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PRIMETIME of your life FREE | VOLUME 5 • ISSUE NO. 12 | DECEMBER 2016 Interesting features for our 50+ audience

The Best is Yet to Come Our annual rundown of the season’s most memorable events

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et’s face it, after the year we’ve had, many of us are making a mad dash towards 2017. But before the New Year hits, there is still plenty to do. At the top of the list: Holiday events. We rounded up some of the more memorable events of the season. Take note of the following list: WildLights at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Now through Dec. 24. Extensive light displays and also the popular Tunnel of Lights, where guests can stroll under a canopy of glittering lights, blinking and flashing to holiday music. Enjoy a “snowball” fight, live holiday entertainment, visits with Santa, wildlife encounter, camel and carousel rides (on select nights). livingdesert.org/event/ wildlights or call 760-346-5694.

Meet Me in St. Louis. Dec. 2 – 18.

Join the Smith family at the 1904 World’s Fair, and see how their love and respect for each other is tempered with the genuine humor that can only be generated by such a special family. Memorable musical numbers include Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Whenever I’m with You and A Day in New York. Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. (760) 323-5123, palmcanyontheatre.org.

The Desert Symphony presents Oh What A Night! Thurs-

WildLights at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

day, Dec. 8. Tribute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons featuring a special holiday tribute to the legendary Andy Williams & The William Brothers. McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. (760) 340-2787, www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Colors of Christmas. Friday, Dec. 9. New line-up of stars, featuring Oleta Adams, Melissa Manchester, Jon Secada and Ruben Studdard for a sparkling evening of holiday music and classics backed up by a hot 12-piece band and a spectacular choir. McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. (760)

340-2787, mccallumtheatre.com Santa Fly in and Winter Fun Land. Dec. 10 - Dec. 11. Santa Claus will arrive at the Air Museum in his airplane, and will greet all the good girls and boys who have come to see him. In addition to sitting for photographs and having a little gift for each child, Santa will open his Winter Fun Land complete with snow direct from the North Pole! Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs. (760) 7786262, palmspringsairmuseum.org.

Continued on page 5

PrimeTime of Your Life provides local editorial and advertising content for our active adults (50+).

We strive to educate and inform through lifestyle features and human interest profiles. PrimeTime is distributed throughout the Coachella Valley.

Deb Geissler - Publisher

dgeissler@desertentertainer.com

Jose De La Cruz – Editor

news@desertentertainer.com

Kimberly Brucks - Advertising Manager kbrucks@desertentertainer.com

Judy Telander - Marketing Specialist

jtelander@desertentertainer.com

Lucinda Sue Crosby Feature Writer

(760) 776-5181 | 41-995 Boardwalk, Suite L2 Palm Desert CA 92211 A Product of the Desert Mobile Home News.

Titles registered and all contents copyright 2016

by Hi-Desert Publishing Co. All Rights reserved.

Indio International Tamale Festival. Dec. 3 - 4, 10 a.m.

A favorite for locals and visitors to the area. Ranked as one of the top 10 “All-American Food Festivals” by Food Network.

Sample every type of tamale one can possibly imagine. Activities include festival holiday parade, carnival, Mexican Folkloric dancing and a variety of live entertainment. Old Town Indio, www.tamalefestival.net.

The Palm Springs Cruisin’ Association presents Cruise-In. Dec. 3, 1 to 5 p.m. over 150 classic cars, muscle

cars, hot rods, street rods, corvettes, customs, antiques, restored and original collectible cars and motorcycles. Westfield Palm Desert, 72-840 Highway 111, Palm Desert. www.palmspringscruisinassociation.com.

paintings in acrylic, oils and watercolors, photography, etchings, sculpture in clay, glass, metal, stone and wood. Frances Stevens Park, 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. www. westcoastartists.com.

Palm Springs “Walking Tour of the Inns”. Dec. 8. a self-guided walking tour of boutique hotels and historical properties in Palm Springs. www. facebook.com/PalmSpringsAnnualInnWalkandHolidayToyDrive.

