INTOLERANCE OF INEQUALITY
The
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JANUARY 2020
Volume: 33 | Issue: 1
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Coolest jobs ever
These jobs sound so fun, they’ll tempt you out of retirement.
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
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COMMUNITY CONCERTS OF THE GRAND VALLEY • 2020 SERIES
The Association:
the first folk rock band By Jan Weeks
W
ho knew that Monday night hootenannies at The Troubadour would give birth to one of the most enduring and beloved groups ever to record? On February 10, 1965, this Los Angeles nightclub melded an unlikely group of musicians into a band. During one open mic session, the owner called the group aside—then called The Inner Tubes—and asked them if they’d like to be regulars. They tried out band names such as The Men and The Aristocrats until one member’s girlfriend suggested “association.” The rest is rock and roll history.
A BAND OF MANY FIRSTS According to Jim Yester, one of the original members, the band loosely started as a 13-piece folk group. After coalescing as The Association, they moved from pure folk into rock and roll. “We were the first group ever to be dubbed folk rock,” Yester said. That wasn’t their only first. When they played an open-air concert in Ravinia, Illinois, The Association broke the attendance record for the venue, previously held by the band’s “heroes”—Kingston Trio. They went on to break Frank Sinatra’s record at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hills, New Jersey and were the first rock band to play Wolftrap in Virginia, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles and the opera house in Chicago. “We’re very serious about our image and that’s what we gave the people,” Yester added. While membership was very fluid at the start, now the group is solid. As the frontman, Yester does most of the talking as well as playing rhythm guitar. Paul Holland
4 | JANUARY 2020 |
contributes a serious lead guitar, while Jules Alexander is the number two lead guitarist. Brian Cole’s son, Jordan, followed in his deceased father’s footsteps doubling on keyboard and guitar. The band also includes Del Ramos—the younger brother of Larry Ramos, who has also passed, and sang lead on “Never My Love” and “Windy”— and Bruce Pictor, the rare singing drummer since 1986. After decades of performances, the group has maintained its popularity. “Wonderful harmony and good music have a way of sticking around through the ages,” Yester explained. Whimsy is also important, as is the fact that there is no drama among the group, just a lot of sweat and laughter. It’s not uncommon for the group to start ad-libbing if someone blows a lyric, and they like to include the audience in the fun. According to Yester, the audience reaction is the best part of performing, which can include both laughter and tears. When they sing “Cherish” or “Never My Love,” Yester gets so choked up he can barely sing. Millions of fans remember the group best for their romantic hits. At every concert, people come up to the band and say, “That was our song!” Perhaps the most poignant anti-war song ever written, “Requiem for the Masses,” touched men serving in Vietnam more deeply than any love song could. Yester recalled hundreds of veterans who have come to their concerts and approached them weeping, and said, “That song helped me survive. I knew that someone cared and understood what we were going through.”
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM
SEE THEM LIVE! The Association
January 26 at 3 p.m. Grand Junction High School auditorium Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Individual event tickets can be purchased for $25 for adults, if seats are available. Doors open at 2:15 p.m. For more information, visit www.communityconcertsgrandvalley.org or call 243-1979.
WIN TICKETS FROM THE BEACON! Enter at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com or mail your name and phone number along with this article to: BEACON Senior News, PO Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502. You will be entered into a drawing for two tickets to see The Association at Grand Junction High School. Winners will be notified by January 20.
A BAND OF MANY FIRSTS Band members are looking forward to meeting Grand Junction locals. After the concert, they’ll meet and greet audience members and sell CDs. Be prepared for old songs as
well as some the group didn’t popularize, such as “Walk Away, Renee.” There’s also a tribute to The Mamas and Papas and an eight-song medley of all the people they’ve worked with over the years. ■
EDITORIAL COLUMN
National & Regional Award-Winning Publication Publisher Kevin K. VanGundy Founding Publisher Susan Capps Managing Editor Cloie Sandlin Multimedia Editor Lauren Berg Graphic Designers Chrissy Martin B. Bigler Office Manager Stacey Splude Advertising Assistant Siggie Carpenter Advertising Executives Sue Bowen Debra Romaniec Proofreader Jan Weeks Delivery Cora Gentry Lauren VanGundy JR Milner
P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502 Phone: 970.243.8829 Website: www.BeaconSeniorNews.com Email: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com
Feeling lucky in 2020?
I
t’s January, which means, here comes the customary editor’s column about New Year’s resolutions. Lucky for both of us, the BEACON has plenty of exciting things in store for 2020 that will take up most of my column. Don’t get me wrong. While resolving to accomplish goals and be a better person is admirable, our writers give much better advice than I do when it comes to self-growth and fresh starts. Read their insights and wisdom inside. I’ll spare you my “new year, new you” talk for now. Here are some of the cool things coming early this year.
2020 BEACON GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE Inside, you’ll find a copy of the 2020 BEACON Guide, our annual resource directory designed to help you age well in Mesa County. In addition to hundreds of local, state and national resources and hard-to-find phone numbers, it features informative articles to help with the transitions you or a loved one may be going through. If you need more free copies of this handy guide, call us at 243-8829.
THE RESULTS ARE IN! Did you vote for the BEACON Best? If so, you could win a $50 gift card to one of your favor-
ite businesses or hot spots in Mesa County. Look for your name in next month’s BEACON, along with those local businesses that BEACON readers think are top notch.
ROMANCE AWAITS Get ready to put on your dancing shoes and save the date for the area’s best Valentine’s dance for boomers and seniors. On February 14, the BEACON Senior News and Hillltop bring you an evening of fun (and possibly romance), complete with hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and big band dance music by Clark Gault’s Swing City Express. Advance tickets are $20 per person. This event sells out, so reserve your tickets today by calling 243-8829.
BEACON BRINGS HOME THE BACON Thank you to the BEACON staff, our freelance writers, supportive advertisers and faithful readers for a successful year at the annual North American Mature Publishers Association journalism competition! Read more about our award-winning publications inside.
FLOOR SEATS TO THE DOOBIE BROTHERS! Last year, we gave away tickets to see the Rolling Stones. This year, we want to send one of our faithful readers rockin’ down the highway to see the Doobie Brothers in Denver. Want to know more? Don’t miss next month’s issue! ■
The BEACON is published at the beginning of the month. Our goal is to inform and inspire the 50+ community in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties. Publication of advertising does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Columns are opinions of the writers, not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Display advertising rates are available upon request. Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication. © Copyright 2020 • All Rights Reserved
Cloie Sandlin, Managing Editor
IN THIS ISSUE...
Cover Photo: Mary Sornsin jumped into the women’s movement of the ’70s with both feet. Women like her paved the way for other rights activists today. Photos by Cloie Sandlin
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The joys of reminiscing Listen, learn and laugh. Make a difficult transition easier with the joys of reminiscing. Escape the cold in Cancun If you’re searching for a sunand-sand getaway, look no more!
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WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM |
The day I stopped driving Read how one local, independent woman found growth after deciding to give up driving. Combating age bias at work We seniors have wisdom, energy and perspicacity. The hardest part is inertia.
JANUARY 2020 | EDITOR'S COLUMN | 5
COVER STORY
Intolerance of inequality Mary Sornsin breaks barriers for women everywhere By Melanie Wiseman
W
hen Mary Sornsin graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1970, she was denied an application for a credit card due to her status: female and single. When I graduated from college 10 years later, thanks to Sornsin and thousands of other feminists, I got a credit card, no questions asked. “It was a very rebellious time,” said Sornsin, 75, of Grand Junction. “Things were happening to my age group that we struggled with. I wanted my life to be different as an adult woman and I was being presented with limitations and expectations all around.”
BECOMING AN ACTIVIST Even as a sophomore in high school, Sornsin began questioning her church’s position on women.
She cringed at the expectation that women should be engaged by the time they finished college. As a college student, she was frustrated that the things women could study didn’t interest her. What really lit her fire was a desire to work for the National Park Service; however, females weren’t allowed to take the necessary course work in the late ’60s. “I went and sat in on some of the classes anyway,” said Sornsin. “That was part of my training in learning to be an activist.” Things began to change as
“WOMEN LIKE ME WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE HIRED FOR JOBS. WE SPELLED TROUBLE FOR BOSSES.”
Right: An article from the “Minneapolis Tribune” depicts Mary Sornsin, center, among other female activists at the 1975 Women’s March.
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COVER STORY
THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT HISTORY IS OFTEN VIEWED AS A SERIES OF WAVES. THE FIRST WAVE— CELEBRATING ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR— GAINED WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE IN 1920. women learned to talk to each other and embrace their feelings. In the ’60s, she and other women began attending consciousness-raising groups that came out of Betty Friedan’s book, “The Feminine Mystique.” These groups were powerful in the development of the women’s movement’s intolerance of inequality. Sornsin credits the anti-war movement for her jumping into the women’s movement with both feet. As she petitioned door to door with a male partner, Sornsin found many women responded to anti-war questions with, “I don’t know how I feel about that,” or “Come back when my husband is here.” “The condition of women was horrifying to me and I wanted nothing to do with it,” recalled Sornsin. “I’ve always had a willingness to speak my truth.” By the time she graduated in 1970, the women’s movement had gained momentum. In fact, Sornsin was put into a leadership role almost immediately. Although her demeanor was quiet and low key, she found her voice in the National Organization for Women (NOW) activist marches, meeting with politicians, teaching classes and facilitating consciousness-raising groups. Many women attended in secrecy, fearful of what being open about their opinions would mean for their marriages and relationships. Their mission was to raise public awareness that it’s not okay to treat women as sexual objects, lesser persons or to limit their educational opportunities. This raising of consciousness was needed in every institution, but Sornsin turned her attention to education.
THE TASK FORCE Believing that teachers were one of the best ways to have an effect
on society, Sornsin and five other women formed the Emma Willard Task Force on Education. The nonprofit was named after a Vermont teacher who, in 1819, went before the New York legislature to present her plan for improving female education. Collaboratively, they wrote the book, “Sexism in Education,” which went on to sell 9,000 copies over six years. The Task Force gave hundreds of presentations on equal opportunity to teachers and students. In the beginning, they had to learn to deal with threatening, hostile responses from students and adults, both male and female. Sornsin personally knew teachers forced out of their jobs for identifying with feminism. “No matter what we did, we were considered radicals. We were asked why we hate men or want to be men,” said Sornsin. “The bra-burning was, initially, a mythical term created by the media. They portrayed us as ugly and angry.” Working with the Minnesota Department of Education, the Task Force helped pass a law requir-
ing the state’s teachers to take a 60-hour human relations course in order to keep their positions. “I was in on the ground floor of the National Women’s Political Caucus,” said Sornsin. “I became the independent liaison between democrats and republicans. Those were exciting years for me.” Sornsin participated in Ms. Magazine meetings and with feminists like Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug in New York and Washington, DC. Those dedicated years in feminism came at a cost, but one that Sornsin and other women were willing to bear. “Could I have gotten a job in the Minnesota education system? Probably not,” said Sornsin. “Women like me were less likely to be hired for jobs. We spelled trouble to bosses.” Despite the difficulties, Sornsin didn’t give up. “We were busy, passionate and our numbers were growing—we just had to keep moving forward,” said Sornsin.
THE CONTINUED FEMINIST WAVE The feminist movement history is often viewed as a series of waves. The first wave—celebrating its 100th anniversary this year—gained women’s right to vote in 1920. There was a notable connection between the first wave and the slavery abolition movement. The second wave similarly coincided with the black and anti-war movements. Sornsin was involved in this second wave, broadening the debate to a wide range of equality issues beyond the first. A third wave began in the early 1990s, rising partially as a response and backlash against failed initiatives from the second wave. This wave also expanded feminism to include women with a more diverse set of identities. The fourth wave started around
2013 and is characterized by the empowerment of women through their use of the internet and social media tools. Today, Sornsin continues to view life through “the lens of a feminist.” Every interaction, everything she sees and says, everything she engages in, even now, has that criteria. She continues to be a member of NOW, which boasts 500,000 members with chapters in all 50 states. Sornsin was also recently the volunteer coordinator for the Grand Junction Community Center Campaign and is active in global warming events. “What I carry in my heart about the feminist movement was meeting women from all over the country and having an instant bond,” said Sornsin. “It was very empowering for all of us to celebrate our love of femaleness. We changed the world, but it’s not done.” ■
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Sornsin collaboratively wrote a book that went on to sell 9,000 copies. Photo by Melanie Wiseman WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM |
It took 150 years for women to gain their right as citizens to vote in 1920. Women could not attend Yale and Princeton until 1969. Harvard until 1977. Until 1973, women could not serve on juries in all 50 states. Until 1977, a woman could not take legal action against workplace sexual harassment. Until 1978, a woman could be unceremoniously fired for the “offense” of getting pregnant. Although the pill was approved as a contraceptive in 1960, it wasn’t until years later that it was approved for use by all women, regardless of marital status. Until 2010, a woman could not obtain health insurance at the same monetary rate as a man.
JANUARY 2020 | COVER STORY | 7
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
Winter boredom busters Fun ways to keep your energy and spirits high By Kimberly Blaker
D
oes being cooped up through the long winter months have you feeling down and lethargic? Staying physically and mentally active is essential to maintaining your energy and keeping your spirits high. Give the following boredom busters a try. Go skating. Ice, inline or roller skating is excellent cardiovascular exercise and an effective energy and mood booster. It also improves balance and coordination. Not to mention, it’s just plain fun. A skate session at Spin City or Glacier Ice Arena will get your blood pumping. Film festival. These are often held during the winter months at independent theaters, museums, and on college campuses. If the festival has multiple films you’d like
to check out, it usually offers discounted passes to see multiple or unlimited movies during the event. Join a gym. Get your cardio workout on treadmills, stationary bicycles, stair climbers, arc trainers, indoor rowers and elliptical trainers. Then hit the weight machines every other day to tone and strengthen your muscles. Just think how great you’ll look come summer!
TAKE A LONG WEEKEND AWAY, SOMEPLACE WARM, LIKE IRON MOUNTAIN HOT SPRINGS FOR A WARM SOAK.
A weekend trip to Glenwood Springs is an easy trek. Escape the cold by taking a soak in some of the hot springs. Photo: Iron Mountain Hot Springs
Aerobics or dance class. Aerobics is an excellent workout that also enhances energy. But if the “e” word scares you, opt for a dance class instead. There are lots of styles to choose from: jazz, modern, hip-hop, ballet, clogging,
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ballroom, salsa, contra, square dancing and more. Pick up an activity guide from Grand Junction or Fruita Parks & Recreation, or contact the local contra dance society. The next contra dances are at the Margery Ballroom on February 1 and 22. For details, email: kaniartmusic@gmail.com. Attend a sporting event. Get tickets to a football, hockey or basketball game. Upcoming CMU games can be found here: www. cmumavericks.com/calendar. If watching team sports isn’t your thing, you might enjoy boxing or martial arts matches, or ice skating competitions. Try a new sport. Get your game on with a new sport. Check with the community recreation center or parks and recreation department. Spa treatment. Revitalize by scheduling a day at the spa, or give yourself a home spa treatment. Bask in luxury with a facial, manicure, pedicure and hair treatment. A new hairstyle, color or highlights will likely lift your spirits. Form a weekly or monthly card-playing group. Ask friends, neighbors, coworkers and family to join you for a regular evening of bridge, euchre, poker or rummy. Ask everyone to bring a snack to share, and take turns with other players hosting the event. Your local senior center also has daily and weekly schedules of games to join! Go to a theatre or dance performance. Look for performances at a nearby big city as well as small performing arts theaters found locally. Community colleges and universities often have performances open to the public. See what CMU has coming up at www. coloradomesa.edu/theatre. Weekend getaway. Take a long weekend away and someplace warm, like Iron Mountain Hot Springs for a warm soak. Look up attractions and entertainment before you go to make the most of your weekend stint. Go to a concert. Venues like the Avalon Theatre host regular
performances. But don’t forget about Community Concerts of the Grand Valley and the KAFM Radio Room, which bring renowned, independent artists of a wide variety of genres. Check out a museum. Explore local Musuems of Western Colorado such as Dinosaur Journey, or galleries like Palisade’s Blue Pig Gallery. Art, history and science museums are a fun, fascinating way to spend a day. Visit the library. If you like to read, Mesa County Libraries offers cozy reading nooks, making it an excellent way to get out of the house for a while and relax. Additionally, libraries offer an extensive collection of magazines, DVDs, video games and music CDs. Do a jigsaw puzzle. This is the perfect indoor activity for relaxing while exercising your brain. Before you begin, cut a piece of cardboard a little larger than the dimensions of the puzzle. That way, if it takes a while to complete, you can store it out of your way. Volunteer at a local charity. Volunteer your time and service at your favorite charity. Whether you want to help the elderly, poor, sick, homeless, kids, pets or the environment, there’s something out there for everyone. Rearrange your furniture. Give your living room, bedroom, or office a fresh look by rearranging for a cozier feel or a better view of daylight to help brighten your environment. Paint a wall. Choose a bright, cheery paint color to brighten a room. Do you need more energy? Try red on a single wall. Orange increases happiness and social behavior. Yellow is also a good choice because it helps you think better while reducing depression. A word of caution, though: each of these intense colors can cause irritability if overdone. So paint only a single wall if you’re using a dark shade. If the color is very muted, you might be able to use the color on more than one wall in a room. ■.
