April 2020

May 30 6pm Mozart’s Jupiter, his 41st and final symphony, builds to one of the most spectacular finales in all of classical music. It’s inspired many composers who followed, including Robert Schumann, who compared it to the works of Shakespeare.

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Contents

APRIL

32

ON THE COVER After earning a degree in classical piano performance, Mary Louise Knutson found a career in jazz piano instead.

Cover photo and photo at right by Dietrich Gesk

24

TRAVEL Quaint and picturesque, yet modern and hip, Estonia is uncrowded and ever so welcoming.

30 REAL AGING

If you love babies, a second-act career as a postpartum doula may be for you.

FROM THE EDITOR

MINNESOTA HISTORY

IN THE KITCHEN

8 It’s not too late to discover a Twin Cities jazz legend.

14 First Ave: It all started with a Joe Cocker concert in 1970.

MY TURN

WELLNESS

22 This four-ingredient recipe fits the bill for an easy dinner or a stress-free Easter meal.

10 A former student’s letter becomes a precious gift.

16 Lifting weights may hold the key to healthy aging.

MEMORIES

FINANCE

12 It’s the little things that make up the patchwork quilt we call life.

6 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

20 A new law could affect your finances in retirement.

GUIDE 38 STAY-HOME BRAIN 40 TEASERS

FROM THE EDITOR Volume 39 / Issue 4

Holding steady

BY SARAH JACKSON

PUBLISHER Janis Hall / jhall@mngoodage.com

CO-PUBLISHER AND SALES MANAGER Terry Gahan / tgahan@mngoodage.com

GENERAL MANAGER Zoe Gahan / zgahan@mngoodage.com

EDITOR Sarah Jackson / editor@mngoodage.com

CONTRIBUTORS Ed Dykhuizen, Dietrich Gesk, Carol Hall, Skip Johnson, Julie Kendrick, Tiffany King, Jessica Kohen, Dave Nimmer, Tom Swift, Carla Waldemar, Jen Wittes

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Valerie Moe

ART DIRECTOR Dani Cunningham

AD COORDINATOR AND OFFICE MANAGER Amy Rash / 612-436-5081 arash@mngoodage.com

CIRCULATION Marlo Johnson / distribution@mngoodage.com

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8 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

I

t’s not easy being an older adult right now.

As I write this, the pandemic of COVID-19 is turning the world upside down.

And the folks who are most at risk for severe complications from the virus make up our core audience — ages 60 and older.

Even though “this too shall pass,” it’s still scary.

And there’s no doubt: Our society will come out of this changed, probably in ways we can’t even fathom just yet.

I was going to use this letter to encourage you to Photo by Tracy Walsh see some live music — specifically the local gem that is jazz pianist Mary Louise Knutson, this month’s captivating cover star!

Knutson had three performances set for April. But due to our country’s current state of lockdown, they’re all unlikely to happen.

One thing’s for sure: Our arts community, our restaurant scene, our retailers and others are all going to need us more than ever after the sickness subsides.

Live music, theater or even literature and poetry can lift the soul like nothing else. Often, you don’t even have to be a fan of the performer or even know the works being performed.

In the case of Knutson, I haven’t been out to see her play live yet. But you can bet I’m going to when I get the chance again — when our freedom is restored, our freedom to be out in groups, a freedom I didn’t realize I’d taken for granted.

For now, I may have to order a CD at marylouiseknutson.com or tinyurl.com/ jazz-mn-cds. (I know I’ll be supporting other artists and businesses in small ways like this when I can. You should, too!)

Who knew we’d be going through this unparalleled experience even a few weeks ago, deprived of so many important cultural touchpoints and gatherings, large and small?

This month, instead of publishing our Can’t-Miss Calendar, we’ve created a short guide for living it up while you’re staying home. I hope it helps.

What are you doing to keep your spirits strong — and body healthy — during this time of crisis?

Please share with me any other ideas you might have for our stay-home calendar/guide coming up in May. You can write me at editor@mngoodage.com with the subject line #stayhomemn.