Grooves at The Westin. Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. the Jazz All-Stars are back, featuring Harvey Mason, Paul Jackson Jr., Patrice Rushen, Freddie Washington and Michael Paulo. The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa, 71-333 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage. www. westinmissionhills.com/Grooves.

Winter Gathering POW WOW. Dec. 9 - 11. TwentyNine Palms Band of Mission Indians is proud to present The Winter Gathering Pow Wow. Free admission. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46-200 Harrison Pl., Coachella. (760) 775-5566, www.spotlight29.com.

Desert Arts Festival. Dec. 10 - 11. Feature 100 artists presenting their original work in all mediums of two and three dimensional fine art, including

The Rickey Woodard Quintet. Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. Pete Carlson’s Jazz for Jazz Lovers Series continue to present some of the worlds most talented jazz musicians. Non-profit concert proceeds support music education and scholarships for young musicians in the Coachella Valley.

Pete Carlson’s Golf & Tennis, 73741 Highway 111, Palm Desert. www.petecarlsonsgolf.com.

SUDOKU PUZZLE ANSWER ON PAGE 6 2

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DECEMBER 2016

symbolized purity, and they often used it medicinally to reduce fever. Contrary to popular belief, the poinsettia is not poisonous, but holly berries are.

• The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers.

• Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.

• Most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names, such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are likely not male, but female or castrated.

• According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree

ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington.

• All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts.

• The traditional three colors of Christmas are green, red, and gold.

Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth; red symbolizes the blood of Christ, and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty.

• The world’s largest Christmas stocking measured 106 feet and 9 inches (32.56 m) long and 49

feet and 1 inch (14.97 m) wide. It weighed as much as five reindeer and held almost 1,000 presents. It was made by the Children’s Society in London on December 14, 2007.

• Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.

• Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870.

• The poinsettia is native to Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs, who called the plant Cuetlaxochitl (“flower which wilts”). For the Aztecs, the plant’s brilliant red color

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• Each year there are approximately 20,000 “rent-a-Santas” across the United States. “Rent-a-Santas” usually undergo seasonal training on how to maintain a jolly attitude under pressure from the public.

They also receive practical advice, such as not accepting money from parents while children are looking and avoiding garlic, onions, or beans for lunch.

• Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nikolas of Myra (also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna, and Nikolaos of Bari), who lived during the fourth century. Born in Patara (in modern-day Turkey), he is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint, and artists have portrayed him more often than any other saint except Mary. He is the patron saint of banking, pawnbroking, pirating, butchery, sailing, thievery, orphans, royalty, and New York City.

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Holiday

CROSSWORD

Snow Globes in a Jar MATERIALS • Mason Jar, or any jar • A snowy tree, or anything else festive to add to the snow globe • Glitter • Gorilla Glue • Block of Wood

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel off any stickers on the bottom of the tree. Slightly wet the bottom of your tree and the center of the inside of the lid to the mason jar.

(Gorilla Glue needs water to adhere) 2. Spread a thin layer of gorilla glue on the bottom of the tree (I used a q-tip) and add a small dot of it to the inside of the lid.

3. Clamp the tree to the lid and let dry for at least 60 minutes.

4. Once dry, add water, glitter, and whatever else you please to the jar.

Lastly, turn the tree upside down and place inside the jar. **Remember, when you place the tree in the

jar it displaces some of the water, so be mindful when adding the water.

5. Press down on the lid (you may glue it if you’d like), then screw on the outer part of the lid tightly.

6. Turn the jar upside down, and you now have a snow globe!

Liven up your holiday party with some friendly competition When it comes to entertaining the guests at your holiday party, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the classics — Pictionary, charades and the like are fun and easy to play.

However, if you want to try something new this year, here are some ideas to mix things up.

Musical bingo: Make bingo cards, but replace the word “bingo” with “piano” and write down the titles of Christmas carols instead of numbers.

When a song that’s on your card gets drawn, you have to sing it (stick to one verse and one chorus, if you prefer) to be able to place a chip on that square in hopes of getting a “piano.”

Is the song on more than one card?

May the best performance win!

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Guess my resolution: Have everyone anonymously write down one of their New Year’s resolutions, and then try to match each one with its author. Whoever has the most correct guesses is the winner.

