Dmhn 20

Thursday December 19, 2019 Volume 65 | Number 17

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CELEBRATING THE RESIDENTIAL PARK COMMUNITIES FOR 65 YEARS

Holiday Dining

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Photo courtesy of AC3 Restaurant + Bar

AC3 Restaurant + Bar Voted “2019 Best of the Valley,” this light and bright foodie favorite just off El Paseo will feature regular menus and sumptuous specials on both days. Share (or not) starters like mushroom and burrata flat bread ($12) or crab cakes ($16). Mains include marinated pork schnitzel ($26), lobster, shrimp, chicken and chorizo paella ($30) or ribeye steak ($37), and it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without dessert of chocolate Nutella s’mores or banana bread pudding ($11 each). Open December 24 and December 25, lunch 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 45350 Larkspur Lane, Palm Desert, 760-3406069, ac3palmdesert.com.

Le Vallauris Christmas dinner here will create memories for years to come. A special holiday menu will include appetizer choices like baked Boston scallop and prawn strudel, porcini tart with truffle oil, duo of blue and Dungeness crab and many others. Entrees will feature farm raised free range turkey, roasted rack of lamb, charred filet of beef with cognac sauce, Maine lobster raviolis and more. Desserts include opera bitter ganache, Bourbon pecan pie with Tahitian vanilla Chantilly and other unique recipes. $86 per person. Dinner served December 24 and 25, 3 p.m. on. 385 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, 760-325-5059, le vallauris.com.

Mastro’s This classic, sophisticated yet high energy steakhouse sets the standard, and this holiday there will be two “can’t resist” offerings. Guests can start with Holiday Cheer, an addictive concoction of Tito’s vodka, Kerrygold Irish cream, Kahlua and Liquor 43, garnished with a cinnamon and sugar graham cracker rim ($22). The chateaubriand, a large center-cut roast of the finest tenderloin, is sliced and served tableside with bearnaise and peppercorn sauces ($115). There is live entertainment nightly. Now this is living. Open December 24, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and December 25, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. 73405 El Paseo, Palm Desert, 760-776-6777, mastrosrestaurants.com.

Peak’s Restaurant at the Palm Springs Tram With breathtaking views of Chino Canyon and the towering Christmas Tree, this the ultimate holiday experience.

Serving an entrée of maple glazed ham, appetizer choice of lentil soup or baby beet salad and dessert selection of apple pie or homemade bread pudding, all you have to do is get yourself to the top of the Tram. Adults $45, kids $23.

Open December 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, 760-325-1449, pstramway.com.

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December 19, 2019

WORD SEARCH Taking a Breather in 2020 I think we can agree that 2019 was a long, tough year. We all know why. Is it time to tune out? Here are some thoughts on how to have a better 2020: • Turn off the TV now and then, especially those news shows.

We’ve been around long enough to have figured out the political stuff years ago. We don’t need to continually have it thrown at us.

ANSWER TO WORD SEARCH ON PAGE 9

AL DENTE

DREDGE

POACH

BASTE

DRESS

PUREE

BRAISE

FILLET

ROAST

BROWN

FOLD

SEAR

CARAMELIZE

GLAZE

SIMMER

CHOP

GRATE

STEW

CUBE

JULIENNE

WHISK

DASH

KNEAD

DICE

MARINATE

How to Cure Tech Addiction If you’re concerned that tech addiction is having a negative impact on our children, you are not alone, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].

In fact, smartphone dependence is a worldwide epidemic and has triggered a search for a cure. For example, in the Indonesian city of Bandung, West Java they’re giving elementary and middle school children baby chicks to raise as a way to treat their depen-

Staff Deb Geissler Publisher Kimberly Brucks Advertising Manager KBrucks@desertentertainer.com

Jose De La Cruz Senior Graphic Designer news@desertmobilehomenews.com

• Consider loading up on jigsaw puzzles and inviting a few friends over. New puzzles can be expensive, but Goodwill has them for $3.

Put on tea or coffee, turn on some

• Vow to have better nutrition in 2020. It doesn’t have to be a huge overhaul of your diet, maybe just a few small steps. An extra piece of fruit each day, brown rice instead of white ... it can all add up to better health.

• Winter won’t last forever.

Eventually spring will arrive and thoughts of planting. Begin now to consider what you might grow: a few pots of flowers outside the door, vegetables in a community space. Make plans.