It’s not going to be easy, but we can do this — in our own way — together.

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MY TURN

50 letters for a 50th year

BY DAVE NIMMER

M

ore than occasionally I’m reminded of the reversal of roles as I get older. None is more apparent than that of teacher/student.

I taught journalism for almost a dozen years at the University of St. Thomas, and now I’m the one learning lessons — about how to live this life — from those who once sat in my classroom.

Out of the blue The most recent came in a letter. The return address was unfamiliar, but it was handwritten and so was my name and address. I wasn’t the “occupant,” nor was I being solicited for a contribution that would be matched 3-to-1 by an anonymous donor.

So I opened the envelope and took out a one-page letter, also handwritten: “Nim: I hope this letter finds you well.

I’m writing to simply say, ‘Thank you.’ It has been 25 years since I had the privilege of being a pure pain in the ass for you.

I remember challenging many of the assertions you offered and thinking I had all the answers. Your patience, insight, commitment and storytelling changed my world.

I learned to apply a journalistic filter to every issue.”

My first thought was “Are you sure it’s me you’re thinking of?”

But I remembered Terri Moore (then Teuber) and she was careful and skeptical.

After graduation, she kicked off a stunning career with 10 years as a TV news reporter and 10 years as communications 10 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

director for a Nebraska governor turned U.S. senator turned secretary of agriculture, plus two years in the White House as a deputy press secretary for policy and planning in the Bush administration.

So I took the compliment and returned it with equal sincerity and clarity — in a handwritten letter:

and sent 49 others.

“I’m turning 50 this year,” she said, “and decided to write to 50 people to mark the occasion.” What a generous, gracious thing to do, something I’ve never done and never thought about until I read her letter.

I want to tell you what a great gift your letter is. You were not a pain in the ass, but a shot in the arm. You made that class livelier every day. You read the book, kept up with the news and came with informed ideas. You were, in fact, a teacher’s best friend.

In addition to my letter, Terri wrote

I can’t think of 50 people to write, but eight come to mind, including a group that meets weekly. They are teachers, mentors and sponsors. Most of them are dead, but a few are still very alive and quite able to read a letter of gratitude.

Steven Lybrand, who I believe is now a hotshot jury consultant on the West

A gratitude practice

▲ Terri Moore

Coast, was a sociology professor at St. Thomas, where I had a lowly B.S. degree among a cluster of Ph.D.s.

I suspected some of my colleagues thought of me as an ink-stained wretch, not quite worthy of academe.

But Lybrand gave me the benefit of the doubt and the two of us put together a documentary about the effects of poverty that ran during prime time on Twin Cities Public Television.

He later bought groceries, cut bureaucratic red tape and mopped floors for some of those we featured in the doc: Sometimes you ought to be more than a reporter — and be a helper.

Meanwhile, the River Rats help me, one night a week, find comfort in the human condition.

This private group of 20 men and women, from age 30 to 80, have been walking with me on a path of sobriety toward compassion, humility, service and serenity. It’s basic training for what a good man is and what he does.

Maybe he starts with putting it in writing and mailing a letter.

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MEMORIES

Life’s little moments

BY CAROL HALL

R

ecently, as I drove around a corner in my neighborhood, a man riding a bicycle came toward me.

He had his German shepherd on a tight leash trotting alongside the bicycle. I waved and smiled and he smiled and waved back.

I chuckled all the way to my destination recalling these two. They brought back an identical memory from decades ago.

It happened along Mississippi River Boulevard, but the man then was driving a VW Bug — and the dog was a Great Dane that was almost as big as the car!

Unexpected “slice of life” experiences like these make the day sweeter. They happen suddenly, and then they’re done.

A gesture or a joke can have the same effect.

A dream takes flight Another one: A very dear friend — who used to be an airline pilot — took me to a wonderful viewing spot at the MSP airport, where one can watch aircraft taking off and landing.

Other people had gathered; some were taking photos. A young boy, about age 10, holding a toy airplane, was running around, making the plane dive low, then ascend. It almost brought my friend to tears. He remembered so well doing the same thing at that age, dreaming of his future career.