You can also play this game with famous quotes or expressions, as chosen by your guests.

Fun for everyone: Have a contest to build the world’s most beautiful snowman (with toilet paper) or tallest Christmas tree (with humans). Fill an oversized Christmas sto­cking with different items and take turns trying to guess the contents. Fun times guaranteed!

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“BIRD IS THE WORD”

Across

1 Vandals 5 ___ loading (marathoner’s prep) 10 “Get lost!”

14 “Paradise Lost,” e.g.

15 Roughly 16 Common street name 17 ___ la Douce 18 Build up 19 Kon-Tiki Museum site 20 Gibberish 23 “2001” mainframe 24 Brews 25 Go (into) 29 Long lock 31 Old Mazda truck line 33 Error 37 Gun advocate grp.

38 Speaking frankly 42 Part of HRH 43 Mad Ludwig’s land 44 End a hug 47 Glossy brown fur 51 Hawke of “Training Day” 52 Polish’s partner 55 Sharp feller

56 Home of the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil 60 Japanese soup 63 Actress Verdugo 64 Add to the pot 65 After-school cookie 66 ___ anchor 67 Hide 68 Existed 69 Big name in computers 70 Circle segments

Down

1 Elevation 2 Hullabaloo 3 Light-footed 4 Sign of healing 5 Bedouin’s mount 6 Quarters 7 Rakes 8 Keg stopper 9 Italian eight 10 Cigar enthusiast 11 Suffers from 12 Engine need 13 Plastic ___ Band 21 Corrective eye surgery 22 Wordsworth work 26 Occupation 27 Mucho mucho 28 Julio’s “that”

30 Tee sizes, briefly 31 Second in a series 32 Cowboy boot attachment 34 They’re all in the family 35 Go bonkers 36 Rapid transit in France 38 Fair sight 39 Chief 40 Laugh-a-minute folks 41 Actress Dennings 42 Tint 45 Shallow sound 46 Mayo is part of it 48 He seeks hides 49 Recherché 50 Insurrectionists 52 Catch some Z’s 53 Prison-related 54 Foaming at the mouth 57 Composer Bartok 58 Radar image 59 Polynesian drink 60 Kind of rule 61 Anger 62 Catch ANSWERS ON PAGE 6

Continued on page 1 Christmas with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Sunday, Dec. 11. Renowned allsinging, all-plucking ukulele superstars return with their toe-tapping music, hilarious banter, and sheer superlative entertainment. But now with added holiday cheer! McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. (760) 340-2787, mccallumtheatre.com.

Starlight and Bells. Dec. 11 - 18.

Offering a wonderful variety of familiar Christmas carols in rich arrangements all centered around a theme of brilliantly shining stars and joyously resounding bells.

There will also be a bit of holiday humor, a dash of Gospel style and some classic Christmas tunes from Broadway shows. Indian Wells Theater, 37-500 Cook St., Palm Desert.

(760) 346-4933, www.californiadesertchorale.org/events.

Singing in the Holidays. Sunday, Dec. 11. Presented by The Coachella Valley Symphony, fea-

turing Shelley Yoelin and the Rancho Mirage High School Chamber Singers. The Helen Galen Performing Arts Center, 31-001 Rattler Road, Rancho Mirage. www.hgpac.org.

The Nutcracker. Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Join Clara and her beloved Nutcracker as she travels to the Land of Snow, and to the Palace of the Dolls where all of her favorite doll companions come to life. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert.

(760) 340-2787, mccallumtheatre.com.

Johnny Mathis Christmas Tour with special guest Gary Mule Deer. Dec. 16 – 17. Featuring favorites from Mathis’ many beloved and best-selling holiday albums plus a selection of Mathis’ pop music hits.

McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. (760) 340-2787, mccallumtheatre.com.

5th Anniversary Santa Pawks 5K. Saturday, Dec. 17. A dog-loving fun run/walk benefiting Guide Dogs of the Desert. Everyone is welcome! Runners, walkers, strollers, doggies, EVEN reindeer - come one

Johnny Mathis at the McCallum Theatre - come all for a great morning filled with holiday cheer and lots of Ho! Ho! Ho’s! American Legion Post, 400 N. Belardo Rd., Palm Springs. www. palmspringsmarathonrunners.org.