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
How about a New Year's resolution you will actually enjoy?! Instead of trying to lose a few pounds, how about worrying less and enjoying more out of life? Finally, a home ownership option that let's you do both! See why so many active adults in the area like cooperative living
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RECIPES
Celebrating the FUN, FOOD and DRINK of the BRITISH ISLES!
Enjoy authentic dishes & traditional American flare... a variety to please all!
Happy Hour 2pm to 7pm Senior & Military Discount
Fresh Berry Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe courtesy of Garden Fresh Souplantation
M-TH 11am - 12am | FRI 11am - 1am SAT 10am - 1am | SUN 10am - 12am Weekend BRUNCH 10am - 2pm
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:
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These items will blow you away. WOW!
3/4 3/4 1/4 1/2 1 1/2 1 1-2/3
cup apple cider vinegar cup lemon juice cup Dijon mustard cup sugar teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon black pepper tablespoon poppy seeds cups canola oil
Fresh Berry Salad:
4 slices of 1/4" slab hickory smoked bacon and eggs
YOUR CHOICE!
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10 | RECIPES | JANUARY 2020 |
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6 2 3/4 1/3 1/3 1/3 2 1/3 1/2
cups spinach cups romaine lettuce cup sliced fresh strawberries cup fresh blueberries cup feta cheese cup walnuts tablespoons scallions cup canned mandarin oranges, drained avocado, diced
To make dressing: In blender, combine apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and poppy seeds. Blend 1 minute or until smooth and evenly incorporated. Slowly add in canola oil and continue to blend until oil is fully emulsified. Reserve dressing. To make salad: In large bowl, combine spinach, romaine, strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese, walnuts, scallions, mandarin oranges, avocado and Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing. Toss thoroughly to combine, making sure dressing has coated lettuce completely. ■
ASK THE OLD BAG
Help, retirement is boring Dear Old Bag: Retirement is nothing like I thought it would be. I get up and go to bed when I want. I go out to lunch with friends. I spend time with family. However, I feel empty. I retired from a job I loved to do this. Weekends and holidays are just another day of the week. They used to be special. What is wrong with me? I think I need help! Signed, Lost Dear Lost: My thinking is that people do not plan for what they are going to do when they no longer go to work every day. While you are working you say to yourself “Soon I won’t have to get up every morning and enter the rat race etc.” And you think how nice that will be. It can feel good for a while. But some people need more—they need to be busy making a difference. Many people are starting new careers—something totally different than what they did before. Once I was purchasing something at the supermarket and began chatting with the employee. He told me he used to be a bank president! He said he felt useless after retiring and so he got this part-time job—no headaches—just enjoying the work and the customers. He seemed very happy. That is my suggestion. I used to work with retired folks all my first career. Now I work with kids and I love it. I think it is good for my mind and good for my body. I still have time to go to the gym and meet with friends. Oh and I’ve written this column for years now! And I love it. Good luck! OB Dear Old Bag: I told my adult children the other day that I plan to donate my body to science. They had a fit. “Why would you do such a thing?” they asked. For several reasons: 1) I think the price of funerals and all the fluff is ridiculous, 2) I would like to help advance science, and 3) I see all these graves that people either forget about or almost worship as if that person is really there. I don’t want that for me. Do I do it their way or mine? Signed, BA Dear BA: I am so tempted to be flippant and say “It’s your party and you can do as you want to.” However, your kids deserve consideration. Talk to them about your feelings. If they are dead set (no pun intended) on having your ashes, most reliable body donation places will do the cremation when they are through with you and send to family. Good luck OB Dear Old Bag: I was romantically scammed on a dating site. I visited with this guy for three months. He said he had a 20-year-old daughter with special needs. We started talking about love and marriage. He was working overseas and planned on retiring soon and would come to my city to live. I was nervous because I had yet to meet him face to face. Then it happened. He said his daughter was in need of medical help and he didn’t have access to his funds to help her. Would I help her with $5,000 dollars and he would pay me back later? He seemed so truthful. However, I knew this was a warning sign. I told him I could not do that. That was the last I heard from him. I feel so stupid. Please warn your readers! JJ Dear JJ: The scammers are everywhere. I play Words with Friends online and a guy tried to strike up with me. He was the age of my kids! You were smart to wake up in time to not lose money. To all my readers: Never send money or give them any information that could clean out your bank account! OB
HOPEWEST
SILVER SESSIONS EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 HopeWest - The Bacon Center for Living Your Best 2754 Compass Drive, Grand Junction Join us for a FREE education day with topics and resources to meet your interests. Drop in for a session or stay all day – no reservations are required.
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Volunteering is good for your health! Learn about the many volunteer opportunities at HopeWest 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. A Journey Through Dementia 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Intentionally Living Your Best Mind, Body, and Spirit – The CLUB at HopeWest
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. How to Begin Your Journey to Hope and Healing – HopeWest Center for Hope & Healing 2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Navigating Medicare
ASK THE OLD BAG
ADVICE COLUMN FOR THE OVER 50 CROWD BY GAYLE LAGMAN-CRESWICK
Send your questions to the Old Bag in care of the BEACON, or email her directly at lagmancreswick@gmail.com
Visit HopeWestCO.org or call 970-241-2212 for more information or to see upcoming dates.
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | ASK THE OLD BAG |
11
HEALTHY GEEZER
Why you should create a medical family tree
H
as a grandchild ever asked you to participate in creating a medical family tree? While I respect a person’s desire for privacy and reticence to discuss personal matters of that nature with a grandkid, the information you have to share would benefit your entire family and future generations. A medical family tree or family health history (also known as a medical genealogy) is like the ones genealogists prepare, except that it also includes all the maladies suffered by members of the family. A medical tree can reveal patterns and help everyone in a family choose medical tests, diagnose diseases, prevent medical problems and assess health risks. Many causes of our illnesses are inherited from our ancestors. Almost a third of known diseases have genetic links. These include
colon cancer, heart disease, alcoholism and high blood pressure. Family gatherings are an opportunity to start a medical genealogy. I recommend you write your questions down in advance and make sure to ask enough questions to make a medical genealogy useful to family members and their doctors. The following is important information about each family member— living and dead—that should be included. Frame your questions to elicit this data. 1. Birth and death dates. 2. Cause of death. 3. All medical conditions with
dates and outcomes. Include anything outside the norm, not just serious diseases. Don’t forget problems such as allergies, vision and hearing difficulties. 4. Birth defects. 5. Mental health problems. 6. Lifestyle description. This includes information about smoking, drinking, diet, obesity and exercise. 7. Racial and ethnic background. Some medical conditions are more common in certain groups of people.
resource is “My Family Health Portrait,” an online tool provided by the U.S. Surgeon General. You can find it at www.hhs.gov/familyhistory. The tool guides you through a series of screens that helps you compile information for each of your family members. Afterward, you receive a graphic printout with the information organized in a diagram or a chart. The tool allows users to return and update information. I personally used it for my own family tree. ■
If you want to prepare a medical genealogy, an extremely helpful
HEALTHY GEEZER, BY FRED CICETTI Send your general health questions to the Healthy Geezer in care of the BEACON, or email him directly at fred@healthygeezer.com
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What to avoid prior to surgery and lab tests S urgery and some lab tests come with numerous instructions prior to the procedure. Many patients wonder how strictly they need to be followed. The most common question I get asked is: Do I really need to stop all my medications beforehand? This isn’t easy to answer because some medications are needed for comfort and well-being. You can safely stop taking your morning pills for acid reflux but you will be very uncomfortable. Analgesics like tramadol, oxycodone and morphine you can’t just stop suddenly or you’ll slip into withdrawal pretty quickly. Ask if you’re allowed to take those two the morning of your procedure. Antidepressants or anti-epileptic drugs all require slow tapering to get off. Ask well before your surgery so you don’t have to reschedule due to this type of oversight. Blood thinners are the most dangerous ones to remain on if you’re having surgery or a procedure that requires an IV drip or a blood draw, like a colonoscopy. You do not want your blood to be super thin when you go in for these procedures or the bleeding could become profuse or internalized. To reiterate, you do not want to be on these blood-thinning drugs for at least three days prior to some tests: • • • • • • • •
Anticoagulants Warfarin (Coumadin) Enoxaparin Clopidogrel Ticlopidine Aspirin Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs Dipyridamole
Another category of medications that people don’t usually warn about are drugs that slow down your heart rate. Anesthesia also slows down your heart rate and the combination could lead to severe bradycardia. I’m referring to “beta” and “calcium” channel blockers. Another important question I get is, “Should I really stop eating and drinking before surgery?” The blanket answer is YES! If the facility or hospital puts that request on your instruction sheet, you should follow it. Eating and drinking too close to surgery could force a reschedule. The worry, in this case, is aspiration. It’s not as obvious for some tests. If you are scheduled to have a pelvic ultrasound to see your cervix or ovaries, I’m not sure why food would be a problem. Likewise, I don’t understand the need for “no food or drink” if you’re having a thyroid blood test. You probably should eat before that type of test so the results will be more realistic. Additionally, there are certain things that you should not take or eat before a urine test. The list is very long, but generally speaking, avoid beets, coffee, caffeinated tea and B vitamins. ■
DEAR PHARMACIST
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Call or stop by today to see how we can serve you! 2425 Teller Ave, Grand Junction
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DEAR PHARMACIST BY SUZY COHEN Send your questions to Suzy in care of the BEACON, or via her website, www.suzycohen.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | HEALTH & WELLNESS |
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
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New Year
Myth-busting fatphobia When it comes to fat, moderation is best
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By Wendell Fowler hen it comes to diets, many of us are fatphobic. But did you ever consider you might not be eating enough fat? If you are experiencing symptoms such as continual hunger, depression, anxiety, frequent fatigue, aching joints, dry skin, brittle fingernails or a confused and foggy brain, a lack of fat might be the problem. Look at what you’re eating to see if the culprit may be eating too little “good fat.”
Then came the fat-scare craze of the ’70s and ’80s: all fats are bad for our health! Americans reacted, and for decades many needlessly avoided all “evil” fats. This was wildly unjustified, considering good fats support cognitive health, provide energy, assist the absorption of vitamins, aid skin health and balances hormones. Our body’s cells are held together by fat and need it to function properly, just not the kind of greasy fat that oozes out of chili fries.
THE WAR ON FAT
GOOD VS. BAD FATS
Dietary fat is a mystifying concept. Consequently, Americans have had a confusing relationship with fat throughout the decades. Since the ’30s, scientists have suspected that fat and cholesterol (a fat) could cause atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. However, later research has shown that judging all fats together—even all saturated fats—is a mistaken generalization. The war on fat began with the rise of heart disease during the ’50s. All fats took the rap for this attack, and trusting, obedient consumers were mistakenly discouraged to eat fats that provide energy-dense macronutrients.
There are good fats and bad fats. Some whole, unprocessed fats are vital for overall nutrition, others cause diseases. Good fats are typically found in plant foods and are minimally processed. In contrast, bad fats are man-made, high-heat treated, processed and refined. Fat can be divided into three major groups: saturated, unsaturated and trans. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, with the exception of unrefined coconut oil. Good unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, and trans fats (aka partially hydrogenated oils) are primarily artificial fats. It’s important to distinguish
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“good” unsaturated fats and “bad” trans fats found in highly processed foods like margarine and a variety of oils. Bad fats include shortening made from those saturated/ trans-fat oils and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated anything. Unless they’re hydrogenated, all coconut oils have medium-chain fatty acids that are healthy and do not break down when heated. Several populations around the world have thrived for multiple generations eating massive amounts of unrefined coconut. Cholesterol, a good fat, is not necessarily our enemy. I’m not suggesting anyone to stop taking their statins. However, it is misleading to call cholesterol an evil, artery-clogging fat because it’s a useful fatty substance with many important jobs in our body. Every single cell in your body needs cholesterol to survive. Some doctors and scientists are now saying that low levels can cause psychological side effects. The brain needs cholesterol to grow new nerve cells and for these nerve cells to work properly. So, when one’s brain is deprived of cholesterol, things don’t go so well up there. In fact, without enough cholesterol, you may even develop serious brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s or experience depression, aggressive behavior and fatigue. Like many things, cholesterol is good in moderation.
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
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Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids in fish are good for your heart. Fatty fish such as wild-caught salmon, mackerel and sardines—as well as plant foods such as walnuts, chia, flax, hemp seeds and Brussels sprouts—all have abundant omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids proven to improve health. Unless you overdo it. Harvard Medical School states omega-6 fatty acids have been linked to protection against heart disease. However, our American diet is omega-6 heavy because it’s used in many processed snack foods. This disproportionate ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids causes disease-generating inflammation. These good essential fats boost energy levels and mental clarity, curb cravings and support immune response. In addition to reducing blood pressure, polyunsaturated fats may help prevent lethal heart rhythms. Evidence also suggests omega-3 may help reduce the need for corticosteroid medications in people with rheumatoid arthritis and reduce the risk of dementia. At the end of the day, don’t be fatphobic. It’s never too late in life to eat necessary fat to bolster mental and physical health and energy. Just ditch industrial-strength bad fats and embrace good fats from nature, in moderation. ■
970-464-7500 970-464-7500
Medicare Moment: Monthly tips and
tidbits about Medicare and Medicare fraud
Did you sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan? The recent Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period offered more choices to Medicare beneficiaries in Mesa County than in past years. Two large insurers moved into our area offering several Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for 2020 (also known as “Medicare Part C”). Were you one of the people who decided to change to a private MA plan that offered “perks” such as dental, eye care or a gym membership? What if, come January, you find the “perks” are not enough, and a Medicare Advantage Plan is not right for you? Maybe you discovered your doctor doesn’t take your new MA plan or your prescription drugs aren’t covered. Or perhaps you feel you made this choice based on inaccurate information.
If you were enrolled in a MA plan on January 1, 2020, you have a Special Enrollment Period which allows you to make one change between January 1 and March 31. Changes take effect the month after they are made. Please determine your available options before making the switch.
To switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan or go back to Original Medicare and a stand-alone drug plan, call your local SHIP
243-9839
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BOOMER BEAT INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE
The joy of reminiscing Helping parents transition can be a memorable experience
I
Life is about the company you keep Hilltop’s senior living communities where neighbors soon become friends n Luxurious apartments with views, spacious floorplans, and paid utilities n Restaurant-style dining n Beautiful outdoor spaces and walking trails n Social activities and trips
n 24-hour emergency response system n Flexible care options to meet your current and future needs n Temporary assisted stays n Customized wellness program helps you “Stay Fit for Life!”
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landed back at the Grand Junction airport a couple of months ago after a visit with my parents in Wisconsin. Walking through the airport, I protectively clutched my backpack, which held a cut-glass pitcher my grandmother received on her wedding day in 1922. I had just spent two weeks helping my parents, nearly 90 and 94, sort their belongings. From the most treasured to the most trivial, we divvied their items into “keep,” “donate” or “toss” piles as they prepared to transition from their home into senior living accommodations. What could have been a tedious, difficult and stressful experience ended up being a time the three of us came to treasure. “If these buttons could talk,” my mom said as she sifted her hands through 70 years worth of buttons from clothing she made for herself and her four children. From knitted baby sweaters to the bridesmaid dress I wore at my sister’s wedding, each button told a story. As people age, reminiscing takes on greater significance. When individuals tell their life stories, listeners act as a mirror, reflecting and affirming the storyteller’s life. This was true not only of the button box, but also the Christmas ornaments from travels abroad, photo albums, my grandmother’s handwritten cookbook and a curio cabinet full of family heirlooms. Together, the three of us watched all of our family movies from 1950-
1991, loving the priceless memories and laughing at the trendy clothes and hair styles. I read a daily journal my two sisters kept on a month-long family trip out west in 1968. They recounted my losing a tooth while eating lunch in the car, our brother getting carsick and the thrill of eating picnic lunches in June next to snow banks in the mountains. Unfortunately, often these memories are tossed away rather than treasured. “I think we are losing something precious,” said my mom, referring to younger generations having less appreciation for family history and passing down memories. The first thing she pulled out of her jewelry box was a mid-1940s gold powder compact from a high school boyfriend who she never saw after graduation. My mom relived each piece of jewe ry—who gave it to her, the special occasion or the outfit with which it went. Coming from a long line of strong women, it was a special moment when the last item she revealed was my great-grandmother’s wedding band, which I had never seen before. It now has a new home in my own jewelry box. Whether it’s your parents, friends or other family members you find yourself assisting with what could be a traumatic transition, choose to slow down and listen, learn and laugh while sharing in the joy of reminiscing. ■
BOOMER BEAT BY MELANIE WISEMAN When you choose Hilltop Senior Living Communities, your money stays right here in our community, supporting a nonprofit that has provided Western Colorado with compassionate and comprehensive human services for over 65 years.