A rainy-day sight I spied one of the three adorable little boy brothers who live on my street sitting in 12 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

front of my house digging in the dirt with a tablespoon.

“Why?” I asked.

It had just rained. Angleworms were plentiful. He was looking to unearth some for fishing bait.

If one knew Geri, and she didn’t like him, she’d turn to me and cross her eyes. This was a signal for me to rescue her, tell her to hurry and dress as we were due to go someplace, so she could send him away!

A secret signal

On-the-spot silly

I still laugh thinking of my roommate, Geri, and her silent communication.

Along with Joyce, we were three young single women sharing an apartment.

Each of us knew a great many bachelors. Some of them just showed up at our door, hoping to be asked in for a cup of coffee and conversation.

I recall an unforgettable quip from my quick-witted nephew, Brad. Once, during my stewardess days, I’d just come to a family party after working a trip on a brand new Douglas DC-10.

Brad queried me about the airplane.

I replied that the one I’d just helped crew was going immediately in for repair

Unexpected ‘slice of life’ experiences like these make the day sweeter. They happen suddenly, and then they’re done. A gesture or a joke can have the same effect. because it had been fishtailing, or in aviation terms, yawing.

“Yaws, yaws, Auntie,” responded Brad, in his best Norwegian accent. “Isn’t dat vot you put da snus in betveen?”

The word of God And, once, I discovered a beautiful scripture passage in a most unusual setting: Isaiah 55:12 is inscribed in large black letters on the interior walls of the Boynton Chapel, which is a replica of a 12th-century Norwegian stavkirke, located at Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor on Wisconsin’s wooded and idyllic Door County peninsula: “Ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands, for my presence will go with you.”

Amen.

Carol Hall lives in Woodbury. She’s a longtime freelance writer, a University of Minnesota graduate and a former Northwest Airlines stewardess.

Send comments and questions to chall@mngoodage.com.

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Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 13

MINNESOTA HISTORY

50 years of First Avenue

BY JESSICA KOHEN

T

his April marks a momentous milestone for Minnesota music history: First Avenue is celebrating its 50-year anniversary.

From rock to disco to punk and new wave to a starring role in a movie featuring Prince — and a roller coaster of financial ups and downs — First Avenue has remained an iconic music venue that brings Minnesotans together.

It all began on April 3, 1970, when Joe Cocker headlined a raucous performance at the venue then called The Depot, located in the former Greyhound bus terminal in downtown Minneapolis.

Cocker arrived with “a freakishly large entourage of forty-some people that needed to be taken care of,” including future stars Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge and Bobby Keys, several children and a dog, according to author Chris Riemenschneider, who penned First Avenue: Minnesota’s Mainroom.

In the 1960s, rock and roll was taking over the nation, and cities like Minneapolis offered very small bars or large venues (such as the Minneapolis Armory) for live music, and not much in between.

Allan Fingerhut, whose family ran the Fingerhut mail-order catalog business, and Danny Stevens, frontman for the band Danny’s Reasons and a music booker, came together to fill that void.

After some scouting, the pair decided

14 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

on the Greyhound bus depot — which had been sitting empty for two years — as the site of their new music club.

Greyhound built the station in 1937 in a streamlined Art Deco style with bright blue glazed bricks and white trim on the outside — and chandeliers, air conditioning and a cafe on the inside.

Much of that original design remains today, including the curved front entryway, the green and beige tile floor (which looks black and white in photographs), and the upper floor of two levels of windows that originally brought light flooding into the depot's waiting room.

Right away, the founders knew it was the perfect spot for a live music venue with its high ceilings and excellent acoustics.

It took six months to remodel the space, which included removing the ticket counters, putting in a stage and painting.

Fingerhut wanted to honor his hometown team, the Vikings, so he had the walls painted purple, added plush purple drapes behind the stage and ordered purple shag carpeting, which unfortunately didn’t arrive in time for opening night.