Paws ‘N Claus at The Gardens on El Paseo. Saturday, Dec. 17.

Photograph your canine pal with Santa Claus, and enjoy fun pet activities and treats for you and your dog. A $15 donation to participate benefits Animal Samaritans. The Gardens on El Paseo, 73545 El Paseo, Palm Desert. www.thegardensonelpaseo.com.

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A Celebration of the Music of Elton John. Saturday, Dec. 31.

From rhinestones to sequins, Kenny Metcalf meticulously recreates every detail of the voice and appearance of Elton John. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella. spotlight29.com/concerts.html.

Huey Lewis & The News. Saturday, Dec. 31. Bring in the new year with Huey Lewis and The News.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage.

(888) 999-1995 www.hotwatercasino.com.

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SCAM ALERT! Mortgage Refinancing Scams Prey on Military

1,001 Ways to Reinvent the Advent Calendar Advent calendars are great: they allow children, for whom the concept of time is still abstract, to keep track of the days left before Christmas. This year, instead of the usual chocolate countdown, why not switch things up with one of these creative alternatives?

Family fun. Fill each calendar square with a voucher that the kids can trade in for a fun activity, such as going to the movies, building a snowman or baking cookies.

Christmas stories and carols.

Write the name of a different Christmas story to read—or make up— with your children each day. You could also include new Christmas carols you’d like to learn and sing.

Good deeds. Swap out candies for a daily good deed for the kids to do for family members or neighbors.

You could include doing the dishes with Mom or helping a sibling put away his toys, for example.

Discoveries. Teach your kids a new word each day; ideally something having to do with the holidays. You could also teach them about a different tradition that people celebrate around Christmastime in another part of the world. You’ll probably learn a few things yourself!

Recipes. Whip up a dish a day with the kids. Choose different desserts, or even 24 delicious cookie recipes.

One thing is certain: you won’t run out of holiday desserts!

Envelopes, numbered socks that you can decorate and hang like a garland, a Christmas village made of different-sized boxes, empty toilet paper rolls arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree—there are a thousand and one ways to create a unique Advent calendar with your children. Have fun!

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HOW THE SCAM WORKS You get an offer - via mail, email or even social media - touting mortgage refinancing just for members of the military or veterans. The advertisement mentions special offers, such as government programs for veterans. It may claim to be endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or be part of the official Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan program.

You call the number provided, and the refinancing company “guarantees” you an excellent interest rate. It may sound like a great deal, but proceed with caution! This has several red flags. Real lenders never guarantee a loan rate upfront, and the VA does not contact homeowners about mortgages. This may be a case of misleading advertising, or it might also be an outright scam, where con artists charge upfront fees and then vanish with your money.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SCAM

PUZZLE ANSWERS

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Service men and women are, unfortunately, often the targets of scams. One con that preys on military members is predatory lending, when unscrupulous companies use false promises to trick borrowers into bad loans.

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Mortgage refinancing is not the only loan scam targeting service members, veterans, and military families. Use caution when evaluating auto loans, student loans, and short term “payday” loans.

Don’t pay for the promise of a loan. It’s illegal for companies doing business by phone in the US to promise a loan and require payment before they deliver. All advance fee loans are illegal in Canada.

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Investigate claims that it’s a government program. Scammers increase their credibility by connecting themselves to official or trustworthy institutions. Do your research and contact the government or your loan servicer first.

Legitimate lenders never guarantee a loan in advance.

Real lenders will check your credit score and other documents before providing an interest rate and/or loan amount.

You are pressured to make a decision immediately. Phrases like “act fast” or “limited time offer” should be red flags indicating a possible scam. Scammers hope that time pressure makes victims more likely to make costly mistakes. Some legitimate companies use this sales technique, too, but you should never feel pressured to make a snap decision about something important.