• We need to do something for others for our own peace of mind.

Consider signing up for an afternoon each week at the food bank, or walk a small dog at the shelter once the weather warms up. Just turn off the TV. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

dency. Mayor Oded M. Danial says the chicks will keep the kids preoccupied so they “won’t be too focused on their gadgets.” As an incentive, the children who raise the biggest chickens can win bicycles.

The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.

Holiday Celebrations Hold Dangers for Pets

Serving 110 Mobile Manufactured Home and RV Parks in the Coachella, Morongo and Yucca Valley for 65 years. The Mobile Home News is a household tradition for the 55+ manufactured home park and RV Park population. Available at clubhouses and racks in manufactured home parks. Also available in many area businesses and senior centers.

Businesses or private parties interested in advertising to the 55+ community please call 760-820-2610.

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News, photos or editorial submissions or story ideas should be sent to news@desertmobilehomenews.com All delivery issues should be directed to Ahkto Distribution at distribution@ahkto.com or call 760-459-4204

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• If we do want to watch TV, we can flip to PBS, or maybe the History channel or Discovery. For those of us with Netflix or Amazon Prime, there are plenty of shows, more than we could ever watch. Check out travel videos: wine country in France, narrowboats on the canals in Britain or the scenery in Iceland.

quiet music in the background and talk about anything but politics while you put puzzles together.

www.desertentertainer.com www.canadasouthmagazine.com

Titles registered and all contents copyright 2019

by Hi-Desert Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

Dear Paw’s Corner Please remind your readers to keep their pets away from Christmas decorations, wrapping paper and all the other shiny accoutrements of the holiday. Several years ago, I lost one of my little mutts after he ingested a glass ornament that I failed to notice in time. No one else should have to remember such a tragedy at the holidays. -Juliet in Reno, Nevada Dear Juliet I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your pet. Thank you for reminding readers to put in the extra effort to keep their dogs and cats safe this Christmas and New Year.

It’s best to keep pets out of the room entirely when presents are being unwrapped. All the excitement can be stressful, and when the humans are distracted a pet

may grab an ornament or a small toy and make off with it. Pick up all the debris before letting your pets back into the room.

In the same vein, be very watchful of pets as the holiday feast is being prepared and served. Fatty foods can cause indigestion in pets, but other ingredients can be downright dangerous. Onions, garlic and raisins (or grapes) are poisonous to dogs and cats. So is chocolate. The extra spices in holiday foods can make them sick. And alcohol -- from a spilled drink or bottle -- is dangerous, too.

Check on pets frequently throughout a celebration. If their behavior changes dramatically, or if they become lethargic or begin vomiting, contact the veterinarian immediately. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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December 19, 2019 ly, this was thought to encourage horse feed to grow and chickens to lay eggs in the coming year.

1. GOVERNMENT: When was the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency founded?

2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What gift arrives on the 10th day in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”?

3. MOVIES: What was the name of Shirley MacLaine’s character in “Terms of Endearment”?

4. PERSONALITIES: At which sport did Babe Didrikson Zaharias excel in the 1940s?

5. ANIMAL KINGDOM: How do baleen whales eat?

• It was 17th-century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes who made the following sage observation: “Curiosity is the lust of the mind.”

• At Christmastime in Greece, people traditionally give small gifts to orphanages and hospitals rather than to each other.

• A traditional Russian Christmas celebration would include spreading hay on a home’s floors and tables and clucking loudly. Evident-

6. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: Which early American statesman once said, “A good conscience is a continual Christmas”?

8. BIBLE: What was Moses’ wife’s name?

10. MEDICAL: What does the Ishihara test gauge? © 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA ON PAGE 9

• The battle between keepers of livestock and the biting flies that pester their herds is as old as the pastoral life. In recent times, pesticides have been applied with some success, but the expense -and especially the toxicity -- worry many people. Japanese researchers have recently discovered a simple and inexpensive way to mitigate this concern: Paint zebra stripes on the cows. After several days of observing a control group

straw and finish off with butter over the top.” -- P.A. in Florida

7. MUSIC: Which singer was nicknamed “The Material Girl” in the 1980s?

9. INVENTIONS: Who is credited with discovering X-rays?

• The antlers of a bull moose can spread up to 6 feet across -- and they accomplish this astonishing growth in only four months.

