo to a veterinary ER where she was told he’d need $4500,Themedicaltodidn’tmeans.pricemedicalconsiderablehelp-atabeyondherWhitneyhesitateauthorizetheattention.billsrantofarmorethan she had, so she set up the fund page. How could she not want to help this lovable boy?

“THE

"A true story from the Greg files" Last month delivered more than heat, humidity, and monsoons. The rain was so prolific at month’s end, Rich Thomas was doing a 40 Day, 40 Night forecast! That’s usually what the “dog days” mean- slugging through syrupy humidity baking us at 95 degrees, into human casseroles. My Dog Days were literally thatfeaturing actual dogs that made the heat a mere nuisance and kept me

It’s Bingo’s turn to give and receive those gifts. More than money, I’ll be delivering a huge helping of Alabama’s Theheart.truth be told, more than Bingo and his “angels”, being the middleman in this miracle benefitted someone more than anything or anyone. Me. And as August ends, Hershey is back home with us. medicines could not keep his oxygen levels up, and he’d be existing at the mercy of medicine, we knew it was time. Surrounded by Roz, friends Teri and Maryann who’d “babysit” Hersh for many of his 16+ years, we let him go. We prayed, cried and held him as he left this life for the next. I held him in my arms as I whispered words of love to Hershey and gratitude to God. The vet came to our home and weThewonderful.wasdayadopta dog or cat we I’vepasshurtheartsoneknowdayourwillastheyon.beenthrough it many times. As he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, I hope he ran to join his longtime friends- Bailey, Carla, Maggie, Zeus, and Zack. A listener named Perry Green was kind enough to imagine and create it for me. Why not? They, better than any human, teach us God’s unconditional love. They bring out the best in us, when it comes to caring, nurturing and helping.

BOOM! Available Here and 200 other locations! Renfroe's Market_Adams Drugs_ Sommer's Place_Fresh Market_ Tomatino's_MCA Fitness_Vintage Cafe_Derk's_UPS Stores_Steak Out_ Steaks & Wine_The Vintage Olive_ Capital City-Ace Chris'Doug'sChappy'sTherapy_DownHardware_OrangetheStreetDeli_HealthWiseFoods_EastbrookFleaMarket_JohnLeePaints_HomeCareAssistance_2_Baumhower’sRestaurant_Jan'sBeachHouse_SanMarcos_HotDogs_Lek's_SaZas_MexicoTipico_LaZonaRosa Tell Your Friends

59BOOM!September 2022The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, Stepson, Sho, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 16 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Jay Scott & Jessie Lynn, 6-9 AM Monday-Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com (If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people!)

RiverRegionBoom.com60 BOOM! September 2022 River Region’s 50+ Lifestage

I am sure you have all used citronella candles or oils in the torches – very effective against mosquitoes particularly.

Peppermint and lavender are both good plants to have around your garden and/ or house to keep insects away and as such are good oils to put in an insect repellant blend too. I often put a small dish of dried lavender flowers on my windowsills (inside) in the summer months; not only does it smell great, but it deters insects from sneaking inside.

Peppermint is also particularly good at repelling ants; if you are having a problem with ants getting in somewhere, mix up a bottle of water, a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of peppermint oil. Shake it well to disperse the oil in the liquid, then spray the affected are liberally. You may need to do this for a few days, but you will see results!