Originally, Carlos Santana was tapped to perform the debut concert at The Depot, but he canceled a few months out, opening the door for Joe Cocker. The 25-year-old, up-and-coming artist was

▲ First Avenue celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1990. Photo by Daniel Corrigan / Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

on tour in the spring of 1970, fresh off his legendary performance at the Woodstock music festival in the summer of 1969.

Setting the tone for the evening at The Depot, Cocker and his entourage arrived at MSP airport on April 3 on a private plane with the words “Cocker Power” painted on the side.

The group performed four sets over two nights to sold-out shows.

Learn about First Ave! Immerse yourself in the club’s 50 years of music history with the exhibit First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota’s Mainroom on view at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. See mnhs.org/ historycenter for details.

Purchase a copy of First Avenue: Minnesota’s Mainroom, by Chris Riemenschneider, at shop.mnhs.org.

Check out a new documentary, airing on Twin Cities PBS (TPT 2) at 9 p.m. March 30, or stream it now at tinyurl.com/tpt-first-ave.

Take in a show at the club: See first-avenue.com for the latest updates about shows and possible reschedule dates due to COVID-19.

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▲ Disco dancers frolicked at First Avenue, then known as Uncle Sam’s, in the late 1970s. Photo by Steven Laboe / Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

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⊳ Joe Cocker and his entourage performed at The Depot on April 3, 1970.

Photo by Darrell Brand / Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

In the Upper Midwest in early April, the sun sets relatively late, and Cocker’s early sets both nights were bathed in sunlight that shone through the double sets of windows.

Fingerhut brought in 2,000 carnations to brighten things up, and the flowers made their way across the dance floor, onto the stage and even into a few of the musicians’ instruments.

The band performed two hits off Cocker’s 1969 album as well as covers of songs by the Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen and the Beatles, including With a Little Help from My Friends, which galvanized fans.

Despite the club running out of alcohol before the first set — and Cocker’s manager shaking down venue management for more money — the night became the stuff of music legend with fans reveling in the freewheeling rock-and-roll atmosphere and the amazing sound.

Since that date in April 1970, the club has taken many forms. It’s been a discotheque, a haven for rock-and-roll bands, a breeding ground for new music and a place where DJ culture has thrived. It was

261 Ruth Street North St. Paul (651) 738-2102

known as The Depot, Uncle Sam’s and Will: $40 then Sam’s until Dec. 31, 1981, when it PoWer of Attorney: $30 became First Avenue & 7th Street Entry.

HeAltH CAre DireCtive: $70 It’s supported many up-and-coming artists, most notably Prince, who first Roban, James GA 1116 12.indd 1 played there on March 9, 1981, and who OLDER ADULTS WITH 10/20/16 1:41 PM called the club home. Though at times MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT it struggled to make money — and even NEEDED FOR STUDY closed for two weeks in 2004 when the original owner declared bankruptcy — the club has survived and even thrived, despite steady competition from national interests.

During the past seven years, First Avenue has acquired numerous clubs and now controls six venues, including its two flagIf you have mild cognitive impairment and ships, the Fine Line (Minneapolis) and the are 65 years of age or older, you might qualify for an exercise and cognitive Turf Club and Fitzgerald Theater (St. Paul). training study. A specialist will guide your It’s also an operating partner for the recently exercise and/or cognitive training sessions renovated Palace Theatre in St. Paul. for 6 months, so you can continue on your own for 12 months. You will receive To read a recent story in Mpls.St.Paul compensation and gym membership magazine detailing the current CEO’s reimbursement (location-dependent). plan for the club’s next 50 years, go to For more tinyurl.com/first-ave-mpls. information, Jessica Kohen is the media relations manager for the Minnesota Historical Society.

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WELLNESS

Resistance isn’t futile — on the contrary!

BY TOM SWIFT

P

icture a weightlifter. It’s a good bet the person who just popped into your head is Arnold Schwarzenegger or someone like him.

Decades after earning seven Mr. Olympia titles, “Ahnuld” remains an icon of muscle.

However, the hope is that another person will come to your mind by the time you reach the end of this article — the person you see when you look in the mirror.