• Movie theater hack: “When buttering up your popcorn, grab a straw and stick it down into the tub. Line up the straw with the butter dispenser, and you can distribute butter into the lower layers of your popcorn. Remove the

• Use one leg of a pair of stockings over the hose of a vacuum cleaner to “dust” a bookcase. If you have small knickknacks they won’t get sucked up, but dust will. If your stocking gets clogged by a dust bunny, just wipe it off and continue.

• A toilet paper or paper towel roll slit down the side makes a handy clamp for keeping wrapping paper from unraveling.

of black cattle and a test group of the same breed of cattle painted with white stripes, they found that less than half as many biting flies landed on the striped cattle.

• The first postage stamp commemorating Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.

• We can thank beloved 19thcentury English novelist Charles Dickens for the colorful phrase “eat my hat.”

• Wildlife documentarians have captured footage of elephant mothers spanking their calves; sometimes she uses her trunk, and sometimes she goes so far as to pull up a shrub and use it as a switch. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

• Most large chains have really gotten on the bandwagon with reusable shopping bags. Here’s a tip to help you have one with you at the right moment. Keep several in the trunk. Purchase one or two foldable bags. There are some that fold small enough to fit comfortably in a woman’s purse. Keep one of them hanging from your gearshift, and if you attach it to a carabiner clip, you might remember to clip it right to your belt! (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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CROSSWORD

ANSWER TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 9

ACROSS 1. Hair care product 4. Looped 10. It’s present in all living cells 11. Choose 12. South Dakota 14. Cash machine 15. Of the pia mater 16. Ancient Egyptian documents 18. Layers at the back of the eyeballs 22. Not perceived 23. Look over 24. Improve a tire 26. Time zone 27. Main branch of Islam

28. Bark of the mulberry tree 30. Sea eagles 31. Records heart muscle activity (abbr.)

34. Famed Hollywood producer 36. Yuck!

37. Reject outright and bluntly 39. __ 500, car race 40. Small heap or pile 41. Type of degree (abbr.)

42. Contagious skin disease 48. Erases from a surface 50. In an enthusiastic way

51. Begin again 52. Intricately produced pattern 53. It flows NW to the Seine 54. Be obliged to repay 55. Southeast 56. Slip in 58. Leisure time activity 59. Breastbones 60. Sun up in New York

DOWN 1. More cloudy 2. Main course 3. Protect with plastic 4. Equally 5. Rebukes

6. Friend to a salesman 7. Warms up 8. Overshadow 9. Interior lineman in football 12. San Antonio hoopster 13. Comedian Cook 17. Time zone 19. First PM of India 20. Performing perfectly 21. A way to hide 25. Former NBA commissioner 29. Peter’s last name 31. Outlying suburb of London 32. Used to cut steak 33. Deep inlets 35. Type of tree 38. Done openly & unashamedly 41. Indigenous person of N. Africa 43. Confessed openly 44. A way to separate with an instrument 45. Influential journalist Tarbell 46. Manning and Roth are two 47. One who cares for horses in India 49. Something to believe in 56. Form of “to be” 57. Atomic #73

SUDOKU

ANSWER TO SUDOKU ON PAGE 9

Brain Teaser What do you call Santa when he’s broke and has no money?

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Daniel Craig revealed to “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert that “No Time to Die” would be his last time playing James Bond.

In August 2017, after holding out to sign for 007, it was reported he signed for two more Bond films.

Craig played 007 five times (Sean Connery and Roger Moore are tied with a record seven times each). Craig was allegedly to get $50 million for his last two Bond films. Who can walk away from that kind of a paycheck? “No Time to Die” -- the 25th Bond film -- opens April 8, 2020.

I met Tom Selleck in 1969 when he was a contract player at 20th Century Fox. He played bit parts, in the background, opening doors and even as a corpse in the film “Coma.” When he walked into an interview with the legendary Mae West to be one of her “boys” in “Myra Breckinridge,” she took one look at him and said, “Call your agent, the part is yours, name your pay.”

Tom made five TV pilots that didn’t sell, and just three days before his contract ended at Universal Studios, Steven Spielberg

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December 19, 2019 consistent top 10-rated show, so what game are they playing?

“Days of Our Lives” was renewed for season 56 once all the actors’ contracts had been canceled and their salaries erased.

Now the actors have to renegotiate their salaries, which will be cut to ribbons. Dirty pool.