I make two versions of insect repellant (or bug spray), one for the horses and one for humans and dogs. I’ll share the human/dog one with you; the horse one is much more complicated. Use a large spray bottle, preferably dark glass or BPA plastic. The darkness protects the oils from light damage, but also try to keep it out of direct heat, so don’t keep it on a windowsill or in the car! Half fill the bottle with Aloe Vera Gel, this not only cools the skin but also helps soothe any bites you already have. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar which helps to disperse the oils within the liquid (oil and water don’t mix!) Next add your chosen essential oils – I use lavender, eucalyptus, cedarwood and citronella. In a 750ml bottle use 20 drops of each. Then fill up the bottle with distilled or filtered water. Shake well before each application. It smells great and is safe enough to use on children and dogs too! Now, for when you do get bitten or stung, because even with all the bug spray in the world, one of them is sure to get the bit of skin you missed! There are a few essential oils that you can apply neat (undiluted) for acute situations, just like this one. My first choice is Helichrysum, though this is a little more expensive; my second choice is Lavender, which is much more reasonably priced and easier to get hold of. Whichever you have, apply it as soon as possible directly onto the bite/sting site and reapply every few hours. Both will ease the pain, help with any itchiness, and stop infection. If you would also like the cooling effect of aloe vera gel, then you can add that too. Let me know how your experience goes. I’d love to hear about it.

on that list that you need to be a little careful with is lemongrass –it is particularly powerful, and therefore a great one to have in your blend, but

The

TheLemongrassCedarwoodLavenderEucalyptusCitronellaPeppermintonlyone

Magazine

Smart Health - Nature's Way - Tracy Bhalla Essential Oils and Insects

Tracy Bhalla, independent consultant with NYR Organics and founder of LogHouseAromatics.com; after 25 years of using homeopathic remedies, it was time to take charge and complete my Aromatherapy Certification, which I achieved April 2020 and since founded LogHouseAromatics.com as a source for useful essential oil and general natural health information and a place to purchase certain products. email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I am here to answer any questions you may have. email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I web: us.nyrorganic.com/shop/tracybhalla I www. LogHouseAromatics.com it can be an irritant if used in too high doses. Use very sparingly – stick to just one or two drops in a blend and you will be fine.

So let’s look at bug spray first and then we’ll take a quick look at how to treat bug bites and stings, both naturally of Therecourse.are a bunch of essential oils that act as insect repellants in their own right and of course you can combine them to add extra impact and hopefully achieve a fragrance profile that appeals to you, but not to the bugs! My top choices would be: Patchouli Cat Nip

This is definitely the worst month for me as far as getting stung/bitten by a variety of insects, but the most bothersome (to me, at least) has to be mosquitoes. In fact, in the last few weeks alone I have been stung three times by bees and bitten multiple times by mosquitoes. My husband has been stung by a black wasp – particularly painful! And my son has been bitten multiple times by mosquitoes. You would think that we would all be more vigilant about spraying with bug spray, wouldn’t you? Unfortunately, it takes us this long to get in the habit, but now the bug spray is, once again, at every door.

Two famousandRoosevelt,andRoosevelt,Franklinpresidents,greatestAmerica’sofD.Teddythe

“Little Mermaid” statue in Copenhagen’s harbor

The Denmark-Greenland Extension Three months after returning from Holland, Leslie and I set out in July this year, extending our travels to Denmark and Greenland. This was not a retiree trip, and at times was rugged. It was the second segment, however, of sabbatical leave promised long ago to my sweetheart of 49 Fromyears.Atlanta we flew to Copenhagen, via a change in Chicago to Scandinavian Air Lines. Due to a pilot strike the day after landing, we flew back 2 weeks later to Atlanta, via Delta-KLM, with a change in AtAmsterdam.75and74 respectively, we are “no spring chickens.” Our energy levels are usually sufficient, but occasionally were tested by all the walking in both Denmark and Greenland. The afternoon we arrived we saw the famous “Little Mermaid” statue in Copenhagen’s harbor. The next day we enjoyed the National Museum, soaking up all the Viking culture and history. Julian McPhillips