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Send your questions to Melanie in care of the BEACON, or email her directly at melaniewisewoman@gmail.com
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
Five easy steps to make your new year better 1 3 5 P By Arlyn Macdonald
art of the reason those New Year’s resolutions fade away is that we have not decluttered and cleaned up from the old year. Feng shui, the 3,000 yearold ancient Chinese art of harmony and balance, can help us create an environment that will inspire and activate all those new resolutions by changing the energy in our homes to a positive flow. You don’t have to study feng shui to start your new year off right. You don’t even have to believe it for it to work in your life. Here are five steps anyone can take to create the kind of home environment that will uplift you for the new year.
Declutter. It is amazing how much stuff we can accumulate in the span of 12 months. Clutter blocks good energy from moving around. While the weather is cold outside, focus on going through each room in your house and discarding everything you didn’t use last year, and especially those items you won’t use this year either. Make three piles: one to donate, one to recycle/throw out, and one to keep. Make sure the “one to keep” is smaller than the other two piles.
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Clean. Wash windows, vacuum and clean carpets, remove fingerprints from door frames and scrub floors. It’s a good winter activity that will help you keep warm as well.
Repair and replace. As you clean, make a note of the items that need to be repaired or replaced. It’s amazing how much better you feel when things are mended and look nice.
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Set your intention. We often have one intention for a specific room and all of a sudden that room is filled with stuff from several other projects. It’s like putting your office computer in your bedroom, your exercise equipment in the dining room, or garages that are used for storage space and not your car. Ideally, you want each room to enhance whatever activity you want to do in that space. You may not have enough room, so think about what activities might go together and move the items into a more conducive space to match your intention.
Place your treasures strategically. There are certain treasures we enjoy, and where they’re placed in your home is important in creating harmony. Think about what each room in your home represents and place the treasure that symbolizes it best in that particular room. Place a treasured dish on the table in the dining area, filled with fresh fruit. The dining area is where you are nourished and fruit in a beautiful dish represents the best nourishment you can provide. Think creatively, but don’t clutter. . These steps can make a huge difference in how you feel in the new year. But don’t expect to do them all at once. Take your time and make your home environment the best it can be. Your home is an extension of you, and you want it to be positive, energetic and beautiful. ■
There are so many wonderful moments in life. To help make them possible, we created the SCL Health Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Mary’s. Every detail of this state-of-the-art facility was designed to bring exceptional heartcare to Western Colorado. Which is probably why we’re one of the top heart and vascular care teams in the region. We’re doing more, so you can. StMaryGJ.org/Heart
ST. MARY’S MEDICAL CENTER 152237_SCLH_CV_MesaCoMag_HalfPg_9_25x5_47.indd 1
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LAUGHING MATTERS
LAUGHING MATTERS THE FLOOD Submitted by Bob Breazeale A large motorhome from New York pulls into the only gas station in a very small town in Arizona, near the Mexico border. A man steps out of the motorhome (you know the type—designer Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts, $200 athletic shoes and zinc oxide on his nose). He tells the attendant to “fill-er-up” and walks into the small restaurant nearby. The only person inside is an old man with a cup of coffee, dozing off. The tourist says to the man, “Sure is hot.” The old man startles awake and says, “Yup.” Tourist: “How hot do you think it is?” Old man: “I ain’t equipped to say.” Tourist: “Do you ever get any
rain around here?” ulate people and talk about them In a very quiet voice, he said with Old man: “Seldom.” behind their backs. You think you’re menace, “If either of you asks her Tourist: “What’s the most rain a rising big shot when you haven’t if she knows me, you’ll be jailed for you’ve ever had?” the brains to realize you will never contempt!” “Do you remember that story in amount to anything more than a MAGIC ELEVATOR the Bible about Noah and the ark?” two-bit paper pusher.” Submitted by David Burk Tourist: “Sure, that’s when it The lawyer was stunned. Not rained for 40 days and 40 nights.” knowing what else to do, he pointAn Amish boy and his father were Old man: “That’s right. Well, we ed across the room and asked, visiting a mall. They were amazed got about an inch out of all that.” “Mrs. Jones, do you know the by almost everything saw, The treatment that isthey provided at butcover varie The most common method your Compass Medical Center son and ca doctor will recommend treat defense toattorney?” especially by two shiny, silver walls has four main goals: after a deta your neuropathy is with preDO I KNOW YOU? vascular ev She scription drugs that mayreplied, tempo- “Why yes, I do. I’ve that could move apart and then 1) Increase blood flow you have n rarily reduce your symptoms. 2) Stimulate small fiber nerves Submitted by Roy Connell These drugs have known Mr. Bradley since he was a 85% nerve generic names slide back together again.pain 3) Decrease brain-based condition c such as Gabapentin, AmitriptyStabilize the nerve cells too. I used to babysit line, or Lyrica youngster, and are primarily A small-town prosecuting attorney The4)boy asked, “What is this, The experi antidepressant or anti-seizure The treatment to increase blood him for his parents. And he, too, called his first witness—an elderly Father?” Compass drugs. These drugs may cause flow utilizes a specialized lowdo a n to feel uncomfortable and has been a real disappointment to level lightresponded, therapy (not “Son, to be I woman—to the stand duringyou a trial. The father examinatio have a variety of harmful side confused with laser therapy) usextent of effects. me. He’s lazy, bigoted and he has ing light emitting diode technolHe approached her and asked, have never seen anything like this in This ne ogy. This technology was origiexaminatio a drinking problem. The man can’t “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” my life. I don’t know what it is.” nally developed by NASA to detailed Figure 2: When these very small assist in increasing blood flow. blood vessels become build a normal relationship with diseased they While She responded, “Why, yes, I do the boy and his father physical begin to shrivel up and the nerves diagnostic begin to degenerate. The low level light therapy is anyone, and his law practice is one know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known watched amazement, large detailed an like with watering a plant. The alight of your neu nerves to “die” they cause therapy allow the blood ves- up of the shoddiest in thebegin entire state.” you since you were a young boy. older lady inwill a wheelchair rolled you to have balance problems, sels to grow back around the peCall our of At this point, the rapped pain,judge numbness, tingling, burnnerves andand provide them a And frankly, you’ve been a big to theripheral moving walls pressed appointmen ing, and many additional sympwith the proper nutrients to heal neuropathy the courtroom totoms. silence and called button. and repair. It’s like adding water disappointment to me. You lie, you to a plant and seeing the roots both counselors to the bench. The main problem is that yourThegrow cheat on your wife, and you manipwalls opened and the lady deeper and deeper. Figure 1: Notice the very small blood vessels surrounding each nerve.
doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Snowflake that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects. (see the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article)
The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully re-
Peripheral Neuropathy WARNING Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the thedon’t hands drugsnerves whichinyou likeand feet which causes the nerves to begin taking because they make you to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow. feel uncomfortable. There is
1300 S Snowf
(928
Pain, Numbness & Tingling In The Hands/Feet
blood flow to utilizes a specialized blood flow to the nerves in the In order effectively treat your neuropathy factors must be low-level lightthree therapy (not to be hands and feet which causes the determined. confused with laser therapy) using nerves to begin to degenerate 1) What is the underlying cause? now a isfacility right here invaries fromlight diode technology. due to lack of nutrient flow. 2) emitting How Much Nerve Damage The treatment thatAs provided cover to peryou can atsee in Figure 2, as person The that originally is provided at The most common method your Hastreatment Been Sustained? Compass Grand Medical Center son andsurround can onlyThis be determined Junction that offers you technology was the blood vessels that Compass Medical Center doctor will recommend to treat As you can see in Figure has four main goals: after a detailed neurological and NOTE: Once you have sustained nerves taking becomevascular diseased they developed without those bymain NASA to assist in fouras goals: your neuropathy is with hope pre- the evaluation. Ashas long 85% nerve loss, there is nothing 2, as the blood vessels that 1) Increase blood flow shrivel up which causes the scription drugs that may tempoyou have not sustained at least endless drugs with serious side increasing blood flow. that we can do for you. 1) Increase blood flow 2) Stimulate small fiber nerves nerves to not get the to surround the nerves become rarily reduce your symptoms. 85%nutrients nerve damage yourmuchsmall 3)then How treatment will 2) Stimulate fiber nerves 3) Decrease brain-based effects. (see pain thetospecial neuropathy continue survive. Whencan these These drugsup have generic names condition been treated. The low level light therapypain is your condition require? diseased they shrivel which 3) Decrease brain-based 4) Stabilize the nerve cells severity examination at the end of such as Gabapentin, Amitripty4) Stabilize the nerve cells like watering The light causes the nerves not get the The experienced providers at the a plant. line, or to Lyrica and primarily thistoarticle) Theare treatment increase blood Compass Medical Center will can allow the blood or anti-seizure therapy nutrients toantidepressant continue to survive. flow utilizes a specialized lowThe treatment to increase blood do a neuropathy severity These drugs may level light cause therapy to be flow a specialized In order(not to effectively treat your to vessels to utilizes grow back around lowWhen thesedrugs. nerves begin to “die” examination determine the you to feel uncomfortable confused withand laser therapy) uslevel light therapy (not to be extent of the nerve damage. neuropathy three the peripheral nerves and havetoa have variety of harmful side they cause you balance ing light emitting diode technol- factors must confused with laser therapy) usThis neuropathy severity effects. ogy. This technology was origibe determined. them with the proper problems, pain, numbness, ing light diode technolexamination willprovide consist of a emitting nally developed by NASA to ogy. This technology was origidetailed sensory evaluation, Figure 2: When burning, these very small 1) What is the underlying cause? nutrients to heal and repair. It’s tingling, and many assist in increasing blood flow. blood vessels become diseased they nally developed by NASA to physical examination, Figure 2: When these very small like adding water to a plant and 2) How much nerve damage has beginadditional to shrivel up and the nerves symptoms. diagnostic testing, assist and inaincreasing blood flow. blood vessels begin to degenerate. The low level light therapy is become diseased they analysis of the findings been sustained? seeing the roots grow deeper The treatment that is provided at detailed varies from person to perThe most common method your begin to shrivel up cover and the nerves like watering a plant. The light your neuropathy. begin to of degenerate. Compass Medical Center son and can only be determined The low level light therapy is doctor will recommend to nerves treat begin to “die” they cause therapy will allow the blood vesNOTE: Once you have sustained and deeper. has four main goals: after a detailed neurological and your neuropathy is with you pre- to have balance problems, like watering a plant. The light sels to grow back around the pevascular evaluation. As longanwill as allow the blood vesscription drugs that may tempo85% nerve loss, there is“die” nothing ourthey office today totherapy make nerves begin toCall cause pain, numbness, tingling, burn1) nerves Increase blood flow ripheral and provide them you have not sustained at least The amount of treatment rarily reduce your symptoms. appointment to determine if your todo have balance problems, sels to grow back around the pe2) proper Stimulate small fiber nerves ing, and many additional sympthat weyou can for you. with the nutrients to heal 85% nerve damage then your These drugs have generic names neuropathy can beneeded treated: pain, water numbness, tingling, burn3) Decrease pain ripheral nervesthe andnerves provide them to allow toms. and repair. It’sHow likebrain-based adding condition can been treated. such as Gabapentin, Amitripty3) much treatment will 4) Stabilize the nerve cells ing, and many additional sympwithrecover the proper nutrients to a plant and seeing the roots line, or Lyrica and are primarily to fully varies fromto heal toms. your condition require? The main problem is that your and repair. It’s like adding water grow deeper and deeper. The experienced providers at the antidepressant or anti-seizure The treatment to increase blood person person canthe only doctor has told you to just live to atoplant seeing roots Compass Medical Center can andand drugs. These drugs may cause flow utilizes a specialized The main lowproblem your do is athat neuropathy severity you to feel uncomfortablewith and the problem or try the drugs grow deeper after and deeper. is provided be determined a detailed level The light treatment therapy (notthat to be Figure 1: Notice the very small blood examination to determine the have a variety of harmful which side you don’t like taking bedoctor has ustold you to just live The amount of with treatment needed confused laser therapy) vessels surrounding at Compass Medical Center extent ofdrugs theneurological nerve damage.and vascular effects. each nerve. cause they make you feel unto allow to fully rewith thetechnolproblem or try has the ing the lightnerves emitting diode 1300 South Main Street This neuropathy Peripheral neuropathy is a smallThis blood comfortable. There Figure is now1:aNotice fa- the very ogy. which you don’t like taking befour main goals: Theseverity amount of treatment needed evaluation. As long as you have technology was origiexamination will of a Snowflake, AZconsist 85937 surrounding each nerve. here in vessels Snowflake cause theyflow make you feel unnally 1) developed byblood NASA to result of damage toisthe nerves cility rightFigure to allow the to fully rePeripheral neuropathy a result Increase detailed sensory evaluation, 2: When these very small not sustained at nerves least 85% nerve that offers you hope without takassist in increasing blood flow. There (928) 536-5525 comfortable. is now a faof damage to the nerves often blood vessels become diseased they physical examination, often causing weakness, pain, ing those begin endless drugs with se2) Stimulate damageand thena your condition to shrivel up and the nerves cilitysmall right fiber here nerves in Snowflake causing weakness, pain, numbdiagnostic testing, Peripheral neuropathy The is a low result the spebegin(see to degenerate. level light therapyyou is hope without taknumbness, and dethe rious side effects. that brain-based offers ness, tingling,tingling, and the most detailed of been the findings 3) Decrease pain analysiscan treated. of damage to the nerves often like watering a plant. The light cial neuropathy severity bilitating balance problems. This ing those endless of drugs seyour with neuropathy. The main problem is that your most debilitating balance nerves to “die” they cause causing pain, numbtherapy allow the blood ves- cells examination atbegin the end of weakness, this 4) will Stabilize the nerve damage is commonly caused by rious side effects. (see the speyou tohas have balance problems, to grow ness, tingling, and thesels most de- back around the peprovider’s at article) doctor told you to just live problems. This damage Call ourseverity office The today experienced to make an a lack of blood flow to is the cialprovideneuropathy pain, numbness, tingling, burn-problems. ripheralThis nerves and them bilitating balance appointment to the determine if your Medical Center nerves in the hands by and feet of commonly caused a lack Compass The treatment to increase with the problem or try the examination at the end of this ing, and many additional sympwith the proper nutrients to heal damage is commonly caused by In order to effectively treat your
The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your neuropathy is with prescription drugs that The most common method your may reduce doctortemporarily will recommend to treat your symptoms. neuropathy isThese with drugs preyour scription drugs that may tempohave such as rarily generic reduce names your symptoms. These drugs have generic names Gabapentin, Amitriptyline, such as Gabapentin, Amitriptyor Lyrica andand areare primarily line, or Lyrica primarily antidepressant oror anti-seizure antidepressant anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and you uncomfortable haveto a feel variety of harmful sideand effects. have a variety of harmful side effects.