Legitimate lenders don’t pressure you to pay via wire funds transfer, prepaid debit cards, or gift cards. These services are like cash. Once it leaves your hands, it is very difficult to trace and almost impossible to reverse.

For more information visit bbb. org/military to learn more about BBB’s consumer education program specifically for military members and their families. To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/ scamtracker).

Vicki Petersen Show Biz is Her Life

By Lucinda Sue Crosby For PrimeTime of Your Life

S

he’s peppy and bubbly. Her smile can light up a room.

Her fashion sense is dramatic and her jewelry one-of-a-kind. It shouldn’t come as a shock then that Vicki Solberg Petersen really knows how to throw a party.

This blond dynamo was born in Pasadena, California to parents Ray and Helen. The family home, located near the Pasadena/Altadena border, was not far from the westward ingress of the Angeles Crest Highway. “The residential part of Pasadena was – and is – just beautiful,” Vicki said. “Huge magnolia trees and custom houses right at the base of the mountains.”

The family business was located on Colorado Blvd, the town’s main thoroughfare. In those days however, long before an award-winning city-wide renovation, the ambience of Old Town was, shall we say, ROUGH. “I remember drug dealers and X-rated magazine shops on every block,” Vicki said with a laugh.

“But my dad was smart. He saw the area’s promise, overlooking the distressed buildings and strange characters. The family business still owns property there.”

At age seven, when Vicki took organ lessons, it cemented her life-

long passion for music and performers. Within a year, she was accomplished enough to play for school assemblies. Her teachers also discovered Vicki’s gift for organizing activities and crafting posters and decorations and put her to work. “I have always been attracted to celebrations and coming up with fun and unusual themes,” she said.

By junior high, Vicki found herself particularly drawn to the pageantry of the Rose Parade, volunteering to work on floats and eventually, becoming a float driver. “New Year’s Eve in Pasadena is the biggest party in the world,” Vicki said. “And I was there!”

At 18, Vicki moved to Palm Springs. Her family had been vacationing in the Coachella Valley for years and our girl adored the perpetual sunshine, palm trees, swimming pools and “glamorous, sleek architecture.”

At age 20, she auditioned for and appeared on The Match Game – winning over $10,000. The producers liked her vitality and outgoing personality and began paying her to participate in mock runthroughs of possible game show formats. “As a newlywed, it was a great gig and the money was good.

But when I showed up full pregnant … well that was the end of

my TV career.” The upside? During a long marriage, Vicki produced daughter Cheriss and a son, Jamie for whom she threw amazing, crazy kids’ birthday parties.

Looking back, Vicki says she can see the progression of her life leading up to that next all-important moment. While at dinner with acquaintances who also happened to be convention planners, one of them mentioned a wish. “They wanted to create a bonding experience that would break the ice for their participants. So I recommended Deedee Hanson, a Joan Rivers look-alike. They hired her; she was a huge success – and that was the seed for my company, Note Worthy Entertainment & Events.”

In short order, Brent Taylor, an event coordinator at the Rancho Mirage Ritz Carlton, telephoned seemingly out of the blue. She’d heard about the success of the Deedee Hanson shindig and wondered if Vicki was booking talent.

“I paused, gulped and said yes. So Brent gave me a list of upcoming parties and conventions, described the talent she needed and asked for a price rundown. I hung up the phone and panicked. I didn’t even know where to begin!”

Thank heaven for all the musicians Vicki had met and befriended

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over the years – folks like Pointer Sister bass player Gilbert Hanson.

“He was tremendously helpful,” Vicki said. Slowly, she built a contact list featuring musicians, magicians, jugglers, animal wranglers, you name it.

In the ensuing 23 years, Vicki has booked thousands of artists into hundreds of events, some – as you may imagine – on the eccentric side like bear wrestling and hot coal walking. Several particularly surreal experiences still stand out like the time one extremely agitated bride cut two inches off the bottom of her gown minutes before she walked down the aisle or the casino owner who paid the entire bill with a huge wad of cash.

Vicki says she recognizes her blessings. “I have made a living from my passion and my performers and clients – how much I appreciate the talent and professionalism on one side and the continued high-quality patronage on the other. Both sides have trusted me to represent their best interests and it’s been an honor to do so.”