Robert Redford, currently playing the president of the United States in HBO’s “Watchman” series, says, “There are only 11 months before the presidential election, 11 months before we

Tom Selleck Photo by Marni Grossman coutesy of CBS

revealed he wanted him to play Indiana Jones. When the Universal brass heard that, they pitched him to CBS for a series with no time to make a pilot. CBS greenlighted the show, and Tom Selleck moved to Hawaii, where he sat for months during an actors’ strike. The show was “Magnum, P.I.,” and the rest is history.

Tom has completed 10 seasons of “Blue Bloods” (which he shoots nine days a month back to back so he can still live in Los Angeles). However, when Tom asked CBS for a two-year extension on his “Blue Bloods” contract, they would only give him a one-year guarantee. “Blue Bloods” is a

get one real chance to right this ship and change the course of disaster that lies before us. Let’s rededicate ourselves to voting for truth, character and integrity in our representatives (no matter which side we’re on). Let’s go back to being the leaders the free world so desperately needs. Let’s return quickly to being simply Americans!”

Let’s all put his words in our Christmas wishes. Have a very merry Christmas. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

A Lofty Goal Hammer Harrison, who plays for the Harlem Globetrotters, may have outdone himself at this year’s World Trick Shot Day, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. The basketball trickster, who holds the record for the longest underhanded basketball shot [84 feet 8.5 inches], made what some are calling the tallest jump shot. It was a slam dunk for Hammer as he parachuted from a plane at an altitude of 13,000 feet sinking his basketball into a hoop before safely hitting the ground. Last year, hoopster Harrison “dunked off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas,

a shot of over 850 feet” on the Globetrotters’ 3rd Annual Trick Shot Day. The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.

Holiday Dining

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Continued from page 1 Pines Café Holiday Ride & Dine at the Palm Springs Tram Slightly more casual, this package includes Tram fare along with the same stunning views. The symphony of tastes begins with a mixed green salad, and entrée choices include honey glazed ham, roasted turkey breast or vegetarian lasagna. Sides include a choice of garlic mashed potatoes, herb carrots, home-style stuffing or citrus ginger cranberry sauce. Bravissimo!

Adults $36, kids $23.50. Open December 25, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, 760-325-1449, pstramway.com.

Workshop Prepare for a farmfresh feast, as dinner services on both Christmas Eve and Day will offer the nightly menu, in addition to a special for two featuring a primeaged 18-ounce ribeye steak grilled over wood fire, lobster and truffle mac ‘n’ cheese and braised cippolini onion topped with bone marrow butter ($105 per person). Not in the mood for beef? Try the diver scallops ($38), mushroom risotto

($45) or wood fired pizzas (M.P.).

And don’t forget to order a California Dreamin’ specialty cocktail ($15). Open December 24 and 25, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 800 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760-459-3451, workshoppalmsprings.com.

The Bistro at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino The Bistro is the one-stop holiday (cuisine) shop for fresh seafood and specialty sushi ($12-$29). Diners can look forward to premium USDA steaks, chicken, lamb chops or the famous pork chop. Kobe beef meatloaf ($29) or miso-sake glazed Chilean seabass ($38) taste best with a hand-crafted cocktail like a Lemon Drop or Strawberry Blond ($15 each) or glass of fine wine.

Guests can dine inside the dining room with a view of the open kitchen or outside on the terrace overlooking the towering palm trees. Open December 24 and 25, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio, 760-2385654, fantasyspringsresort.com.

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DesertMobileHomeNews.com in director Quentin Tarantino’s reimagining of Los Angeles leading into the summer of 1969.

It’s seen through the eyes of Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), an aging action star, and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). As the pair struggle with an ever-growing obsolescence, their paths cross with the unsavory characters of the Manson Family, who are targeting Dalton’s neighbor, Sharon Tate.