“What?” you may ask, “Weightlifting at my age?”

As any good Minnesotan would say: You betcha.

Nearly every able-bodied person can 16 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

benefit from weight training and possibly no population could use those benefits more than those of us who are, give or take a decade, the age of the now70-something Schwarzenegger.

We’ll discuss specific benefits in a minute. First, let’s clarify what we mean by weight lifting.

What is it?

Another term for weightlifting is resistance training, a form of exercise in which you move your torso and limbs against resistance with a specific purpose: to make your muscles stronger.

While resistance training often includes barbells, dumbbells and machines, none of these things are required.

Resistance training can be done with bands or just your own body weight.

Have you ever picked up a child or a companion animal? Sat down in a chair and immediately stood back up? Done a push-up? Then you’ve already engaged in this form of exercise.

Personal trainer Sal Di Stefano, a founder of MindPump — a San Jose-based company with a worldwide following that promotes common-sense fitness strategies for ordinary people

through a popular fitness podcast, videos and guides — has spent about half of his two-plus decades specializing in men and women ages 60 and older.

He loves doing resistance training with older adults because “they are consistent, they tell great stories and they get phenomenal results.”

That’s right. You can get stronger — at any age — even if you haven’t picked up a dumbbell in your life.

“No matter how old you are, you do not have to get weaker with age,” says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its free online guide Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults, created in partnership with Tufts University. “Strength training can help you stay vital, strong and independent throughout your life.”

Why you should Resistance training’s main benefits, which aren’t about being buff, include: Physical protection: As you know, seniors are at risk for a variety of disabilities, frailty and falls. They’re also susceptible to chronic conditions, including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia and diabetes.

One way, arguably the best way, to prevent all of the above is through resistance training. Even one or two sessions a week, properly and appropriately applied, Di Stefano says, help increase bone density, promote a robust immune system, enhance hormonal functioning and guard against common injuries and ailments that occur more commonly as we age.

Increased mobility: Some beginners worry about becoming “muscle-bound.”

This is a myth.

To add a significant amount of muscle, one must train intensely over a long period.

We’re not talking about copying a young Schwarzenegger here. In fact,

increased strength directly helps a person move more freely, with less pain and better balance. This is foremost about function, not aesthetics.

Weight control: Resistance training can affect appearance — not typically

the Mayo Clinic: “Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.”

Being able to carry groceries, lift a grandchild, stand up, get up, pick things

by bulking up a body, but by making it leaner overall as well as more efficient: Stronger muscles burn more calories than do flabby ones.

Resistance training helps speed up metabolism and control blood sugar.

There’s a reason bodybuilders are lean, and it’s not because they spend all their time walking.

Mental health: Resistance training is a great form of stress relief. Increased cognition — including clarity of thought and possibly even better memory recall — is another common effect.

Earlier this year Australian researchers — in a study of 100 participants at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to mild cognitive impairment — found that weight training can protect the parts of the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

The University of Sydney study showed that six months of strength training slowed, and even halted, degeneration in the brain a year after the exercise.

In the study, the solution wasn’t pills or puzzles or daily cardio. It was lifting weights.

Gretchen Reynolds, writing in The New York Times in response to a review of dozens of scholarly studies, said, “Resistance exercise often substantially reduces people’s gloom.”

In other words, lifting weights can help combat depression and a depressed mood. It’s also empowering to see and feel the progress you can make with a consistent commitment.

Independence: Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities, says

up and push things away — resistance training promotes functioning needed for autonomy.

How to start Resistance training, Di Stefano says, is “the single best form of exercise a person can do, hands-down. It directly combats all of the adverse health effects we experience as we age.”

That is, if the resistance training is done properly.

As with any new activity, consult with your doctor before starting a program of resistance training. After you get the allclear, here are tips to get you started: Find an expert: Hire a personal trainer — someone to show you correct form and help you create a plan tailored to your body and needs.

Many trainers allow you to work with a partner or two, lessening the hourly rate per person. Your gym or senior center might offer classes and these can be helpful. Just make sure you receive individual instruction. After some months working with an expert you can go solo.