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which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.
neuropathy can be treated:
toms. article) and repair. adding water neuropathy three factors mustofbeblood flow a lack to theIt’s like to a plant and seeing the roots determined. nerves isin that theyour hands grow anddeeper feet and deeper. The main problem In order to effectively treat your 1) What doctor is the underlying cause? which causes nerves to begin has told you to justthe live neuropathy three factors must be 2)| How Much Nerve Damage to2020 degenerate due to lack of nu| you with the problem or try|the drugs LAUGHING MATTERS JANUARY WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM As can see in Figure 2, as determined. Has Been Sustained? Figure 1: Notice the very small blood which you don’t taking betrient like flow. The amount of treatment needed the blood vessels that surround vessels surrounding each nerve. 1) What is the NOTE: Once sustained cause you theyhave make you feel unto allow the nerves to fully re- underlying cause? the nerves become diseased they 1300 South Main Street 2) How Much Nerve Damage 85% nerve loss, thereThere is nothing comfortable. is now a fa-
cover varies from person to person and can only be determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as Figure 3: The blood vessels will grow you have not sustained at least back around nerves much 85% nerve the damage then like youra plant’s roots watered. condition cangrow beenwhen treated.
can do a neuropathy severity The experienced providers at the examination to determine the Compass Medical Center can do aof the neuropathy severity extent nerve damage. examination to determine the This neuropathy severity examextent of the nerve damage. ination consist of aseverity detailed This will neuropathy examination will consist of a sensory evaluation, physical detailed sensory evaluation, examination, diagnostic testing, physical examination, and a detailedtesting, analysisand of thea diagnostic detailed analysis of the findings findings of your neuropathy. of your neuropathy.
Call our office today to make Call our office today to make an an appointment to determine appointment to determine if your if neuropathy can be can treated: your neuropathy be treated:
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LAUGHING MATTERS rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched the small circular numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until it reached the last number, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order. Finally, the walls opened up again and a young, voluptuous blonde woman stepped out. At that point, the father said quietly to his son, “Go get your mother.”
BED SHEETS Submitted by Ginny Chasteen An extremely modest man was in the hospital for a series of tests, the last of which had left his bodily systems extremely upset. Upon making several false alarm trips to the bathroom, he decided the latest episode was another and stayed put. He suddenly filled his bed with diarrhea and was embarrassed beyond his ability to remain rational. In a complete loss of composure he jumped out of bed, gathered up the bed sheets, and threw them out the hospital window. A drunk was walking by the hospital when the sheets landed on him. He started yelling, cursing and swinging his arms violently trying to get the unknown things off, and ended up with the soiled sheets in a tangled pile at his feet. As the drunk stood there, unsteady on his feet, staring down at the sheets, a hospital security guard, barely containing his laughter and who had watched the whole incident, walked up and asked,
“What the heck is going on here?” The drunk, still staring down replied, “I think I just beat the shit out of a ghost.”
Bringing Health Care Home to You
FULL HOUSE CALL Submitted by Jen Estes An on-call doctor was sitting at home with his wife when the phone rang. The doctor answered the phone and heard the familiar voice of a colleague on the other end of the line. “We need a fourth for poker,” said the friend. “I’ll be right over,” whispered the doctor. As he was putting on his coat, his wife asked, “Is it serious?” “Oh yes, quite serious,” said the doctor gravely. “In fact, thereServing are Mesa, three doctors there already.” Garfield,
THE BIRDS AND
Pitkin, Eagle and Gunnison THE BEES Counties
Submitted by Carol Scott
A father asked his 10-year-old son if he knew about the birds and the bees. “I don’t want to know!” the child said, bursting into tears. “Promise me you won’t tell me!” Confused, the father asked what’s wrong. “Oh, Dad,” the boy sobbed. “When I was 6, I got the ‘There’s no Santa’ speech. At 7, I got the ‘There’s no Easter bunny’ speech. When I was 8, you hit me with the ‘There’s no tooth fairy’ speech. If you’re going to tell me that grownups don’t really have sex, I’ll have nothing left to live for.” ■
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BEACON SENIOR NEWS
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n March 10, 2020, I almost hit someone in a crosswalk. In fact, a man was riding a bike and pulling a bike trailer (thankfully with a bunch of house plants in it and not a child). I actually hit the trailer, knocking it over and sending plants, pots and dirt flying. I pulled over immediately and ran over to see that the man was okay. He was shaken, but okay. However, I was not. As I got back in my car and drove the few blocks home, I broke down. I thanked God profusely that there wasn’t a person in that trailer and at the same time pleaded with him about my circumstance. I’d had a less dangerous close call a couple of months prior. I knew what this meant. I couldn’t take the chance of continuing to be in denial. I had to be
honest with myself and my family. I am an active, full-time employed 56-year-old woman with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree... and after that day, I stopped driving forever. It’s still hard to even write that. I’m still grieving the loss of what that means and sometimes I’m just angry. I’ve always been a doer, both in the workplace and at home. I love getting together with people and I’ve always been very active in my church. I love being spontaneous, going for a ride or a hike or going shopping on a whim. But it really doesn’t matter how competent I am with other things. I had to humbly admit that when it came to my vision and the safety of others, my sight was not reliable. When I think of what could have happened it makes me shudder and confirms
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
WHEN I THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IT MAKES ME SHUDDER AND CONFIRMS THAT I HAVE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION, AS HARD AS IT IS. that I have made the right decision, as hard as it is. In the late 1990s I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and started taking a medication that helps keep symptoms from flaring up. Unfortunately, there was a slight chance that the medication can, over extended use, cause a type of macular degeneration in the eye. For those unlucky enough to be in that small percentage, myself included, periphery vision is barely existent. It makes places and situations with low light very difficult to navigate and colors difficult to distinguish. There is literally a wreath or bullseye shaped area in my eye where I can’t see. So you can imagine how I can miss things. I had to give up
driving at night eight years ago. I have what is called “low vision.” I didn’t even know there was such a thing! I’m not blind. I just have enough vision loss to make things challenging…and frustrating…and exhausting…and dangerous. If I go hiking I have to really concentrate on the trail so that I’ll see the ruts and dips in the pathway. I watch for contrasts and love it when the edges of sidewalks and steps have a different color of cement or tile or flooring so I can see where the edge of the step is. I work on a computer most of the time so I’ve made the cursor huge—although even with that, I lose it many times. I wonder how many minutes each day I waste just trying to find that darn cursor! Ugh.
It’s been a challenging transition. I’ve been a fairly independent person besides having to be driven at night the last few years. Either asking my husband or having to call a friend or family member is frustrating, and many times I just skip doing something I otherwise might have done before. But this has also been an opportunity for growth. I have a list of friends who have volunteered to drive me places, even last minute, and I’ve actually taken them up on their offer. I’m learning how to receive more, despite really preferring to be on the giving end. I’m learning how to invite people into my life, I mean really in. I’m learning that it’s not the end of the world to let someone else drive. (Read that as you will.) I’ve learned I need to plan more, yet at the same time, I seem to be living more than ever before. I’m learning that life isn’t always fair, but even if you get dealt a rough hand it can still be good. ■
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6 ways to ground your goals in soil O
ur gardens are special places: square feet of possibility, blank canvases, spaces where we can create anything we have the patience for. New years are like this, too. Entering into this new decade, we are gardeners in every way. In January, we flip through catalogs of opportunity, dream and select seeds that will become bounties for us to harvest. To garden is to take an idea in your mind and work alongside Mother Nature to bring that idea to life. To garden is to manifest. We sow seeds, cultivate and harvest. Gardening is a wonderful metaphor for setting goals, tending to what matters and seeing the results of our inputs. It’s not just metaphorical, though. In gardening, we can embody our intentions and connect our dreams with action. We can ground our goals in soil. What are your New Year’s resolutions? Here are six that can be supported by your garden.
1) I want to eat healthily. Let’s start with the obvious, shall we? Growing healthful foods makes eating them much easier! As you flip through seed catalogs this winter, consider choosing more nutrient-rich foods, but only ones you’ll actually want to eat. If kale makes you roll your eyes, don’t grow it! Grow spinach, garlic, swiss chard or green peas instead. 2) I want to give back to my community and help others in need Amazing. If generosity is one of your resolutions this year, think of all the ways you might give back through your garden. Grow an extra row of veggies for a local food bank or soup kitchen. Save seeds for a community garden or school garden project. Grow flowers for cutting, and deliver them to a local organization, charity, hospital or senior center throughout the season. Even though we’re not getting our hands dirty this time of year, it’s the perfect time to do some research
HOME & GARDEN and reflection and see how we can give back to our local communities. 3) I want to be more eco-friendly Growing your own food is a wonderful start! Ready to do even more for our planet? Start composting with a simple pile or composting bin. Use leaves and grass clippings as mulch, and try out new gardening practices that conserve water like using cover crops and being intentional with watering systems. Use natural and organic fertilizers and soil mixes to keep harmful chemicals out of the soil. 4) I want to exercise more Moving your body is a lot easier when you’re doing it in a way that feels good. How can you design your garden to encourage feelgood movement in your body? Can you add weaving pathways that invite you to move through your space every day? Would raised beds make you feel more comfortable tending to your garden? When we make it easy to choose the healthier option, we’re more likely to choose it! Rather than coming down on yourself for not exercising enough or forcing yourself to do it, instead set yourself up for success by creating spaces that support your well-being. 5) I want to heal Maybe this new year is about reflecting on recent hardships, moving through it, growing and healing. Your garden can support you with this, too. Design your garden with your own healing in mind. Which colors and aromas will help you feel calm or joyful? How can you attract birds, bees and butterflies that you can observe and enjoy? Do you have a quiet, comfortable place
to sit in your garden? For many of us, self-care and self-compassion are difficult to prioritize in our lives. But that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve them. Use your garden as your healing space. 6) I want to feel more connected In this day and age, connection can be hard to obtain. Luckily, we have our gardens: places in which connection is essential. Without connection, our harmonious garden eco-systems cannot exist. If connection is something you’ve set out to cultivate this year, your garden can help. Of course, the act of gardening itself sparks connection with Nature and with oneself. Gardening brings a natural mindfulness that allows us to feel more grounded and connected on many different levels. We can also connect through our gardens in other ways. Invite neighbors and friends to have lunch, tea or just take a stroll in your garden. Host a dinner or potluck centered around garden bounties. Give fresh produce to others and enjoy sharing your abundance as a way to connect. Our gardens are living, breathing opportunities. Designing your garden is like designing Utopia itself. With all that power comes a chance to support the things we believe in, to breathe life into our values and let our resolutions take root. Integrate your goals, desires, values and resourcefulness into your planning process as you select soil, seeds and plant starts. With each intentional decision, you may find yourself closer to feeling exactly the way you want to feel and living life the way you want to live it. ■
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23
TRAVEL
Cancun Culture and entertainment in resort fashion
Editor’s note: Cancun, Mexico has gotten a bad rap in the media lately with reports of gang violence. While the U.S. Department of State has not advised against travel to Cancun because “most homicides appear to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations,” when planning a trip, please be vigilant of travel alerts, research your destination thoroughly and only travel during daylight hours. By Victor Block
RESORT LIFE
ew places have a longer list of something-for-everyone attractions than Cancun, Mexico, and the nearby Riviera Maya. If you’re searching for a sun-and-sand getaway from the winter cold, look no more. Cancun is a world-class beach destination.
If trendy restaurants and exhilarating nightlife rank high on your list of vacation treats, there’s more than enough of both to meet any demand. During a recent visit to Cancun, my wife, Fyllis, and I made another discovery that adds a whole new dimension to the area’s appeal—the Sunset World Resorts, a Mexican-owned group of hotels that gives new meaning to the term “destination resorts.” I always espouse getting out and about any destination to meet and mingle with its people, experience the culture and delve into history, and that’s certainly true for Cancun and its surroundings. These properties can provide a vacation by themselves. Each hotel offers very special appeals, and guests at any of them may take advantage of the facilities and activities at the others. In fact, the welcome challenge can become
F
GATEWAY TO THE MAYANS Interested in exploring the civilization of the Mayans, who left a treasure-trove of grand monuments as testament to their 1,800 years of architectural and other accomplishments? Cancun serves as gateway to more than 30 of their archaeological remnants, ranging in size from fragments of tiny temples to vast towering pyramids. Some have been completely or partially reclaimed from the jungle; others remain virtually untouched where they have slept undisturbed for centuries.
24 | TRAVEL | JANUARY 2020 |
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IF YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR A SUN-AND-SAND GETAWAY FROM THE WINTER COLD, LOOK NO MORE. which resort to spend time at each day, taking advantage of the convenient van and water taxi transportation system. While the choice was by no means easy, Fyllis and I agreed that our favorite was the Hacienda Tres Rios Resort, Spa and Nature Park. One reason for our decision was how the hotel was built to protect and enhance the surrounding environment. As a result, the Mexican government has ranked it among the top three sustainable hotels on the Yucatan peninsula. The 340-acre setting encompasses five major ecosystems and is home to some 120 species of plants and more than 90 species of animal life. And that’s just for starters! Among features of the resort’s eco-friendly “intelligent rooms” are sensors that turn off the air conditioning when there’s no movement for a specified time, balconies designed to cast a cooling shad-
TRAVEL ow on the windows of the room below and high-pressure, low-flow showerheads that deliver hot water in three seconds, thus conserving energy.
SENSE ADVENTURE A unique and memorable offering at the resort is the appropriately named Sense Adventure, which is like nothing we’d experienced before. The goal of the exercise is to temporarily remove the primary way we relate to the world around us—our sight—so that other senses are enhanced. After being gently blindfolded by our Mayan guides, participants shuffled slowly along a path, guided by a hand on the shoulder of the person in front. Then began a series of sounds, feelings and other external experiences that tested our perceptions as we attempted to decipher what was taking place around us. Was that gentle noise cymbals, chimes or some other instrument? Our sense of touch was challenged when we removed our shoes and walked barefoot over wood slats, burlap, a soft rug and other textures. At times, several senses sprang to life together—like when our ears heard soft voices chanting while seeds cascaded gently over our heads and our noses picked up the scent of cinnamon. A small glass container felt cool to the touch until the candle inside was lit. Near the end of the adventure, a cacophony of sounds—thunder, rain, birds and wind—rose in a crescendo and, now with maracas in hand, we picked up the tempo, added to the din and swayed in time with the underlying beat. When the adventure ended, we left with a new, enhanced way of interpreting and appreciating our surroundings. Since returning home, we cling to the belief that the experience has had a lasting influence, which will continue to heighten our sense of being at one with the world around us.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE None of the attractions at the other Sunset World Resorts provides the drama of the Sense Adventure, but learning opportunities cover a long and enticing list of subjects, ranging from cooking and Spanish language classes to kayaking and sailing. They also include a number of unusual activities not available at most hotels, like bartending and learning to make Mexican handicrafts. Each resort attracts guests who prefer to focus their time and attention on one or more particular pursuits. For example, the Sunset Marina Resort & Yacht Club, perched at the edge of a lagoon, offers a long list of water sports. People staying there can rent a private yacht and explore Caribbean waters like a millionaire—at least for a while. The Sunset Laguna Suites, Golf & Spa is adjacent to the Pok-ta-Pok golf course, which was laid out by the legendary designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and occupies an area that once was a Mayan ball field. A number of small archaeological remnants from that time now serve as unique hazards for players. At the spa, some treatments are based upon time-tested techniques that were developed hundreds of years ago by Mayan healers. In keeping with its name, rooms at the Ocean Spa Resort have features like massaging multi-jet showers, a yoga mat and meditation stool and aroma candles to help provide a relaxing atmosphere. All-inclusive rates at the resorts for two people, including meals, beverages and activities ranging from classes to water sports, begin at $256 a night, depending upon the accommodation, hotel and season. ■ FOR MORE INFORMATION call Sunset World Resorts at 800-494-9173 or visit www. sunsetworldresorts.com.
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BEACON SENIOR NEWS
BEACON Senior Newspaper wins national awards By Cloie Sandlin & Lauren Berg
C
hristmas comes early every year for the BEACON staff when our publisher, Kevin, returns from the annual North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA) convention.
This year’s convention took place in Memphis. Aside from listening to jazz on Beale Street and enjoying the sights with other senior publishers from across the country, a highlight of the convention is the awards banquet, where senior publications big and small vie for top honors in a variety of categories. Publications are independently judged on the quality of their written content, editing, design, photography, web content and more by the prestigious Missouri School of Journalism. The best are then commended for their efforts with awards.