RiverRegionBoom.com62 BOOM! September 2022 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Amsterdam,wifeSoDutchfamily,Rockefellerentrepreneurialallareofdescent.alsodoesmyLeslie.with all its lowlands and canals, is truly the “Venice of the North.” It is also the country’s executive capital, with kings’ palaces still intact. “The Hague,” its legislative capital, is also the location of the majestic “International Peace Palace,” built with Andrew Carnegie’s funds from 1907 to 1913. The building contains the International Court of Justice, active in settling boundary line disputes and trade battles between countries and aching to end the Russian-Ukraine War. It was exciting to see active windmills, 100 feet high, still standing from the 1600’s. It was also fun to see native artisans making wooden shoes. Also enjoyed were Rotterdam, the coastal headquarters of the Holland-American Cruise line, and Leiden, the ancient Dutch capital, with its quaint narrow streets in rustic settings. So why don’t you join a group of college classmates, like we did? Or fraternity brothers, sorority sisters, church members, or whoever, for a trip to the Netherlands? The camaraderie and fellowship will enhance the journey. About two-thirds of us were retired, the rest still active professionally, like me. We all had much to talk about. If interested, I can point you towards a good American contact, and vibrant seasonal counterparts in Holland.

The Dutch Adventure & More By

Leslie and Julian McPhillips

For besttheyoung.75-76theirclassmatesthirteenLeslie,Andisfeast.beAprilNetherlandsjourneyalike,non-retireesretirees,boomers,andatotheinorMaycanamoveableAdventureeverywhere.soitwasforme,andcollegeandwives,allyearsThisisabsoluteoftimestosee the renowned Keukenhof Gardens, with its tulips ablaze in all colors, shapes, and sizes. From traversing historic canals, with resplendent architecture on both sides, to seeing the Dutch master original artwork in museums (Van Gogh, Rembrandt, etc.), to munching on homemade Gouda cheese; to watching Royal Delph China being made; to attending music concerts; … well, all this was worth the dodging of bicycles and pedestrians. The food was usually delicious, even if at times expensive. The walking around Amsterdam was manageable, and good exercise. This beautiful ancient country, also known as “Holland,” oozes with intelligent, industrious, and courteous people.

Our American homeland was founded by many Dutch, including Mayflower pilgrims landing in New England and the knickerbockers founding New Amsterdam in the 1600’s, before it became New York.

Captivating also was the Copenhagen Museum, with its portrayal of the city’s culture from the 1500’s onward. Especially interesting was all the history on Danish theologian-philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, long one of my favorites in the field. The palaces, parks, and museums (one sponsoring an exhibit on Neanderthal man and other earliest human ancestors) were fascinating, as was the Danish Resistance Museum, depicting the Danes’ historic fight against the Nazis. On our fourth day we flew to Greenland for a week. That land has the look of early pioneer days America. The native Inuits share an ancestry of Mongolian origin, coming from over the Bering Strait 10,000 years ago, into Northern Canada and Alaska, on down to Greenland. In the 1400-1500’s the Norseman and Vikings also poured in. They only stayed in Greenland a couple of centuries, before retreating, and returning again in the 1700’s. The only inhabitable parts of Greenland, the world’s largest island, are the eastern and western coastlines, especially the side closer to northern Canada. We arrived by Greenland Airlines from Copenhagen, flying into Kangerlussuaq, a town of 4,000 people. We then flew south to the more industrious town of Nuuk, with a population of 19,000, and the legislative capital since 2009. From there we boarded an orange-colored ferry boat with modest but comfortable cabins. The two-day cruise up the coast was picturesque and Thus,exhilarating.wearrived in Ilulissat, midway up the western coast, and home of unbelievably beautiful glaciers, icebergs, and whales surfacing for camera-ready pictures. We were the only Americans in our mostly Danish group of 15 but including a Swedish couple and a German man. One day’s 6 mile hike up and down rocky boulders and slippery sod, juxtaposed to breathtaking glaciers, taxed our senior bodies, but delighted our souls. After a week soaking in this Artic beauty and history, we flew back to Denmark and rented a car. We drove through Zealand to the middle Danish providence of Fyn, and visited Odense, the hometown of Hans Christian Anderson, the world-renowned author of fairytales. Learning more about his story in a world-class museum was a highlight of the trip.

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