Slowly, she built a contact list featuring musicians, magicians, jugglers, animal wranglers, you name it.

In 2006, Vicki met and married husband Steve, who just happens to be a musician/poet/performer. They enjoy beach and mountain travel and set aside holiday intervals for far flung children. Their Rancho Mirage property allows them to keep tabs on a host of desert wildlife, including birds, butterflies and rabbits. And they are deeply involved with their church community.

If you have a special event coming up, large or small, one you want to be personal and memorable, consider contacting Vicki Petersen at petersenvicki1@gmail.com or note-worthyentertainment.com.

There’s nothing quite like that one-of-a-kind experience!

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SPARKLING vodka-cranberry cocktail

LEMON CRANBERRY muffins INGREDIENTS • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar • 1/2 tsp. baking powder • 1/2 tsp. baking soda • 1/4 tsp. salt • 1/4 tsp. allspice • 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk • 1/4 cup butter, melted • 1 egg, yolk and white separated • Zest of 1 lemon • 1 cup fresh cranberries (washed) or frozen (thawed)

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES SERVINGS: 1

INGREDIENTS • Ice cubes • 1 oz. vodka • 3/4 cup cranberry juice • 1 oz. ginger ale • A few mint leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS Place a tall glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Just before serving, add ice cubes and pour, in this order, vodka, cranberry juice and ginger ale. Do not mix. Garnish with mint leaves.

Orange and rosemary CHICKEN LEGS INGREDIENTS • 1 tbsp. butter • 3 tbsp. olive oil • 4 big chicken legs • 2 onions, finely chopped • 1 tsp. curry powder • 3 tbsp. maple syrup • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 2 rosemary twigs • 1 cup chicken broth • 2 oranges, peeled (remove pith) and quartered • Salt and pepper, to taste • Sliced oranges, to serve

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PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COOK TIME: 2 HOURS SERVINGS: 4

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Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir with a fork until all ingredients are mixed together. Add egg white and cranberries. Pour the mixture into the muffin pan, filling each cavity 3/4 full. Bake until a skewered tooth pick co­mes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Using a knife, unstick the sides of the muffins and remove from pan.

Pear and cranberry QUINOA SALAD

DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 350 °F. Melt butter in a large casserole. Add oil and brown chicken legs for about 5 minutes each side. Once golden, remove chicken from casserole, add onions, curry powder and maple syrup. Mix well, cook on low for a few minutes. Put chicken back in casserole, add garlic, rosemary, broth and quartered oranges. Add salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and put in oven for 90 minutes. Stir occasionally, basting the chicken legs with the broth. Serve on sliced oranges and drizzle with cooking juices.

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DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 205 °C (400 °F). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan that’s roughly 6 centimetres (2.5 inches) deep. In a large bowl, combine PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES and cayenne pepper and mix until evenly blended. In a small SERVINGS: 12 bowl, add buttermilk, butter, egg yolk and lemon zest, and beat until mixture is smooth. In a third bowl, whip up the egg white.

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INGREDIENTS • 1 cup quinoa • 2 cups water • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1/4 olive oil • Juice of 1 lemon • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • Salt and pepper, to taste • 2 pears, unpeeled, cored and thinly sliced • 2 cups spinach, washed • 1 cup fresh cranberries (washed), or frozen (thawed) • 1/2 cup nuts, your choice (pecans, walnuts, etc.)

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES SERVINGS: 4 TO 6

DIRECTIONS Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain well. In a frying pan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add the quinoa. Cover and cook over low heat for 13 to 15 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed the water and is transparent. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, whip oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to make the dressing. In a large salad bowl, gently mix the quinoa, pear slices, spinach leaves, cranberries and nuts. Add dressing, stir well and serve.

From running his workshop to delivering toys around the world, the holiday season is a busy time for Santa. To keep himself going, Saint Nick relies on some essential gadgets to stay connected, organized and entertained throughout the holidays.

This year, make your own holidays a little less hectic or someone else’s holiday a little more merry. With the help of this list, you can give some of Santa’s favorite gadgets.