This year, your BEACON Senior News and its staff were nominated in the following categories: Column Review • “Talking Digital” by Adam Cochran How-to Feature • “Made in the shade: Varying degrees of light, moisture, warmth lead to a robust garden” by Paige Slaughter (June 2019) • “My car is broken. Now what?” by Corey Colombin (June 2019) Profile • “Captain of Mercy: Retired captain volunteers aboard vessel of hope” by Carole McKelvey (November 2018) • “Gold Star survivors” by Melanie Wiseman (September 2018) Feature Writing • “Who rescued who?” by Cloie Sandlin (August 2018) • “Love is in the little things” by Melanie Wiseman (February 2019) • “Where the dinosaurs roamed: Moab museum gives a closer look at these prehistoric giants” by Dianna Barnett (June 2019) • “Donate life: Anyone can register as an organ and tissue donor” by Connie Payton (February 2019) • “100 years of war: Honoring those who fought bravely” by Jan Weeks (November 2018) • “Hammin’ it up on the airwaves: Amateur radio spans generations, saves lives” by Jan Weeks (July 2018) Topical Issue • “Changing the narrative on aging” by Debra Dobbins (June 2019) • “Building a better community: How will a community center impact Grand Junction seniors?” by Melanie Wiseman (October 2018) • “Gun sense = common sense” by Susan Elenz (April 2019) Front Cover Photo • Feel good about giving (March 2019) by Cloie Sandlin Feature Layout • “Art from the heart” (June 2019) by B. Bigler 26 | JANUARY 2020 |
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• “Living off the grid” (June 2019) by Chrissy Martin • “BEACON Best Awards” (February 2019) by Melissa Trottier Overall Design • BEACON Senior News, Colorado Annual Senior Resource Guide (Editorial & Design) • 2019 BEACON Guide Best Single Ad • “Don’t Decay,” Barr Dentistry (October 2018) • “Glaucoma or Guacamole?” 1-Hour Eye Docs (May 2019) • “Bored, sad and lonely is no way to spend a summer,” Grand Mesa Baptist Camp (May 2019) Website General Excellence • BEACON Senior News, Colorado
And the winners are... HOW-TO FEATURE 2nd Place - “My car is broken. Now what?” by Corey Colombin
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Be more like Rusty GLAUCOMA OR GUACAMOLE M y wife, Maxine, and I have an 11-year- old cocker spaniel named Rusty. Before he came to us in 2008, I was contemplating whether or not I should semi-retire. It’d been several years since we had a dog, and we decided not to get another one until the day we finally retired, but we were just too busy! As I was asking God about retirement, I received an email from someone at my work place saying they were trying to find a home for a cocker spaniel.
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ALL CHRISTIAN FAMILIES ARE WELCOME!
Rusty was my confirmation from the Lord that it was okay to semi-retire. Rusty loves everyone. He has never met a stranger. He even likes cats. Rusty doesn’t care who you are— whether you’re short, fat, tall or skinny and no matter what color your skin is. He doesn’t care what neighborhood you're from, what kind of car you drive, or what your job is. Rusty doesn’t care whether you are well to do, or if you are a beggar on the street.
Author Vic Stinemetze and his friendly cocker spaniel, Rusty. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 in the Message Translation Bible says this: “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day; and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘jump’, and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”
Putting together a BEACON isn’t easy. It takes novel ideas, creative design and photography, careful editing, intriguing and well-written An unforgettable memorial stories, supportive advertisers and a dedicated staff. takes planning.
Rusty just loves people, especially little children. He follows our grandkids all around the house when they visit. Whether we’re gone all day or just for a short time, when we return, Rusty meets us at the door with love in his eyes. If I forget to feed him on time, Rusty doesn’t get mad. He loves me anyway. You see? Rusty loves everyone unconditionally.
I can be a great minister of God’s word. I can speak eloquently. I can even surrender my life for God as a martyr! But if I don’t love, I’m like a rusty gate, swinging to and fro, just making noise.
I believe that the number and quality of the local articles we publish Celebrating 100 years of service to us our community. in the BEACON make stand out at such competitions. Many of MARTIN MORTUARY & CREMATORY our award-winning stories about local people and local issues might never have been written if it weren’t for our wonderful, local writers. Rusty doesn't care who you are. He doesn't care what Thank you! neighborhood you're from, what kind of car you drive, or Planning ahead allows you to design every detail of your own final tribute. When you’re ready to get started, we’re here to help.
GRAND JUNCTION
970-243-1538
MartinMortuary.com
Rusty gets it! He doesn’t speak much, but one look in his eyes says it all. Shouldn’t we be more like Rusty? ■
what your job is. Rusty just loves people!
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Without love, I’m nothing at all.
But above all, the BEACON would not be where it is today if it weren’t for you, our readers. Thank you for reading the BEACON Senior News. ■ 28 | FAITH | MAY 2019 |
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27
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM YOUR ALL ABOUT TRAVEL FAMILY!
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF MAKING GREAT FRIENDS AND MEMORIES!
O FP
ABLE!”
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A senior’s New Year’s resolutions
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LEGACY GIVING
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
1
children and adults
Even though I admit to being 80 something, I refuse to act my age. I resolve to live each day as though I am at least 30 years my junior. Admittedly, this may be in “thought” only because doing what I did at 50 just isn’t possible anymore.
find their healthcare home at Mesa County's only Community Health Center.
2
Even though I’ve known for years that I need to lose weight, I know I’ll never wear that coveted title of “Biggest Loser.” I flatly refuse to give up my lifelong, loving relationship with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Your legacy gift can provide timeless support for MarillacHealth
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I will, however, start an exercise program in the New Year. I solemnly promise to engage in the Japanese practice of origami at least three times a week.
and create financial benefits for you and your estate. Thank you!
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T
he years have really taken their toll on my humor genes. It’s been far too long since I’ve had a sidesplitting laugh or a non-stop giggle session with someone over something just plain silly. The truth is, I’ve become a humor-impaired adult and I resolve to change this year through the following resolutions.
(Skyline Building behind WW Peppers)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GIVING, CONTACT DONOR RELATIONS AT 970.298.2234
4
I resolve to continue my lifelong habit of pushing the speed limit whenever possible. No one is going to accuse me of being one of those slow senior drivers who think the expressway should be renamed “Retirement Road.”
5
I resolve to be better informed about younger terminology.
28 | JANUARY 2020 |
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM
When my granddaughter asked recently if I had ever worn a thong, I replied, “No, because I wouldn’t like the way they would feel between my toes!” She broke up laughing realizing I thought thongs were those shoes called “flip-flops!”
6 7
I resolve to give up Nick at Nite reruns and give new TV sitcoms a chance. I resolve to continue working at my computer in the comfort of whatever happens to fall out of my closet, knowing that my creative genes don’t care how I’m dressed.
8
I resolve to work on mastering the art of the quick comeback. Last summer a member of the male sex had the nerve to ask me, “When are you going to retire?” I quickly blurted back, “When are you going to have a baby?”
9
I will now make it publicly known that ever since my divorce over 30 years ago, I’ve continued to sleep with Flossie, my teddy bear. Flossie is soft and cuddly and never complains about a headache. Best of all, she doesn’t snore or belch!
10
I resolve to greet everyone with a smile and laugh a whole lot more, even when the situation doesn’t warrant either one. Which, according to the way I’ve been going, is most of the time. I want to do everything I can to recapture my imagination and get in touch with my inner child who has been out to lunch far too long. ■
How to avoid subscription fatigue in 2020
B
elieve it or not, binging and purging is a healthy and safe way to achieve some of the most common New Year’s resolutions (I’m not talking about weight loss!). Americans tend to suffer from a different gluttony: media consumption. On-demand entertainment, information, and whatever reality TV is have created the greatest timesuck in the history of civilization. Not only are we able to watch almost any TV show or movie on demand, but we also have ubiquitous media access on our computers, phones and tablets. Humans need entertainment. And binging on a great series for a couple of days is an excellent escape from cares. However, the time spent on media can quickly get out of control—losing time and productivity—and can quickly lead to chronic subscription fatigue. People become vulnerable to this condition when they succumb to the barrage of advertisements and buzz over new video or music services offering exclusive access to popular programming.
ENDLESS SUBSCRIPTIONS Most recently, Disney moved most of its catalog to an exclusive service called Disney+. Before that, CBS started a subscription service which is now the only way to access the latest Star Trek series. NBC also announced that it would be releasing a new subscription service that will be the only place viewers will be able to see Seinfeld reruns. If you prefer to watch live television, you can leave cable and subscribe to Sling, Hulu + Live TV,
YouTubeTV, and a handful of other services that provide access to the most popular cable networks. But that will cost you almost as much as a cable subscription. If you like music, you can subscribe to Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify or satellite radio. For classic movie lovers, there’s a subscription to the Criterion Channel. Amazon also has a video and music service that’s included in a Prime subscription. If you can’t find a good movie to watch on Amazon Prime Video, you can also rent a movie to watch on Prime, Vudu, or AppleTV, etc. Video game enthusiasts can get the most out of their devices by subscribing to a monthly membership which enhances their gaming experience. But, if a player wants access to everything the gaming system can do, he or she will need to shell out more money for a premium membership. There are even Netflix-like video game services that allow players to play any game they want for a monthly fee (not included in any of the other memberships). And that only covers leisure and entertainment. If a person loves news, access to athletic facilities and a cellphone, the subscriptions can quickly compound. My tech tip for 2020: binge and purge. ■
TALKING DIGITAL BY ADAM COCHRAN
Send your technology questions to Adam in care of the BEACON, or email him directly at adamc@talkingdigital.org
TALKING DIGITAL
WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED. MESA COUNTY
BEST L OCAL
LOVED
2020
WHO WON THE 2020 BEACON BEST AWARDS? Find out in February! This special issue highlights the locales you love the most. S E R V I N G
G R A N D
J U N C T I O N
&
M O N T R O S E
Sometimes we all need a little help caring for a loved one
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care, Support and Information. Hilltop’s Senior Daybreak is a unique day program that keeps seniors with memory loss safe and secure while providing their caregivers the flexibility and support they need to care for their loved ones at home. We also offer valuable information and support groups specifically designed for those caring for someone affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Grand Junction (970) 241-7798 Montrose (970) 244-0860 www.seniordaybreak.org L O C A L L Y
O W N E D
A N D
O P E R A T E D
B Y
H I L L T O P
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | TALKING DIGITAL |
29
FINANCE
5 Reasons to Use a Local Consultant to Enroll in Medicare 1 Medicare is confusing.
Using the Internet or an 800 number may be easy, but how can you be sure you are covered in a way that best fits your needs?
2 Insurance companies are hard to deal with.
By using a local consultant, you enlist the aid of an advocate — an advocate who can go to bat for you in the event that you have questions or concerns about your Medicare Advantage or Supplemental Plans.
3 Make sure you are getting the best bang for your
buck. Having a local consultant who represent all the plans available in Mesa County means that you can get the plan that makes the most sense for you.
4 Using a local consultant costs you nothing!
You will pay the same for your insurance plan whether you enroll online or if you opt for using a local consultant.
5 When it comes to important choices, nothing beats a face-to-face meeting with someone who lives and works right here in Mesa County!
970-260-8285 For accommodations of individuals with special needs at meetings, please call 970-260-8285 ADD TTY 711.
30 | FINANCE | JANUARY 2020 |
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM
Looking for extra income? Combating age bias in the workplace By Karen Telleen-Lawton
O
lder adults have recently emerged as the fastest-growing labor segment, both in the United States and around the world. A number of factors explains this trend, including low unemployment and difficulty recruiting and retaining talent. Less quantifiable is the notion that our generation is arriving at retirement age with higher expectations and less financial hardiness. Job hunting has morphed into the new senior hobby.
OK, BOOMER It’s a demanding hobby, to be sure. Young job seekers, fresh out of school, are wisely counseled to “meet with their future self,” listening to workers in positions they’d like to hold in a decade. This can set up a mentor-mentee relationship that helps draw the job seeker into their desired field. But what if the job seeker is older than their potential mentor?
Senior job applicants need a different angle to make an impression. The reasons for hiring an older worker far surpass the disadvantages. Seniors generally have experience in a wide variety of situations and deep knowledge in specialized areas. We have learned when to roll with the punches and when to take a stand. AARP research provides an additional reason to look at mature applicants. “The relative productivity of both older and younger workers is higher in companies that utilize mixed-age work teams than in companies that do not,” the AARP 2016 publication found.
TIPS FOR SENIOR JOB SEEKERS How can older workers’ resumes avoid ending up in the circular file? A resume for a 50-something could run for many pages, but the last 15 years or so are the most relevant.
FINANCE
SENIOR JOB APPLICANTS NEED A DIFFERENT ANGLE TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION. THE REASONS FOR HIRING AN OLDER WORKER FAR SURPASS THE DISADVANTAGES. WE HAVE LEARNED WHEN TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES AND WHEN TO TAKE A STAND. Concentrate on your highlights. It almost goes without saying to mine your personal network. Check with friends whose work, industry, or work situation you admire. Determine the roles for which you might be qualified in their organization. Consider nonprofits where you’ve been a volunteer or donated over the years, and think about where you could fit in. Some industries are more conducive to older workers. Again, nonprofits are a good fit here. Consider other areas where seniors are a target market, such as medical sales or patient advocates. Many careers benefit from people with maturity and perspective: dietitian, accountant, personal trainer, writer or editor, or any type of customer service representative. Part-time jobs are great for showing your prowess and can grow to full-time work if there’s a match. Tutoring and virtual assistants fall into this category. Other ways to package a job successfully are to offer contract employment, assuming you have other access to insurance. If you can afford to do so without compromising your retirement, you could consider starting a business or buying a franchise in an area you understand.
Some employers fear an older worker may quickly become bored in a job for which they are considered “overqualified.” You may choose to address this head on with arguments such as, “I’m looking for an encore career in a different but related field” or “I’m more interested in applying my skills in a new area, with a good work-life balance.”
759 Horizon Dr, Ste E (Horizon Dr. and Crossroads Blvd.)
(970) 628-4927
USE LOCAL RESOURCES Perhaps your concern is the opposite: a perceived lack of skills. Many women especially find themselves needing supplemental income but feel as if they’ve been out of the workforce for too long to qualify. In that case, check out the senior services in your area, which may be available through the workforce center. Be on the lookout for job training or resume writing workshops. You likely have more skills than you think! The bottom line is, age bias is real. Nevertheless, the facts are on our side. We have wisdom, energy and perspicacity. As with any task, the hardest part is inertia. That’s why it’s important to look inside yourself first to uncover where your enthusiasm lies. ■
QUICK TIPS • Skinny down your resume • Leverage your network • L ook in fields successfully employing older workers • Offer a creative compensation package • S how your enthusiasm for being a team player WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | FINANCE |
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Fruita Community Center
BUSINESS PROFILE
Creating new friendships and saving lives
Story and photos by Melinda Mawdsley
L
inda Young is just one senior who credits the Fruita Community Center (FCC) Senior Center with saving her life. Since opening its doors in 2011, the FCC at 324 N. Coulson St. has embraced seniors in the Grand Valley through events such as the Senior Potluck Lunch hosted every Thursday or the scheduled hikes
55+ Activities Free Classes
Computer Essentials, Social Media & Digital Culture 5 week course - M & W Jan 13 - Feb 14
Trips
2 Below Sleigh Ride! Feb. 25-26 Lehi Tulip Festival April 21-23
Extended Hikes
Rabbit Valley Canyon Jan. 17
Super Bowl Party Senior Center Feb 2
55+
Call to register! Jacqui Foster 858-0360 www.fruita.org
and picnics held at various destinations throughout the area.
FRUITA’S SENIOR CENTER These activities are just a small sample of the offerings Senior Services Supervisor Jacqui Foster and her team plan for local seniors. Their goal is to keep them active and engaged throughout their more mature years. Although the Senior Center, which is housed inside the FCC, doesn’t host or plan all events, it typically serves as a meeting point, giving seniors a dedicated spot to gather for coffee, play a game of pool or have a casual conversation. It’s that sense of belonging that Young and her friend Ruben Salas, also of Fruita, attribute to saving their lives. Especially when Salas lost his wife 10 years ago. “There I was, not knowing anybody,” Salas said. “[My wife and I] used to do everything together.” Eventually, he was invited to the Senior Potluck Lunch, which costs $3 unless you bring a dish. He found himself welcomed and befriended by other seniors. It was a wonderful feeling, he said. He was eager to learn about all the other senior programs offered through the City of Fruita. The Senior Center is free for seniors to utilize. It’s located to the immediate right of the community center’s front desk. Seniors need not live in Fruita to attend. “When they come into the
32 | BUSINESS PROFILE | JANUARY 2020 |
Foster said. The organized hikes was what initially drew Young to the senior programs. Before the physical Senior Center opened in 2011, Young said the programs were fun, but having a dedicated Senior Center has allowed Foster to expand offerings so Young can get involved at a whole other level. “The center has saved my life as far as I’m concerned—the social outlet, things to do, meeting a lot of people,” Young said. Young found her best friend, MaryLee Bowen, after meeting through Fruita’s Parks and Recreation senior programs. They finish each other’s sentences and sport sparkly visors and tennis shoes they bought together. That need for friendLinda Yong, Ruben Salas and MaryLee Bowen are ship and a sense of bejust a few of the friendly faces you’ll find at the Fruita Senior Center. longing doesn’t wane as a person ages. Senior Center, they’re looking for “We are a community,” Foster some social aspect of how they can said. “Seniors still want that in their get more involved,” said Foster. lives.” “Most people have moved here Seniors can also utilize the FCC’s because their children live here fitness area, swimming pool and and their husband or wife have gymnasium, which costs admission just passed, but their children have via membership. However, Foster told them they need to get out and noted seniors may qualify for a free about.” membership through some suppleThat’s where the center’s many mental health insurances. ■ activities come in.