“It: Chapter 2” (R) -- Derry, Maine, is once again under attack by the evil clown Pennywise, who is back to his old antics “Linda Ronstadt: terrorizing the town’s The Sound of My children after a gang of Voice” (NR) -In 95 kids -- the Losers Club -minutes of exhilaratthought that they had ing stage footage and banished the dreademotional interviews “It: Chapter 2” ed monster for good.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. with A-list musicmakTwenty-seven years laters (Dolly Parton, Emer, only one of the six mylou Harris, Jackson Browne has remained in Derry. Mike (Isaand more), the power and veriah Mustafa), ever vigilant, studsatility of Linda Ronstadt is heries the lore around the clown and alded, a fitting tribute to one of deduces the only way to defeat the most influential voices, cerPennywise is for the now growntainly of a generation, arguably of up members of the club (Jessica all time. It also is a voice that has Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill been stolen from us by ParkinHader, Jay Ryan, James Ransome) son’s disease, but, as this musical to take a deep dive into their indidocumentary shows, it lives on vidual childhoods. He calls back and will continue to do so. If that the rest of the group, who swore weren’t legacy enough, we also they would defeat Pennywise no are treated to a portrait of a piomatter what it takes. neering female in music, as well as a rebellious, protean singer.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (R) -- Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt head an all-star cast

ANSWER ON PAGE 9

(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

Christmas Cake My mother made a fruitcake every Christmas to give as a gift for my paternal grandmother. The cake was stored in a corner of the refrigerator for weeks, marinating in an alcohol-infused mixture. Even though I’m well known for my love of sweets, that green and red candied fruit-studded, boozy brown confection never tempted me.

For a while, fruitcakes fell out of favor, but it seems that everything old is new again, because fruitcakes are making a comeback ... as energy fuel for hikers!

“You’ve got a perfect food for a hiker who’s trying to go the distance,” said Brenda Braaten, a nutritionist who also bakes fruitcakes and owns Little Haven Hiker Services in Belden, California.

“You’re close to the same calories per gram in a fruitcake compared to a Snickers bar or a trail bar, but you’re miles ahead on iron, magnesium, calcium,” she said. “The mineral content is higher.”

Old fashioned as they are though, Christmas cakes are for those of us who love the traditional foods of the holidays every bit as much as the newly invented confections. And while it’s true that some fruit cakes are hard to love, others are a glamorous and -- yes -- delicious offering that reflects cherished customs and flavors that have been passed down for generations.

The first Christmas cakes were created in Britain and began life as something else entirely.

Around the 16th century, during the early days of Christmas, a porridge was made to which dried fruits were added. By the 1800s, with the availability of flour, eggs and sugar, that simple cereal treat transformed into something more sophisticated.

Over time, bakers spun the recipes into light and dark cakes, full of dried and candied fruit, or versions containing only nuts.

France’s interpretation of a Christmas cake was a fussy, beautiful Buche de Noel. The recipe differed from tradition because it didn’t contain fruit. Instead, a sponge cake filled with chocolate buttercream was rolled to look like a Yuletide log. It is still a scrumptious showstopper today.

In America, we have continued making these heritage recipes and added a few of our own. There is nothing that says holidays more than a striking Red Velvet Cake,

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December 19, 2019

or a Southern Lane Cake filled with candied fruit sandwiched between light fluffy layers of white cake, or a moist Apple Cake heady with spice, or your favorite variety of Coconut Cake A cake at Christmas is a treat worthy of the holiday, whether it’s an antique fruitcake recipe like the one created by Brenda Braaten, or more modern treats.

Nothing says “celebration” like a slice of Christmas cake, the perfect holiday indulgence!

BRENDA BRAATEN’S FRUITCAKE • 8 ounces walnuts (2 cups) • 8 ounces pecans (2 cups) • 1/2 pound Brazil nuts (1 1/2 cups) • 16 ounces pitted dates • 15 ounces dried apricots • 12 pitted prunes, halved • 4 ounces mixed candied fruits (optional) • 1/2 cup raisins • 16 ounces maraschino cherries, drained (1 cup) • 1 1/2 cup sifted unbleached flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon salt • 6 eggs • 1 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 3/4 cup brandy 1. Heat oven to 300 F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper.

2. Using a large bowl, combine the walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, dates, apricots, prunes, mixed candied fruits, raisins and the cherries. Sift flour, baking powder and salt over the nuts and fruits.

Toss lightly to coat the fruit and nuts to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

3. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until fluffy and light. Pour over nut and flour mixture, stirring gently to combine.

4. Fill prepared dish, pressing mixture firmly to keep its shape after baking. Bake for one hour.

If fruits are browning too quickly, cover with foil.

5. Invert cake; peel off paper, turn right-side up, let stand on wire rack until cooled completely. When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer. Place the cake on a plate covered with cheesecloth. Pour the brandy over the top and sides. Let stand one hour.