Drones: To keep an eye on who’s been naughty or nice, Santa depends

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on his Parrot Mini-Drone Rolling Spider. The Spider flies smoothly in all directions with its sophisticated stabilizing autopilot system, and a free app with touch controls makes it easy to pilot. Thanks to the “swipe” control feature, you can execute rapid, agile aerobatics, including 90 degree and 180 degree turns, as well as forward, backward and sideways flips. An embedded vertical minicamera lets you take snapshots from the unique vantage point.

Mobile Devices: Santa’s Apple

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iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 help him stay connected, organized and entertained. With the iPhone’s new and advanced camera system, you’ll be able to capture memories all season long, and immersive stereo speakers will have you rockin’ around the Christmas tree. If admiring holiday lights is a tradition you hold dear, you’ll appreciate the Galaxy S7’s exceptional low-light image capture, and the smartphone’s expandable memory makes it easy to grab all the photos

and videos you can snap.

Music: What’s a sleigh ride without Christmas music? Santa jingles all the way with the UE Roll 2 Bluetooth Speaker. The speaker pumps out crisp sound with deep bass in every direction to spread holiday cheer all around. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery allows for up to nine hours of playtime, so you can keep the festivities going strong late into the night. Using the UE Roll app, you can take advantage of additional features to tune it, alarm it, personalize it and double up the sound by pairing with another UE speaker.

Health trackers: After all the countless cookies and glasses of milk, Santa takes charge of his health with the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch. The built-in S Health app empowers your active lifestyle and continuously challenges you to practice healthy habits. Effortless navigation, personalization options and features like calendar notifications make it easier than ever to keep everything you need at your fingertips.

Toni Story and Jade Josey Mom-Daughter Airstream Rehab Pros

By Lucinda Sue Crosby For PrimeTime of Your Life

Toni Story and Jade Josey are the kind of mother and daughter who finish each other’s sentences and help fulfill each other’s dreams. In the past five years, they’ve become experts at and increasingly known for rehabbing classic Airstream trailers, aka the Silver Bullet of RVs. Having logged a steady rise in their profit margins, and seen an explosion in interest, they are quick to thank the Mad Men TV mega-hit (that reintroduced mid-century modern esthetic to the masses) and the Tiny House craze (small living is definitely IN). As Toni might say, “The right train on the right track at the right time.”

How their colorful lives arrived at their present situation is a fun tale, especially the colorful way they tell it.

Toni was born in Oceanside, CA to mother Joyce and father John, a US Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton. Both parents are still going strong “living happily apart on opposite coasts” according to Toni.

Like most military families, moving every couple of years was the norm and the Story family absorbed a lot of America’s spacious skies, amber waves of grain and purple mountains majesty.

Daughter Jade told me about her mother’s upbringing: “Mom’s older sister was brought up on the

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Southern Belle fast track. My mom, by contrast, was building a double decker tree house in a Looziana Pine and putting together some cages for chickens, a hissing baby alligator and a pet skunk. She also tamed some wild deer enough that they’d hang around. Then, Mom charged a 25 cent entrance to her “zoo” – and that was the beginning of her business career.” Toni half-heartedly protested this memoir but eventually admitted it was “totally true.”

Toni graduated from Pensacola High School and took her AA from Pensacola Junior College in accounting. But the numbers game was “too boring” and Toni set off on a journey through rental property management and ownership of a printing company among other careers but eventually found herself flipping RVs and campers.

“I’d come across interesting trailers on people’s lawns,” Toni said, “or someone rescued a run-down camper and brought it to me to put back into shape.

Along the way, Toni married and bore daughter Jade. The husband bowed out amicably and early on and mostly, Toni raised Jade as a single mom. “I made bad choices so it was pretty much Jade and me … and that was just fine.” Toni said.

Toni continued adding new renovation skills in plumbing, electricity and all manner of kitchen, bathroom and “just plain fun” built-ins

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DECEMBER 2016

and installations which, because they were so often vintage in nature, never wound up the straightforward projects they first seemed.

Jade said, “Mom’s friends kept begging her to HIRE AN EXPERT and sometimes she actually did.” Toni said, “Persistence is everything.”