ACTIVITIES GALORE The Senior Center hosts educational classes, game nights, lunches and themed-parties such as the Super Bowl Party and Winter Blues Dance. Off-site programs include free day-hikes as part of the Fruita Fossils Hiking Club and longer overnight trips such as the 2 Below Sleigh Ride (February 25-26) or the Lehi Tulip Festival (April 21-23). “What we do here in this program for seniors is we envelop them in kindness and try to help them—the best we can—find their way with volunteering, inclusion or whatever agencies they need,”
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM
READY TO START HAVING FUN? Drop by the Fruita Community Center for a tour and meet and greet with seniors like you! A complete list of activities with pricing, dates and registration information can be found in the Winter & Spring 2020 Activity Guide available at the FCC and at www.fruita.org/ parksrec/activity-guide.
324 N. Coulson St., Fruita
Call 858-0360
BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT
Your guide to aging well in Mesa County By Cloie Sandlin
H
appy New Year from the BEACON! To help you start the year right, we’ve included a copy of the 2020 BEACON Guide, our annual publication designed to help you age well in Mesa County.
The BEACON Guide—a trusted resource directory for area seniors, their families and those who assist them—has only gotten bigger and better. In addition to hundreds of local, state and national resources and hard-to-find phone numbers, the guide also features informative articles to help you with the transitions that you or a loved one may be going through. From finding leisure activities to planning your retirement, from home health care to moving to an assisted living facility, The BEACON Guide will help you navigate the continuum of care. The guide also includes listings for clubs, genealogy resources, veterinarians and pet shelters, support groups, volunteer opportunities and more. As our community grows, so does the guide. Many listings are added each year. We’ve taken great care to make sure that every listing is accurate and up to date. Every listed phone number is called and
The
Your FREE guide
to aging well in
Mesa County
Guide
MESA COUNTY
2020
personally verified year after year. Though geared towards seniors, many households keep The BEACON Guide on hand throughout the year.
Would you like additional copies of the 2020 BEACON Guide to give away?
e h T The Your FREE
es
elta Counti
& D well in Mesa County Your FREE guide aging Montrtoose well in ing
guide to ag
GuidGeuide
SEARCH RESOURCES ONLINE Our digital version of The BEACON Guide is more robust than ever. Visit www.BeaconSeniorNews. com to explore a virtual format of The BEACON Guide that can be turned page by page with a click of the mouse. You can also search for listings using keywords.
MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS Most months, the BEACON highlights a local club or organization listed in The BEACON Guide. It’s a great way for readers to become more familiar with organizations in the community. (This month, The BEACON Guide is what we are highlighting.)
GET YOUR FREE COPIES If your copy isn’t in this issue of the BEACON, or if you’d like to request additional copies, call us at 2438829 and we will mail them to you. We distribute The BEACON Guide throughout Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties. It can be found in numerous doctors’ offices, senior centers, hospitals and more. Businesses are able to call and request them in bulk and we will personally deliver them. ■
MESA COUNTY
2020
IES 2020
A COUNT SE & DELT
MONTRO
Please deliver ❒ 25 ❒ 50 ❒ 75 Other_____ copies of the 2020 BEACON Guide to: COMPANY:________________________________________________________ CONTACT NAME:____________________________________________________ DELIVERY ADDRESS:________________________________________________ PHONE:___________________________________________________________ EMAIL:___________________________________________________________
❒ Mesa County edition ❒ Montrose & Delta edition Email: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com • Call: 970-243-8829
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT |
33
plan. BEACON SENIOR NEWS
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Decorating tips & trends
Affordable stylish ideas for a fresh look By Kimberly Blaker
A
re you tired of your dated, dull or well-worn interior? If so, you 12:34 PM may want to consider an update. Fortunately, there are many ways to create a new look without breaking the bank. Use the following ideas to create a fresh look by combining some of your existing furnishings with a few new or lightly-used pieces to achieve the atmosphere you desire. Painted furniture. This trend has come and gone and come around again. That’s excellent news for creating a whole new look without the expense of all new furniture. Popular painted styles include the worn look, matte finishes and ceruse style. Colors range from newly popular earth tones and muted hues to bright and bold color palettes. Mix patterns. At one time, this was a strict no-no, but it’s become increasingly popular. There are several tricks to make it work, though. Use a large, medium and small pattern to bring mixed patterns together without conflict. Also, use patterns in odd numbers. For
example, rather than 2 or 4 different patterns, use 3 or 5. Be sure to balance the patterns throughout the room rather than cramming them all in one area. Earthy is in. Warm earth tones are back this year and cool is out. For a larger room, you could paint it in
BEACON SENIOR NEWS a darker earthy shade. For smaller rooms, choose lighter warm shades of paint. White window casings and doors are also out. So consider stained wood, a color that complements the walls, or the same color as the walls. Mix and match furniture. Nothing says boring more than a living room full of matched seating and ottomans. Create contrast with complementary colors and patterns. If
Mix metallics. People commonly use only gold or silver tones in a room. But the two combined can be very attractive. Add plenty of texture. Modern and contemporary is the in-thing. But too much of it makes for a dull, sterile look. This problem is easy to solve by adding tufted or fur pillows to a sofa or a shag rug to a hard-
PAINTED FURNITURE COLORS RANGE FROM THE NEWLY-POPULAR EARTH TONES AND MUTED HUES TO BRIGHT AND BOLD COLOR PALETTES.
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your sofa is solid beige, try adding a chair with a red, beige and brown pattern. Combine styles. Gone are the days when everything in a room had to be of a singular style. Today, people are combining two or three of their favorite styles to create character and uniqueness. It’s merely a matter of choosing the right pieces from different styles that complement each other. Minimal is more. The decor is essential to any room. It adds personality and creates intrigue. But if overdone, decor can feel overwhelming and make it difficult to notice anything. Avoid “fast furniture.” The era of throwing a room together with cheap, disposable furniture is over, and for obvious reasons. Opt instead for quality pieces that will last and add value to a room. If the cost of new quality furniture isn’t in your budget, watch Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and second-hand stores for like-new quality pieces at a fraction of the cost.
wood floor. Don’t forget to bring in elements of nature with a couple of real plants or a stack of logs near the fireplace. Avoid monochromatic color. Rooms with monochromatic color schemes are out, whether the colors are pale, earthy or bold. Choose a primary color, and then accent colors that are not in the same color family as the primary. The right size art for your wall. When choosing artwork, it should be proportional to the size of the wall. Large pieces go on large wall spaces, and small go in small areas. Also, hang art at the right height. An average height person’s head should come to the center of the art piece. Add height. There are several ways to make the ceiling appear higher. First, choose a ceiling color that’s light, at least a shade or two lighter than the walls. Use short furniture to make a room look taller. Finally, order extra long drapes so you can raise the curtain rod 5-7 inches above the window casing. ■
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Call 970.314.7123 or visit rpmnow.com Call 970.314.7123 or visit rpmnow.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 |
35
Question Month of the
Compiled by Melanie Wiseman
What job have you had that you wouldn’t wish on anyone? Royce Grissom “As a young teenager in Texas, walking between the rows of cotton and hoeing weeds.”
The coolest jobs ever Kathy Scheid “In Washington state, I worked for a real estate property management company. We cleaned dives after renters moved out. That was definitely not a fun job because many left them really gross.”
David McWilliams “In high school, I was a gofer for an electrical contractor cleaning equipment. I used a chemical cleaner later to be found too poisonous and taken off the market, but not before I got some on my pants and suffered burns.”
Debbie Squires “I worked at a theatre on the front range taking tickets and seating people, hoping to see good concerts for free. I ended up on my feet for eight hours at a time which was hard on my back and getting paid minimum wage. After one year I said that was enough, I’m 70 and retired, why am I doing this?”
36 | JANUARY 2020 |
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM
Jobs so fun, they’ll tempt you out of retirement By Amy Laundrie
M
aybe your New Years’ resolution was to find a new, fun job. How would you like to get paid for taste-testing bourbon, chocolate or various beers? Would training to be a wine steward and earning the title sommelier appeal to you? Or maybe you’d rather don your cool shades and earn a paycheck by test driving for companies like Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini. The website www.cooljobs.com shares information about how to apply for some of the coolest jobs ever. It might just make it the easiest resolution you’ve ever kept. I’d first heard about the site when I’d asked a 20-year-old whitewater rafting guide about her job. “I wanted to do something fun and different,” she told me. “I searched ‘cool jobs’ on the internet and I found this!” If taste-testing, driving super-fast cars or the intense responsibility of being a whitewater rafting guide doesn’t appeal to you, how about exploring one of the more uncon-
ventional jobs? You could apply to be a “ghost hunter.” Yes, you could get paid to work as a professional paranormal investigator or volunteer to work with a research group and use high-tech tools such as spectrum analyzers. Not for you? Instead, consider becoming a “professional cuddler.” The site says that in our stressful world, there’s a need for spooning, bear-hugging and tickling sessions. It specifies that clothes stay on at all times. Or how about spending several months working at an exotic resort or a national park? A married couple I know has done this. The entry for a resort in the Tetons says, “Work Hard, Play Hard” and mentions endless recreational options for employees such as hiking and biking. If your dream job involves sedentary activities, consider being paid to watch Netflix, which is looking for people to analyze and categorize television serieses. Maybe travel and exploring other cultures is your jam. Why not try
BEACON SENIOR NEWS
HOW ABOUT GETTING PAID TO DRESS UP AND ATTEND FANCY EVENTS? YOU COULD APPLY TO BE A SEAT FILLER AT AN AWARDS SHOW. THESE “FILLERS” ARE SIMPLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING IT LOOK LIKE THE HOUSE IS PACKED.
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teaching English as a foreign language in another country? Or how about getting paid to dress up and attend fancy events? You could apply to be a seat filler at an awards show. These “fillers” are simply responsible for making it look like the house is packed. I’d like to apply to be a handler for the cute Echidna, also nicknamed a puggle. Cooljobs.com shows a video of a handler feeding the young, orphaned puggle which it describes as basically a mini-hippo mixed with an anteater. Too bad the job is at the Taronga Zoo and my plane ticket to Australia would more than offset any earnings I plan to make. The site also lists volunteer jobs such as caring for the 300 homeless dogs and cats in Guatemala. The animals need socializing, training,
walking, bathing, brushing, spaying/ neutering and rabies vaccinations. My research revealed a second site, www.coolworks.com, which includes openings on various cruise lines and an “Older and Bolder” category specifically for senior applicants. Even though I spent hours researching, I never found an opening for one of my dream jobs: to be a goose trainer. After experiencing the thrill of having our pet goose fly alongside our speed boat, I’d love to be responsible for training geese to star in films such as “Fly Away Home,” the story of a father and daughter who fly an ultralight aircraft and attempt to lead a flock of orphaned Canada geese south. I’ll keep looking; in this crazy, cool world, who knows, I just might find it. ■
A Shelter Dog’s Advice for Your New Year’s Resolutions
SIT down with your financial advisor to look at non-cash ways to donate to the shelter
STAY informed about RHHS events by signing up for our mailing and/or email list
COME down to the shelter and volunteer, get a tour, or take a class
Make it EASY to give by setting up automatic recurring donations
ROLL OVER your IRA’s required minimum distributions (RMDs) to RHHS
Don’t WAIT until it’s too late to leave the pets at RHHS in your will or estate plans
SHAKE up your world with a new adopted pet!
Also remember to schedule your pet’s annual check-up and vaccines!
For info about our monthly low-cost clinic, visit rhhumanesociety.org/clinic.
#morethanashelter www.rhhumanesociety.org P.O. Box 4040, Grand Junction, CO 81502
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 |
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BEACON SENIOR NEWS
“Suspicious Minds”: How Elvis got his groove back By Randall C. Hill
T Retirement living with the emphasis on living
The carefree lifestyle you want in a tranquil neighborhood all your own. The Cottages let you live independently while giving you the freedom to make the most of your retirement. Our single-level patio homes offer privacy and luxury with open living plans, two bedrooms, two baths, vaulted ceilings, contemporary kitchens, gas fireplace, covered patio, and a one-car garage. Enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle with paid utilities, weekly housekeeping, snow removal, lawn maintenance, and flexible meal options at our Commons or Fountains dining rooms. Plus you and your loved ones get peace of mind with a 24-hour emergency response system.
(970) 434-2111 • TheCottagesGJ.org
When you choose Hilltop Senior Living Communities, your money stays right here in our community, supporting a nonprofit that has provided Western Colorado with compassionate and comprehensive human services for over 65 years.
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he King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was pretty much washed up as a recording star by the late 1960s, especially in comparison to the days when he seemed to own the radio airwaves. Many offered their own opinion for the decline of Elvis Aron Presley. There was the explosive arrival of The Beatles. His choice of weak recording material. Each film was a bigger disappointment than the last. But in late 1968, things changed. Suddenly Presley found himself on a roll. His December television special, “Singer Presents Elvis” (better known as “the ’68 Comeback Special”) was viewed—and enjoyed— by 42 percent of America’s total television audience. People seemed ready to re-embrace the Grand Old Man of Rock, who in pop-music years was in his dotage at age 33. In January 1969, Elvis left Hollywood and RCA Victor’s recording studio and came to his hometown of Memphis to cut a series of tracks at the American Sound Studio. Maybe—just maybe—he could get his groove back there. A dozen of the tunes that Presley recorded over a 10-day period that January ended up on his June 1969 LP “From Elvis in Memphis.” The album’s highlight was the single “In the Ghetto,” his only recorded nod to social consciousness. One of the songs left off the album was “Suspicious Minds,” which had been written a year earlier by Texas-born songwriter Mark James. In a 2017 interview, James recalled how the tune came about. “Late one night, fooling around on my Fender guitar and using
my Hammond organ pedals for a bass line, I came up with a catchy melody. I was married to my first wife then but still had feelings for my childhood sweetheart, who was married back in Houston. My wife suspected I had those feelings, so it was a confusing time for me. I felt as though all three of us were caught in this trap that we couldn’t walk out of,” James said. James was so pleased with his creation that he decided to record “Suspicious Minds” himself. But the song quickly died a quiet death after it was issued on New York’s little Scepter Records label. When someone at American Sound Studio showed Presley the failed James 45 during a recording break, Elvis immediately felt that this was the song—if done right— that could return him to the Big Time. He made eight attempts to get things right with “Suspicious Minds.” Everything came together perfectly sometime between 4-7 a.m. on the day that he recorded the future classic that would quickly change the arc of his latter-day career. After a 13-year absence, Presley returned to the concert stage that July and premiered “Suspicious Minds” at the Las Vegas International Hotel. The audience loved it. In August, RCA Victor released what would become the King’s 18th and final no. 1 Billboard single. “Suspicious Minds” became a centerpiece of Elvis’s live performances, and he offered it with high-octane enthusiasm right up to his final concert in 1977. ■
Senior Recreation FUN AFTER 50 Center Activities Activities for adults age 50 and older
550 Ouray Ave. 970-243-7408
Hours: 8 am-4 pm., MON–SAT Annual membership is $20.
FUN AFTER 50 To register for these programs, call the Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department at 254-3866 or visit www.gjparksandrec.org.
HEALTH MONDAYS
Line Dance Experience the fun of line dancing to a wide variety of music. Beginners to advanced dancers welcome, no partner necessary. Class runs from 12:15-2 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $5 to drop in, or register for a whole session for $18.
MONDAYS & THURSDAYS
Tai Chi Learn to reduce stress and improve balance, brain health, proprioception and strength with flowing movements, intention and breathing mindfully. Class is from 8-9 a.m. at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $50 for a 10-punch pass or $7 to drop in.
TUESDAYS & FRIDAYS
Gentle Active Yoga This class is designed for active beginners and above. Class is 8-9 a.m. at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $7 to drop in, or purchase a 10-punch pass for $50.