6. Wrap the completely cold cake in the cheesecloth soaked in brandy, and again in foil, and store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a month for a better flavor. Serves 6 to 8. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis

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December 19, 2019

books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Q: I’m behind on the “Star Wars” movies, having finally watched “The Force Awakens,” the first of the final trilogy. I was really amazed at how talented the actors who play Rey and Finn are, and I’d never seen them in anything before this. What was their prior acting experience? -- D.P.

Hannah Brown

Photo by Justin Stephens, courtesy of ABC

Q: Hannah Brown was my favorite of all the Bachelorettes, and I was so happy to see her win “Dancing with the Stars.” Do you think she’ll end up doing something else in television, or will she go back to Alabama and lead a private life? -- B.B. A: Brown was kind of an underdog when she was chosen to lead “The Bachelorette” on ABC last season. She didn’t even make it to the hometown dates when she was competing for Colton Underwood’s affections on his season of “The Bachelor,” but the producers saw something in her and selected her. They were right, because she’s become one of the most popular leads that franchise has had in a long time, and then she went on to further fame by winning the mirror ball trophy on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Brown recently told E! News that while she admired her “Bachelorette” predecessors for capitalizing on their fame, she wasn’t going to become just an Instagram influencer.

“I have definitely looked up to all the women before me, but I think there’ll be a different story for Hannah B., and I’m excited for that,” she said. Her aspirations reportedly include having her own talk show and writing

A: Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, is a multitalented actress from England who is a classically trained in dance and also sings jazz. She had a few small roles in British television before joining the “Star Wars” franchise. According to “The Guardian,” when Ridley heard that the filmmakers of “The Force Awakens” were auditioning unknowns in addition to name actors, she asked her agent to get her a meeting. She ended up auditioning for producer JJ Abrams five times and got the part.

John Boyega was the newcomer who made quite the impression as Finn, a former Stormtrooper who developed a conscience.

He’s also British, and had some success in his native country before becoming internationally known. Reportedly, Abrams was a fan of the 2011 film “Attack the Block,” a sci-fi comedy in which Boyega co-starred.

Q: Is it true that Maggie Smith regrets working on “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” films?

I can’t imagine that when they are such successful projects. -- C.T. A: Smith, a highly respected Academy Award-winning actress, recently told the U.K.’s “Evening Standard” that she found her roles in “Downton Abbey” and “Harry Potter” to be “unsatisfying.”

Upon further reading, though, I found that she was “deeply grateful” for the work, but that she didn’t really feel she was “acting.”

Her role in the latter did help her bond with her five grandchildren, though, but her first love will always be theater. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

The Doghouse Inn Jayne Trapper of Devon, England is something of a homebody.

Husband Paul spent most evenings at a local pub. Then Jayne got the bright idea of building a pub of her own in their backyard, which she appropriately named, The Doghouse Inn, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. Says Jayne, “My husband had always loved popping down to our local [pub],

and I could never seem to keep him at home … so I got to thinking — why not create my own pub, become my own landlady and then I can really tell people my husband’s in the doghouse!”

The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.

If you don’t want to play the antique Christmas board game you own, you can prop it against the wall near your tree. The Christmas scenes of children in the snow and Santa Claus hard at work checking on his toys will add thoughts of the past.

Christmas Toys Christmas toys were popular in Victorian times. Hundreds of different family card and board games were manufactured and sold. Today they are collectible as complete games or parts. The box decorated with an attractive Christmas picture of Santa and snow scenes can be propped on a shelf. The board for the game can be framed or hung with removable hooks. The playing cards often picturing children, Christmas characters or decorations can be

displayed in groups or slid under the protective glass top on a table. Just the 19-by-10-inch board of “Game of the Visit of Santa Claus” was auctioned for $275

by Soulis Auctions recently. The game was made by McLoughlin Brothers in 1897.

For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Risk of Surrogacy at Advanced Age Dear Dr. Roach Would you please comment on common or uncommon issues that might be expected in a pregnancy at age 57? I am overall very healthy, with no issues other than slightly elevated LDL. I have not gone through menopause. I had four full-term pregnancies, the last at age 35 (after which I had my tubes tied), and no miscarriages. I asked my doctor two years ago if I would have an issue being a surrogate and was told there was no reason I couldn’t be, but my current physician told me that it can be very dangerous at my age. I am concerned that the practice is just covering itself against any liability. I realize that this is my decision alone and I would not hold my doctors accountable, but I’d also like the real truth regarding any potential issues I would be likely to encounter. I appreciate your thoughts. -- M.V.