Toni and Jade believe that the Palm Springs Vintage Market (held in downtown Palm Springs in the Camelot Theater parking lot) is the perfect place to feature their beautiful Airstreams. They feel it totally worth their while to attend the flea market-type gathering one Sunday a month even though the logistics can be complicated. Toni usually drives a truck from her home in Tucson, Arizona trailing an Airstream and Jade flies in from New York, where she is attending the New York Fashion Institute. Originally, they spent the weekends in their trailers on the Market site or bunked with friends but recently Toni bought a rehab project at Horizon Mobile Village in south Palm Springs. “I like it here,” Toni said.

“Palm Springs represents the ideal of mid-century modern style which means we fit in perfectly.”

Jade, a leggy, beauty who has worked as a model and who rehabbed her own Airstream to subsidize her mother’s tuition contributions, is scheduled to graduate next spring with a degree in interior design. Then, she and Toni will pur-

sue their Vintage Trailer Therapy biz with a vengeance. “After all,” Jade explained, “a brand new Airstream with a so-so interior can run $60,000 or more. But we can find, clean up, repurpose and resell a vintage model for between $8,000 and $30,000, depending on size and rarity. And these trailers – they have star quality – the American craftsmanship shines.”

Toni smiled as only mothers can and said, “Besides, Jade will never work another day for somebody else. This business will always be as much hers as it is mine.”

Looking for a pre-built office? A boathouse? An extra bedroom? A she-shed? Maybe you need some expert guidance on the financial nuts and bolts of vintage Airstreams. Or maybe you’re thinking about going tiny. In any event, I recommend you contact Toni and Jade and shoot the breeze about the Silver Bullet of RVs, the iconic, stylish Airstream. You’ll come away with all the info you need from a couple of pros – and you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

Vintage Trailer Therapy by Toni Story and Jade Josey. Rehabilitations, Rescues, Rentals, Re-Homing. For more information, call (520) 907-6848 or visit storylandsouthwest@yahoo.com

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KNOW DID YOU

What should you put under the tree to spoil your little fur ball?

Do you love your dog more than anything in the world? Would you not be able to live without cuddling with your cat? The following gift suggestions are aimed at all pet owners who are unabashedly crazy about their four-legged friends.

If you want to spoil your pet, keep its age and personality in mind.

For example, puppies and kittens, which have energy to spare and love to chew things, will adore a colorful toy that they can destroy to their heart’s content.

Is your loyal companion something of a four-legged foodie?

Homemade Christmas cookies are a great bet. Go online or visit your

local bookstore to find pet-friendly recipes that are as nutritious as they are delicious. These treats are made with healthy ingredients like oats, eggs and fruit—you may even be tempted to take a few bites yourself (for quality control, of course)!

For an older, calmer pet, keep comfort in mind with a gift like a cozy bed or a soft blanket. If Fido or Mittens hates the cold, pick out a snazzy outfit for trips outside. Specialized stores have a wide variety of options for you to choose from; think rain boots, jackets, sweaters and even snowsuits. Visit your local pet shops to browse a selection of irresistibly cute designs.

• President Theodore Roosevelt was a bit of a scrooge when it came to Christmas trees. As a conservationist he banned Christmas trees in the White House. Some say his kids would sneak Christmas trees into their rooms, against his wishes.

• Rudolph the Red_Nosed Reindeer was actually created by department store Montgomery Ward in the late 1930s for a holiday promotion.

• There are three towns in the Us that are named Santa Claus. One in Georgia, one in Arizona and one in Indiana.

• There are two islands named Christmas. Christmas Island (formerly Kiritimati) in the Pacific

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Ocean and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

• Tinsel was once made of real silver.

It was invented in Germany in 1610.

• The tradition of naughty children getting a lump of coal in their stocking comes from Italy.

• Do you know why we say the Twelve Days of Christmas? It is believed that it took the 3 kings 12 days to find baby Jesus.

• The song Jingle Bells was written by James Pierpont in 1857. It was originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh” and was made for Thanksgiving.

PRIMETIME

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