(Note: If you try on your own, make sure to consult credible sources for demonstrations. The National Institute for Aging and the Mayo Clinic offer how-to diagrams and videos on their websites.

See tinyurl.com/nih-strength or tinyurl.com/mayo-strength.)

Start slow: Not only do you not need to push yourself to the point of pain, you’ll gain more strength if you start slow and increase intensity over time.

You should experience little to zero discomfort beyond the challenge Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 17

WELLNESS

of doing something new. Start with one session a week. The first one might be no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Later, you could add a second day, and later still, possibly a maximum of a third, aiming for two or three sessions of 20-60 minutes each per week.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends resistance training two-plus days a week for able older adults.

Focus on form: You may wonder: Can I hurt myself? You can. You can also hurt yourself crossing the street — if you don’t do it properly.

Resistance training, correctly and appro18 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

priately performed, is “safe, even for people with health problems,” says the CDC. The upshot: Not engaging in resistance training may, in fact, be more risky. When you allow your muscles to atrophy, you leave yourself vulnerable to other forms of pain or instability.

“There is far more risk,” Di Stefano says, “in not doing it.”

Use what you have: You don’t need access to a sprawling facility with pools, saunas and a smoothie bar.

You can perform resistance training with your own body weight, inexpensive resistance bands, dumbbells and barbells, or even soup cans; the possibilities are many.

Di Stefano starts older clients with body-weight exercises such as a benchaided squat, a supported lunge and a back row using a lightweight resistance band.

Keep in mind that you may have greater access to equipment than you think. Many Medicare supplement and advantage plans offer gym reimbursements or no-cost monthly memberships at certain fitness facilities.

Increase difficulty: You get stronger one of two ways: by increasing resistance or by doing more repetitions. Again, taking it slow is the best way to go.

A general rule: Any movements you can’t do more than once with good

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4/17/18 2:14/PM Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 19

FINANCE

How can the SECURE Act affect you?

BY SKIP JOHNSON

W

ith so many people struggling to save for retirement, Congress knew something needed to be done: On Jan. 1, 2020, a new federal law took effect with the goal of helping Americans save and plan for retirement.

The SECURE Act, short for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, is the most significant change to retirement legislation in more than a decade.

Let’s look at some of the major changes and how they might affect your retirement accounts.

RMDs Because life expectancy has increased and Americans are working longer, the SECURE Act raised the age for taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from age 70½ to 72. The change begins for the 2020 tax year, so it doesn’t apply to 2019 distributions.

Increasing the age gives people 18 more months of tax-deferred growth.

It also gives those still working more time to add money to their traditional IRA (up to $7,000 this year for those 50 and older) as well as more time to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. The money you move will be taxed now, but your withdrawals will be tax-free. Another new provision allows those who are over age 72 (and still working) to continue contributing to their IRA. They must still take RMDs, but the option to continue contributing is a nice benefit for many older workers.

20 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

If you plan on passing an IRA to your loved ones, consider converting the account to a tax-free account, like a Roth IRA. While the age increase allows for more flexibility with planning, we recommend speaking with your tax advisor about your situation for 2020 and beyond.

QCDs The new RMD age of 72 didn’t change the age at which someone is allowed to use their IRA to make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). An individual who is 70½ and older is still allowed to give up to $100,000 a year from their traditional IRA to a qualified charity.

Taking funds from an IRA and giving directly to a qualified charity is still one of the best options for lowering taxable income for those over age 70½.

Inherited IRAs Under the law, non-spouse beneficiaries no longer have the option to receive and “stretch out” tax-deferred distributions

from an inherited IRA. Many people utilize a stretch IRA to pass money to their heirs. Under the SECURE Act, IRA beneficiaries now have only 10 years from the death of the account owner to fully liquidate the account.

If you plan on passing an IRA to your loved ones, consider converting the account to a tax-free account, like a Roth IRA. The money will grow tax-free and be distributed to your beneficiaries tax-free.