DesertMobileHomeNews.com Answer I admire your willingness to consider being a surrogate. However, the risks of pregnancy in a 57-year-old woman are significant.

A study from the U.K. from 2016 quantified the risks pretty thoroughly; however, of the 233 women studied, only two of them were older than 57, so your risks are probably higher than the average risk for an older mother in the study (which was defined as 48 years or older at the date of delivery).

Before I go over the risks, let me point out that one major risk for older mothers, Down syndrome, may not apply, since the ovum (egg) you would be carrying would come from another woman and it is her age that determines the risk for the fetus. Older mothers also are more likely to carry twins (or more than two fetuses).

Compared with younger mothers, older mothers have a higher risk for: high blood pressure during pregnancy; pre-eclampsia, also called toxemia; diabetes during pregnancy; hemorrhage after delivery; Caesarean section; preterm delivery; and admission of the baby to the intensive care unit. Miscarriage rate (after 11 weeks) in women over 55 is estimated to be about 10%, compared with 1% in younger women. Maternal death is much more likely for older women than younger; however, that risk is small, less than 2 per 1,000 in a separate Swedish study of mothers over 45. (c) 2019 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

S’more Cake Brownies • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • Sugar substitute to equal 3/4 cup sugar, suitable for baking • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 cup fat-free yogurt • 1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 3/4 cup water • 1 cup miniature marshmallows • 6 tablespoons purchased graham cracker crumbs • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-13inch cake pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar substitute, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, vanilla extract and water. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture. Mix gently just to combine.

3. Spread batter evenly into prepared cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Evenly sprinkle marshmallows over top of partially baked brownies. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and chocolate chips. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top.

4. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place cake pan on a wire rack and let set for at least 10 minutes. Cut into 16 brownies. Makes 8 (2 each) servings. (c) 2019 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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December 19, 2019

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December 19, 2019

Crossword Answer

WordSearch Answer

Sudoku Answer

Hocus-Focus Answers

Brain Teaser Answer St. Nickle-less

1. Plant on mantel is missing. 2. Man has moustache. 3. Fireplace has more stones.

4. Mitten is black. 5. Shirt zupper is gone. 6. Earmuff has added band.

Stickelers Answer The answer is “C.”

Hitori Answer

TRIVIA ANSWERS 1. 1947

5. Filtration

9. Wilhelm Rontgen

2. Ten Lords-a-Leaping

6. Benjamin Franklin

10. Color blindness

3. Aurora Greenway

7. Madonna

4. Golf

8. Zipporah

VA’s Expanding Use of Telehealth Care The use of the Department of Veterans Affairs telehealth services rose 17% in one year, with 900,000 veterans opting to get care that way. That equated to 2.6 million instances of care in one year.

Some of the stats are impressive. The use of the app, VA Video Connect, rose by a whopping 235% in the past year, and more than 99,000 veterans opted to use it from home. Over 200,000

appointments were for mental health telehealth appointments.

We have a lot of choices for how we get our care, with more coming. Whether we want to go in person, talk on the phone or have a video visit, it’s available.

By the end of 2020, every mental health and primary care provider will be able to communicate with patients in all these ways.

The VA is trying to consider all circumstances: If you have a poor internet connection at home, it’s opening other locations as tests sites, such as VFW posts and American Legion halls, as well as Walmart stores, using ATLAS (Accessing Telehealth through Local Areas Stations). More will open as time goes on.

It’s all a result of the Anywhere to Anywhere initiative. Before

© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

this was enacted, doctors couldn’t legally treat patients with telehealth across state lines. Veterans in rural areas, or near state lines, were having to go long distances for in-person care.

If you want to explore using telehealth on your electronic device, go online to mobile.va.gov/ app/va-video-connect. Scroll to the yellow note and use it to test whether your device is compatible with the VA Video Connect app. There’s an FAQ and how-to demo videos. If you run into a snag trying to set up the app or a connection, call 866-651-3180 Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. To learn more about telehealth, go to telehealth.va.gov. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

Magic Maze Answer

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December 19, 2019

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December 19, 2019

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December 19, 2019