SPECIAL EVENTS JANUARY 1
Free HIGH Fitness Class HIGH Fitness transforms old school aerobics into a highly addictive new fitness experience combining simple, modern fitness techniques including cardio and strength training with music you know and love. Meet at the Bookcliff Activity Center from 6:15-7:15 p.m. Register for the session and save, or drop in for $6 and try it out.
JANUARY 15
Learn to play Pickleball Designed for players with skill levels of 1.0 (brand new) – 2.5 (beginning). Learn basic rules, equipment, and basic play strategies. Equipment is provided. Meet at Lincoln Park at 1 p.m. Cost is $15.
SPORT MID-NOVEMBER THROUGH EARLY MARCH Indoor Pickleball Play your favorite sport year-round! Join us for indoor pickleball at Lincoln Park Barn. Equipment is available to borrow at the Parks and Recreation office located south of the pool. Drop-in dates and times are subject to change based on space and availability. Sign up for the monthly newsletter at bit.ly/ gjprpickleballnews to stay updated on the current play calendar Come drop in for $6 or purchase a 10-punch pass for $45. ■
OPEN GYM
AT BOOKCLIFF ACTIVITY CENTER Play Volleyball, Basketball and Table Tennis
January 14-May 5
Tuesdays: 5:30-8:30 p.m. for $4 Sundays: 1-4 p.m. for $3
To make Gray Gourmet lunch reservations, call 243-9844. Cost $3.50 MONDAY 9:00 am Cribbage
9:30 am 10:30 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 5:30 pm
Cards Computer Classes Gray Gourmet Lunch Card Bingo & Dominoes Pinochle (2nd & 4th Mondays)
TUESDAY 9:00 am Cards & Pool 12:00 pm Gray Gourmet Lunch 1:30 pm Bingo
WEDNESDAY 9:30 am Pool 12:00 pm Gray Gourmet Lunch 1:00 pm Pinochle & Canasta
THURSDAY 9:30 am Line Dancing (2nd Thursday) 10:30 am Membership Meeting 12:00 pm Pokeno (Starts at 1 p.m. on 1st Thursday) 1:00 pm Poker 7:30 pm Dance
FRIDAY 9:00 am 12:00 pm 12:30 pm 12:45 pm 1:00 pm
Painting Class & Pool Tourney Gray Gourmet Lunch Bible Study Bridge Canasta
SATURDAY 8:00 am Bridge 9:00 am Cards 1:00 pm Bingo
DO N’ T D E C AY
Schedule today!
970 - 2 5 5 -7070 Cleanings, Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry. Extractions, Dentures, Implants, Crowns and Bridges. Tooth Whitening and Invisalign. BarrFamilyDentistry.com | 1301 N. 7th St., GJ WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | FUN AFTER 50 |
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CALENDAR for family dance is $15 per family, $8 per adult and $5 for ages 5-18. Contra dance cost is $10 per adult. For details, visit www.fifthreelmusic anddance.com.
January 8
Medicare 101
Are you new to Medicare? Learn when and how you sign up, what Parts A and B cover, how to choose the best health and drug plan and more at this free seminar from 10 a.m. to noon at Mesa County RSVP, located in the basement of US Bank, 422 White Ave. Call 243-9839 ti reserve your seat.
January 4-5
“The Wizard of Oz”
High Desert Opera is proud to present “The Wizard of Oz” for its New Year’s Eve celebration! The production features three shows at Colorado Mesa University’s Robinson Theatre in Grand Junction—two matinees and one evening—and a cast of over 60 people. Featuring a 17-piece orchestra with specially arranged music, this 80th anniversary of the classic movie will be a can’t-miss tribute. For tickets and times, visit www. highdesertopera.org or call 523-9605. Tickets start at $15.
January 16
Josh Turner in concert
With his rich, deep voice and distinctive style, MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner is one of country music’s most recognizable hit-makers. From his 2003 Platinum-selling debut “Long Black Train” to his 2017 Billboard No. 1 release, “Deep South,” Turner has scored multiple awards nominations and received six Inspirational Country Music Awards. See him live at the Avalon Theatre. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$100. Call the box office at 263-5757 to purchase tickets, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
January 11
Pops: The Rat Pack
January 11
Beginning Needle: Felted Sheep
January 4
Family Dance and Contra Dance
Come out to the Margery Ballroom on 523 ½ Main St., Grand Junction, for a family dance to be held from 5-6:30 p.m., followed by the contra dance at 7 p.m. Dances will have Ron Young calling and music by Fifth Reel. Beginners are always welcome; no partner necessary. Cost
Come learn wool needle felting at Black Sheep Handworx Studio, 310 N. Seventh St., at 1 p.m. for a fun and easy beginner class to make your own wooly flock! No previous wool felting, sewing or knitting experience necessary to create this sweet little sheep. Cost is $20-$30. RSVP at 462333 or www.laurashome.com.
One night only! Celebrate the classic songs of Frank, Sammy and Deano with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra at the Avalon Theatre. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Buy tickets online at www. gjso.org, call 243-6787 or stop by the symphony office at 414 Main St., Grand Junction. Tickets range from $10-$45.
January 11
“The Gatsby” Murder Mystery
Welcome the new year with an evening of drinks, dinner and fun at the Grand Vista Hotel for Posh Salon
and Boutique’s 1920s themed murder mystery dinner party. Period attire is encouraged. All proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction go to Latimer House. Tickets cost $65 a person and include one drink ticket, dinner and an entry for the murder mystery. A cash bar will also be available. The event will start promptly at 6 p.m. with cocktails, followed by dinner. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com or by calling 644-5858. .
January 17
Red Flag Gun Law presentation
Enjoy good food and hear from
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Mesa County Sheriff Matt Lewis as he discusses Colorado’s new Red Flag gun law, among other issues. Event is from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel. Meeting sponsored by Mesa County Republican Party.
on a complete, holistic approach to the winemaking craft. Conference starts at noon on January 20 and 8 a.m. January 21-23. Tickets range from $5-$45. Call CAVE at 4640111 or visit www.winecolorado. org to purchase tickets.
January 18
January 21
Don’t miss one of the Grand Valley’s best performances as the Grand Junction Rockestra performs at 7:30 p.m. at Colorado Mesa University’s Moss Performing Arts Center’s Robinson Theatre. Tickets start at $20.
Learn more about volunteering in your community at this event sponsored by Mesa County RSVP. Pizza will be provided. Event is at the Palisade Chamber from noon to 1 p.m. For details and to RSVP, call 464-7458.
Grand Junction Rockestra
Nonprofit Lunch ‘n’ Learn
proceeds benefit The Art Center.
January 26
Swing City Express
Swing City Express will play at Warehouse 2565 in Grand Junction from 7-10 p.m. The 18-member band will feature the fabulous trumpet jazz of Dan Kron. Cost is $15$25, and tickets can be purchased at the Warehouse in advance. Don’t miss this chance to dance and hear great swing, jazz and contemporary music!
January 28
Science Night at Eureka! Science Museum
January 18
January 24
Celebrate Martin Luther King Day at the Avalon Theatre with “Harriet,” the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Tubman’s courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history. Doors open at 6 p.m. Movie at 7 p.m. Tickets are $6.15 and can be purchased at the door, Avalon Theatre box office or at www.ticket master.com.
Artist Jaime Copley teaches a painting class at Eureka! McConnell Science Museum focused on the science of paint medium and color mixing. Cost is $30 for museum members and $36 for nonmembers. Class is from 6-8 p.m. Register at www.eurekasciencemuseum.org or call 254-1626.
Grandparents and grandkids are invited to explore Eureka! McConnell Science Museum during this free event from 6-8 p.m. Spend time exploring the interactive exhibits, visiting the animals (a docent will be present) and participating in special science activities in the classrooms. For information, call 254-1626 or visit www.eureka sciencemuseum.org.
January 25
January 31
Stray Grass will brighten your winter with their bluegrass music at The Art Center in Grand Junction. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for appetizers and a cash bar. Dessert will be served at intermission. Advance tickets are $20 and can be purchased at The Art Center gift shop, by calling 243-7337, ext. 2, and online at www.gjartcenter.org. All
Save money on insurance and keep up on newer traffic laws with the AARP Driver Safety Course from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers. Call Christine at 303-241-3414 for location and to register.
MLK Movie Day at the Avalon
January 20-23
VinCo Conference and
Trade Show The 10th Anniversary VinCO Conference returns to Grand Junction for four days of industry learning and networking focusing
Science Sparks: Paint and Sip
Stray Grass Concert
The winning artwork for the Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology’s (CAVE) 2020 Colorado Winefest poster will be revealed at the Blue Pig Gallery in Palisade from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The winning artwork will be featured on wine totes, T-shirts, posters, brochures and marketing materials. Interested artists can provide their best winethemed art now or before January 3. For more information, call CAVE at 464-0111.
AARP Driver Safety Course
January 31
Artist’s Opening Reception
New Year, New Kitchen Out with the old!
January 31
Cats-A-Palooza
Be prepared for a zany evening of entertainment, delicious treats, and silent auction items, all in support of Grand Valley Pets Alive and humane treatment for animals. Come dressed as your favorite animal. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume. This rollicking variety show takes place at Redlands United Methodist Church. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $15 for adults, and $12 for children and seniors. Call 243-0047 for program information. ■
Call today for your free initial consultation
970 644-5200
Kitchen, Bath, Laundry Accredited Designer & Licensed General Contractor Cabinets, Countertops, Flooring Electric, Plumbing, Tile Work Private design studio | Large product selection | Aging in place | Technology in your home WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | CALENDAR |
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BEACON BITS
BEACON BITS
Make a change for your health this year – volunteer with us! Did you know that the benefits of volunteering can be huge? Volunteering can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. While offering vital help to people in need, you can build relationships, connect with the community, learn new skills, and be happier! When you join us as a Senior Companion or Foster Grandparent volunteer, you will give much-needed time and attention to seniors at home or children in the classroom, but you get so much back, too! You'll be rewarded with hugs, smiles, appreciation, great conversation and seeing someone you care about grow. We’d love to help you figure out where you’d fit in.
Call today to apply! (970)298-9092
Grand Junction MOAA seeks members Are you a former retired military officer? Come and join the Grand Junction Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) chapter. Members provide support to local veterans through sports clinics and community events, and serve as a liaison to military academies and school scholarships. Email wccmoaa@gmail.com or call 639-2333 for details. Palisade welcomes new museum Palisade Historical Society announced it will open a new and permanent Palisade Historical Museum in 2020, to be located in a historic log structure in Palisade. Renovations have begun on the building, gifted by George Bunte Jr., which is located within walking distance of Riverbend Park. When complete, the site will provide the town’s first-ever publicly accessible museum. Substantial donations from private donors as well as a $15,000 pledge from the Town of Palisade put the project in good position to continue fundraising as visible improvements to the facility begin. The historical society has been looking for a home to secure Palisade’s interesting history since January 2017. For more information on the project and Palisade Historical Society visit www. historicpalisade.org. Nonprofit sabbatical program now open for applicants New this year, the Foundation has developed a nonprofit sabbatical program now open for applications to recognize and reward long-term and respected nonprofit leaders in Colorado. The Foundation will award two sabbaticals annually. Each sabbatical must be taken within 18 months of receipt of the award. The sabbatical award is made in the form of a grant—up to $95,000—for charitable support
42 | BEACON BITS | JANUARY 2020 |
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to a Colorado-based nonprofit organization. It includes a 3-4 month hiatus, interim leadership needs and staff capacity building of their choice. For questions, call Brian at 617-204-9772, ext. 303. Mesa County Libraries eliminates overdue fines Beginning January 1, 2020, Mesa County Libraries will stop charging overdue fines on books and other items. In addition, all accumulated fines for overdue materials will be waived as of January 1. The library is eliminating overdue fines in order to increase patron access to library resources. The new policy, approved in December by the library Board of Trustees, means that library privileges will be restored to about 2,800 Mesa County residents who are blocked from further checkouts because of accumulated fines exceeding $10. An analysis of blocked patrons shows that many such residents live in lower-income areas of the county. The new policy applies only to fines incurred from failure to return materials on time. Billed charges for unreturned, damaged, or incomplete items will remain in force. Library patrons will still be expected to return items on or before the due date. For more information, call 243-4442. Community Impact Council seeks nominations The Community Impact Council (CIC) of Mesa County is seeking nominations by January 31 for their annual Inspire Impact Breakfast. Annually, CIC recognizes outstanding local volunteer leadership and exceptional philanthropic contributions at the breakfast, which is held during Colorado’s Nonprofit Week. The well-attended breakfast celebrates our vibrant nonprofit community. The 2020 Inspire Impact Breakfast will be held March 10 at the newly remodeled Two Rivers Convention Center. Not only
BEACON BITS Stacy Bercume named Sales and Marketing Director at The Lodge at Grand Junction The Lodge at Grand Junction Senior Living announces Stacy Bercume as the community’s new Sales and Marketing Director. She will work closely with seniors and families to assist them in exploring the lifestyle, apartment options, health care services and pricing options for Grand Junction’s newest senior living community. Bercume has many years of experience working with seniors and families. Stacy previously worked with Rifle Veteran’s Community Living Center, Holiday Retirement, Sava Senior Care and The Retreat Communities. She has held multiple positions within is this event a wonderful opportunity to learn from industry leaders, it also serves as a networking platform, connecting nonprofits and businesses in an environment filled with the spirit of community. As a member of CIC who understands the importance of this event to Mesa County nonprofits, please consider sponsoring the Inspire Impact Breakfast. Nomination categories include: • Staff Member of the Year • Board Member of the Year • Volunteer of the Year • Business Social Impact Both nomination and sponsorship forms for the breakfast can be found online at www.community impactcouncil.org/page-18122.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES • Grand Junction Visitor Center seeks volunteers to welcome visitors to the Grand Valley as a tourism ambassador. Flexible schedule, and a whole lot of fun! Contact Kerry Graves at 2564054 or email kerryg@gjcity.org for details.
month during the school year. To join, call 462-7346. • Palisade Historical Society welcomes volunteers who would like to share the history of Palisade, and/or work on various committees and projects. To volunteer or for more information, email pbwalker630@acsol.net.
senior living, ranging from caregiver to admissions director to sales and marketing roles. She previously earned an administrator license for assisted living. The Lodge at Grand Junction is located across the street from St. Mary’s Regional Hospital at 2656 Patterson Road in Grand Junction. • MOPS Kids are looking for volunteers at the Canyon View Vineyard Church to watch children for several hours a month during MOPS meetings. Volunteers needed 9-11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month during the school year, holiday weeks excluded. Call or text 549-6637.
• American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers to provide free transportation to and from treatment for people who have cancer and are unable to drive themselves. Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license, a safe and reliable vehicle, good driving history and proof of automobile
insurance. Training provided, with criminal background and driving record check. • Classroom Volunteer Foster Grandparents are needed in nonprofit school classrooms throughout Mesa & Delta Counties. No experience necessary. Patience, kindness and ability to follow directions are a must. Applicants must be 55+; those able to volunteer 9 hours/week or more and meet income requirements can receive $100-$400/month in non-taxable stipend. Background check required. Call 298-9091 to apply. ■
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•M esa County RSVP connects individuals 55 and older to volunteer positions in any of our member agencies. For a list of volunteer opportunities and to register, call 243-9839. •R iverside Education Center is seeking volunteer tutors to ensure the success of kids K-12 in its structured after-school tutoring and enrichment activities. Volunteers commit to one day/week for 1-2 hours after school. Apply at www.rec4kids.com, or call 4622901 for details. •M esa County Spellbinders is looking for volunteers to learn a few storytelling skills and make a difference in children’s lives. Tell stories to students in kindergarten through fifth grade once a
Silver Sneakers Preferred Provider
Silver & Fit • Discounted Senior Memberships Senior Exercise Classes • Events & Seminars DOWNTOWN LOCATION • 225 N. 5th Street, Suite 18 • Alpine Bank Building • 241-7800 AIRPORT LOCATION • 2768 Compass Drive • 970-242-8746
www.crossroadsfitness.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | BEACON BITS |
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BEACON BITS
SUPPORT GROUPS Art Exploration Class for cancer patients meets 4-5:30 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of the month at the Oncology Conference Room. Call 298-2351. Caregiver Connections meets from 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest. Call 241-2212. Caregiver Support Group meets monthly from 1:30-3:30 p.m. the first Thursday at Cappella Grand Junction. Call 822-7070 to RSVP. Compassionate Friends offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents from 7-8:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at Unity Church. Call 434-3822. COPD Support Group meets monthly at 1 p.m. on the fourth Friday at 581 Grand Valley Drive in Grand Junction. Call 317-7556 or
email jimcampbell3@aol.com. Gamblers Anonymous, a 12-step meeting to help compulsive gamblers recover, is held from 7-8 p.m. at 1938 N. First St. GriefShare, a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one, meets from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. For details, call 628-1453. Grief Group for Pets meets monthly from 6-7 p.m. on the second Wednesday at Roice-Hurst Humane Society. Call 434-7337, ext. 103. Head & Neck Cancer Support Group meets monthly from 6:30-8 p.m. on the first Tuesday at Colorado West Otolaryngologists. Call 245-2400. HEARTBEAT/Survivors After Suicide meets monthly from 7-9
p.m. on the third Tuesday at First Congregational Church. Call 7789274 or 241-4349. Job Searching After 50 Networking Group meets from 8:30-10 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month at Mesa County Workforce Center. You must be registered as a job seeker at www. connectingcolorado.com. Call 2487560 for details. MACHO Men cancer support group meets monthly at 2 p.m. on the first Thursday at the VA Medical Center In-Patient Dining Room. Call 298-2351. Mending Hearts is for any adult who has experienced the death of a loved one, and meets from 2-3:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest. Call 248- 8844. MS Breakfast Group meets monthly at 9 a.m. on the first Tuesday at Village Inn, 757 Horizon Drive. Call 241-8975.
Tinnitus Support Group meets monthly at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday at Community Hospital’s Legacy Room 1. Call 589-0305. Western Colorado Post Polio Group educates polio survivors and caregivers about post-polio, connects post-polio people and promotes independent living for people struck with the virus many years ago. Call 241-7825 for details. Western Slope Visionaries, a low-vision support group, meets monthly from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday at Center for Independence. Transportation is available. Call 241-0315. Woman to Woman cancer support group meets monthly from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room. Yoga For Life meets from 5:306:45 p.m. Tuesdays at the St. Mary’s Life Center Aerobics Room. Call 298-2351. ■
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44 | BEACON BITS | JANUARY 2020 |
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CLUBS & ACTIVITIES American Association of University Women meets monthly at 11:30 a.m. on the second Saturday. For details or to confirm location, call 261-2112. Blue Lodge Masons meets monthly at 10 a.m. on the first Saturday at the Masonic Center. Call 245-5312. Bookcliff Duplicate Bridge Club plays at 12:45 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley. Call ahead: 244-9989. Colorado Archaeological Society Grand Junction meets monthly from 6:30-9 p.m. on the second Monday. Call 433-4312 or visit www.meetup.com/CAS-GJ/events. Cribbage Lite meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at IHOP. Call 201-7823. Cups Club meets at 2 p.m. Wednesdays at The Artful Cup. Meet people through cards, games talk and tea. Call 257-2390. Daughters of the American Revolution, Mount Garfield Chapter, meets January 11. For details, call 245-2645 or 596-4870. Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday at the VFW #3981. All former, retired and active sea service, U.S. Navy, Marines or Coast Guard are welcome. Call 434-0868.
Grand Junction Gem & Mineral Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday and at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2328 Monument Road. Email grand junctionrockclub@gmail.com. Grand Junction Newcomers Club meets monthly at 9:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday at First Christian Church. Call 549-0440 or visit www.gjnewcomers.org. Grand Junction Petroleum & Mining Club meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday at Two Rivers Convention Center. Visit www.grandjunctionpmc.com. Grand Junction Toastmasters meets at 6:45 a.m. Tuesdays at The Commons of Hilltop Garden Room. Call 241-1900. Grand Valley Pets Alive meets monthly from 4:30-6 p.m. on the third Wednesday at Church of the Nativity. Call 462-7554. Grand Valley Woodcarvers meets at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays and 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 257-1549.
BEACON BITS Mesa County Genealogical Society meets on January 9 and 22. Visit www.mesacountygenealogy. org for location and details. Not Going Quietly meets from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at Center for Spiritual Living Grand Junction. This group creates a space of empowerment, grace, community and wisdom for those age 60 and older. Call 433-7799. Orchard Mesa Lions Club meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of the month. For location, call 216-2919. Outing Club meets weekly for hiking, biking, skiing and other activities. They also meet quarterly. Call 801-638-8707. Sons of Norway, Vestafjell Lodge, meets at 1:30 p.m. on January 14 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church to celebrate its 125th anniversary. Soups and chili provided by the board. Bring a dessert. Paul Cowan shares highlights of his law enforcement career in the National Park Service. Call 245-5649 or visit www.vestafjelllodge.org for details. SOS: Singles over 65 is a small, gender-balanced club where members make new friends and meet singles. Call 775-400-8700 for location or visit www.meetup.com/ singles-over-65 for details.
Sweet Adelines International, Grand Mesa A Capella Chorus, rehearses from 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 255-9419 or 523-3464, or visit www.grandmesachorus.org. Talk of the Town Toastmasters meets at noon on Thursdays. Call 250-3969. Thunder Mountain Camera Club meets monthly from 7-9 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday at Western Colorado Community College, Building B. Visit www.thundermountain cameraclub.org. Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets Thursdays at the Masonic Center. Call 261-1670. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #3981 meets monthly at 5:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday for a family style dinner and meeting at the Post Hall, 503 1/2 Florence Road in Grand Junction. Call 778-8242. Western Colorado Amateur Radio Club meets monthly at 9:30 a.m. on the second Saturday at the Civil Patrol Hangar, 2868 Aviators Way. Visit www.w0rrz.org. Western Colorado Decorative Artists meets monthly at 9 a.m. on the second Saturday at Grand Junction’s First Congregational Church. Call 640-2751. ■
Grand Valley Woodturners meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 856-3632.
RIVER CITY SINGLES Fridays at 5 p.m. - Calling all singles over 50! Meet new friends at Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) in the Hideaway Lounge at the Travelodge, 718 Horizon Drive. Membership in RCS is $20 per year. Call Chuck at 242-5252 for details.
Friendship Force meets monthly at 6:15 p.m. on the third Thursday at First Baptist Church. Call 7786191 or visit www.ffwcolo.com.
Guys’ Giving Club meets quarterly at the Springhill Suites in Grand Junction. Members donate $100 at each meeting and are invited to nominate a local charity to receive the evening’s total contributions. Next meeting is February 5 at 5:15 p.m. Call 243-8829 or 270-6184.
Golden K Kiwanis meets from 9-10 a.m. Wednesdays at the Redlands Community Center. Visit www. gjgoldenk.com.
Knitting Club meets monthly from 6:30-8 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday at Community of Christ Church. Call 623-1455.
Crafting Club meets monthly from 2-3 p.m. on the third Tuesday at the Clifton Library. Call 434-6936
“Young-at-heart adults getting together for fun and friendship.” Annual membership is $20.
Tuesdays at 9 a.m. - Early Start Breakfast at Denny’s on Horizon Drive. Visitors welcome. Call Debbie at 245-4995. Mondays at 9:30 a.m. - Play pool at the Grand Junction Senior Recreation Center, 550 Ouray Ave. Beginning in January a $20 annual membership fee will be required. Call Bobbie at 261-2232. Thursday, January 16 at 5 p.m. – Enjoy dinner at Pantuso’s Italian Restaurant located at 755 on Horizon Drive. For questions, call Kathy at 589-1871.
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | BEACON BITS |
45
FUN & GAMES
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46 | FUN & GAMES | JANUARY 2020 |
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ACROSS 1. IRS IDs 5. Accumulate 10. Quick punch 13. Like an abyss 14. Signify 16. Downed 17. Soapy 19. Mohawk-sporting
actor 20. Destiny 21. Artilleryman 23. Proverb ending? 24. Skin marking, often due to injury 26. Greek peak 27. Respiration 29. Lucidity 32. Scottish loch, home to a monster! 33. Director’s shout 36. Rebirth of the soul in a new body 41. Collision 42. Spiny houseplant 44. Patella 48. Sharpening 50. Able was ___... 51. Excuse me... 53. Brandy letters
54. Colorful
vocabulary 58. Understanding words 60. Conscription org. 61. Approximations 64. Fair-hiring abbr. 65. Ham 66. Ascend 67. Hosp. workers 68. Hotpoint rival 69. Robt. ___
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5. Abbr. on a toothpaste box 6. Hajj destination 7. Lend ___ 8. Before long 9. Astound 10. Son of Mary, Queen of Scots 11. Still 12. Be unfaithful 15. “___ Beso” (1962 hit) 18. Snug spot
22. And not 23. ___ Saud 25. Brownish gray baboon
28. ___ was saying... 29. Pres., militarily 30. Feel intense aversion 31. Picnic pest 34. ___ Crunch 35. Musical syllable 37. Tuck’s partner 38. Singer Janis 39. Extra virgin unctuous fluid 40. Malarkey 43. Self-esteem 44. Where you’re likely to get smacked 45. Wrestling hold 46. Rubs out 47. Poet’s dusk 49. Exclude 51. Heartburn 52. Macho guys 55. Fancy that! 56. West Point inits. 57. Molecule part 59. Regal address 62. Southern constellation 63. Visualize
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Turn to page 50 for your puzzle answers WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | FUN & GAMES |
47
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL OR A SERVICE TO OFFER? List it here—pricing starts at just $29 per month!
Call Stacey at 243-8829, ext.102, to reserve your space in next month’s issue.
CLASSES
HELP WANTED
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RETIRED/Need Extra Income? Part-time medical delivery position available. Shift starts at 2:45 a.m. Good driving record and ability to drive manual transmission. Flexibility and dependability essential. Call for details. 2542897.
FOR SALE Kids Saddle Kids saddle for sale, too big for a mini-pony. $200. Text 901-9364 for more info Van Wheelchair accessible 2005 Chrysler Town and Country Van: 64,700 miles, lift, carpet, upholstery, air conditioning. Vehicle is in good condition. $14,000 OBO. 986-0449.
HOME SERVICES House Cleaning Is your house cleaning getting away from you? Roll that burden over to Michele & Ryan and let us show you what we can do. Blue Ribbon Cleaning Services. 361-0531. 35 years’ experience and insured. Window cleaning also. Custom Draperies, Blinds and Solar Shades Floor coverings and design services. Interior Monologues, Inc. 234-0040.
My Phone Friend, LLC Smartphone/Tablets assistance and lessons. 623-2121. www. myphonefriendllc.com Computer Lady, LLC In-home repair. 15 years serving Mesa County. Windows, internet, Wi-Fi, Android, tablets, Netflix, Roku. Virus removal, installation and instruction. Dependable, reasonable, qualified. 255-1216. Antiques, Appraisals, Estate Sales With over 40 years in the antique, appraisal and estate sale business, Great American Estate Sales is the Valley’s leader in appraisals and estate liquidation. Settling an estate, moving into a smaller home or just simplifying your lifestyle? Great American Estate Sales can provide a worry-free and quick solution. Free consultation. 216-0048.
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48 | CLASSIFIEDS | JANUARY 2020 |
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SERVICES
Pat's Hair Salon & Ceramics All Hair Salon Services Available
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Pet Cemetery & Crematorium Where the Best Come to Rest! Final Paws, 2317 H Road, Grand Junction. Call Teri 242-7417.
CLASSIFIEDS
HEALTH & WELLNESS Medical Cannabis Certification Cannabis treats arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, Parkinson’s, MS, cancer, glaucoma, PTSD, etc. GJ – Wednesday 1/8; Thursday 1/30 Rifle – Tuesday 1/7; Wednesday 1/29 Wendy Zaharko, MD, 970-3190652, z@alumni.princeton.edu. Your local Western Slope cannabis physician since 2009. Affordable rates. Medical Marijuana Doctor Days in Montrose and Grand Junction Got pain? Find out if medical marijuana is right for you. Doctor evaluation and education on cannabis use in a professional HIPAA-compliant setting. Call for appointment times and days. 720-443-2420 or visit www. healthychoicesunltd.com. MENTAL WELLNESS Stress, Anxiety, Depression The last thing we ever want is a STROKE. Check out http://ltl.is/qt6cz 270-2904
WANTED TO BUY Mobile oxygen concentrator Looking for a mobile oxygen concentrator. 778-9429 leave message.
USED BOOKS Buy, Sell or Trade Gently used books on hundreds of subjects. Westerns, romance, mysteries, suspense, kids, young adult, inspirational and many others. Large print. Special orders. 242-3911. Twice Upon a Time Bookshop, 2885 North Ave., Ste. B. located in front of Walmart next to Subway. 10-6 Mon-Sat, 11-4 Sunday. **Bring this ad in for $10 Trade Credit**
WE’RE HIRING! The BEACON Senior News is growing and we’re looking for talented folks who want to grow with us! We’re hiring for the following positions: FREELANCE WRITERS ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES PHOTO JOURNALISTS Send your letter and resume to Beacon@PendantPublishing.com
Creative folks, don’t forget to send samples of your work! No phone calls, please.
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49
KUDOS & KVETCH
kvetch \ kfetch • “I am a long-time reader of the BEACON and I think your taste
Fit to be tried
stinks this month, having a picture of Santa Claus with tattoos. Thank you.” - Anonymous
By Dick Wolfsie
M Winter Morning in the Valley By Barbara Mitchell (age 74) Standing, looking out from atop the Mesa at Lands End Observatory to the west seeing the broad expanse of the valley through the now barren Aspen trees multitudes of willows exposed in the distance fruit trees signal it’s time to sleep for a season before sending out their sweet essence of splendor over the countryside in the Spring. Breathing in freshness of the mountain air, snow starting to fall gently on my brow my senses are enlivened with the excitement of the first snow of the season blanketing the nearby hillside with virgin white, lending itself to the imprint of footprints made by a myriad of chipmunks swiftly running to and fro surrounded by soft sounds of snowflakes floating ever so quietly to the ground. Glancing toward the Bookcliffs with riveting glee dawning magical with the emerging morning sunrise light illuminates crevices filled with fresh fallen snow capping cliff tops and displaying a spectacular view, pondering with awe ribbons of white stretching out, clouds billowing in creating a mist of transparency, appearing as a shield of protection over the beauty only concealed by nature. Scanning the panoramic scene of the distant Colorado National Monument out across the valley below, dazzled with wonder, overcome with pride appreciating the abounding grace, the opportunity to live in such a place suddenly feeling the arms of God holding the valley in His loving embrace.
Answers from page 47
50 | KUDOS & KVETCH | JANUARY 2020 |
WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM
y son bought me one of those watches that tracks your daily number of steps, monitors your heartbeat, and I think it can you tell you the correct time but I haven’t gotten that far in the directions. I’d like to “walk you through” what has happened since I received the gift. (That’s probably not the appropriate expression, but I’m trying to trick my watch into thinking I’m actually exercising.) In order for it to record steps, your arms have to swing back and forth. I spent half an hour in City Market the other day pushing my cart, but it showed I hadn’t taken a single step because my hands were grasping the cart’s handle. At one point I was so frustrated, I started flapping my arms like a bird. The manager must have assumed I didn’t speak English because he led me over to where they roast the chicken. Since I received this present, several stories about the device have been published that have given me pause—which I can’t enjoy for very long because prolonged periods of inactivity sets off a little alarm. It’s a good thing I am a restless sleeper. A story in “Prevention” magazine said the idea of 10,000 steps per day—the conventional goal often cited as a guideline—has no scientific basis. Apparently, someone just made this number up. It’s probably the same guy who made up eight glasses of water a day and eight hours of sleep. I have always questioned the three meals a day concept, so I’ve gone to five, which at least involves moving my right arm a lot more.
By the way, my dentist told me during my last visit that the conventional wisdom suggesting you see your dentist twice a year also has no basis in research. He thinks that you should visit your dental office three times a year. However, he recommended I see him four times a year because I have deep pockets. I’m not sure if he was talking about my gums or if it was because I told him I made a few good investments last year. One final odd occurrence worth noting: When I looked at my watch this morning, I had walked 1,267 steps while I was asleep. The cookie jar was empty and someone had mowed the lawn in the middle of the night. Two Ambien before bed might be one more than I need. Personally, I think I get plenty of walking in each day. Here are a few examples from just this past week:
1 2
I walked to the mailbox to get the pound of lox I ordered from a New York deli.
I walked downstairs to our second freezer to sneak a scoop of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, which I had hidden from my wife.
3
I walked from the living room where I was taking a nap to the bedroom to get a good night’s sleep.
4 5
I walked from the pro shop to my golf cart.
I walked into the garage several times to get on my riding lawnmower. I also plan to walk to my office every day. It’s not my fault I work out of my house, but it’s at least taking steps in the right direction. ■
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