They’ll still have to take the money out in a 10-year time frame, but they also have the option to let that money sit a full 10 years before they liquidate it.

The Roth IRA is the ultimate estateplanning vehicle that allows your money to grow after death.

Timing matters, however: When converting to a Roth IRA, the account must be open for at least five years.

If the Roth IRA is less than five years

old at the time of the original owner’s death, beneficiaries will owe taxes on what they withdraw.

Guaranteed income With more workers looking for guaranteed income in retirement, the SECURE Act is providing more options. Before the new provision, employers were allowed to offer annuities in 401(k) plans, but it wasn’t easy.

Now employers don’t have to be afraid of legal liability if the annuity provider fails to deliver. Annuities are complex, so speak with a financial professional to find out if you should consider an annuity in your retirement plan.

529 plans Another benefit of the SECURE Act is that it allows new options for repaying student loans.

If families have money left over in a 529 education savings account (typically used to pay for college expenses), they can withdraw up to $10,000 over a student’s lifetime to repay student loan debt.

This is just a small look at the SECURE Act and how it could impact retirement planning. If you have questions about how you may be affected, please reach out.

Working with a financial advisor can help clarify your personal and financial goals.

Skip Johnson is a founding partner and lead advisor at Great Waters Financial in Minneapolis. For more than 11 years, Skip and his team have been tailoring customized retirement plans to help their clients chart a course toward financial freedom and a secure retirement. Learn more at greatwatersfinancial.com.

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IN THE KITCHEN

HEAT AND

EAT

22 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

By Tiffany King You need only four ingredients for this recipe, which means it can be made on your busiest days. Need a simple holiday meal for Easter?

Done! Let your slow cooker do the work — while you tidy the house.

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SLOW-COOKER HAM AND SWEET POTATOES 1 boneless ham, about 2 pounds 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pats ¼ cup maple syrup, honey or brown sugar (optional) Salt and black pepper

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⊲ Place the ham in a slow cooker. ⊲ Pile the sweet potatoes on top of and around the ham. ⊲ Scatter the butter pats over the ham and sweet potatoes. ⊲ Drizzle everything with the maple syrup. ⊲ Season with salt and pepper. ⊲ Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. ⊲ Serve hot.

Source: Eat at Home Tonight: 101 Simple Busy-Family Recipes for Your Slow Cooker, Sheet Pan, Instant Pot and More. Copyright 2018 by Tiffany King. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.

Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 23

TRAVEL

Queen of the Baltic

24 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

Estonia charms visitors with its rich history, refined food and playful Northern European culture

BY CARLA WALDEMAR

stonia is ready for her close-up, and I’m here to let the secret out: It’s a dream destination for romantics, overflowing with Old World charm.

Also for those who worship the high-tech world of tomorrow. And those who savor a land short on tour buses and hordes of selfie sticks, where everyone speaks English — plus German and Russian, the tongues of the most recent invaders, before the Peaceful Revolution (achieved, would you believe, by singing) led to full independence in the 1990s.

Plus, you’ll find food and lodging prices that barely dent the bankroll.

Tallinn Tallinn, Estonia's seaside capital, is bursting with energy and enterprise now that the land — south of Finland, west of Russia, north of Latvia, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland — is free.

Seaplane Harbor showcases interactive maritime exhibits ranging from a 16th-century shipwreck (guided by vipers as an early navigation tool, since they always swam north) to a climb-in submarine, bristling with torpedoes.

Kai Art Center, another harbor resident, heralds forward art installations, while Proto Invention Factory celebrates what-if ideas (think bicycles creating electricity) via virtual reality.

Pohjala Brewery aligns flights to complement a Russian-influenced menu (ravioli-like pelmeni stand out), plus treats from pastry chef Hannah (formerly of Patisserie 46!) like sea buckthorn donuts (unrelated to true buckthorn, that scourge of Minnesota backyards) and American cornbread.

Fotografiska anchors Telliskivi Creative City — another industrial complexturned-design district — that pulses inside a warehouse with a coffee shop, bar, boutiques, a cinema and breathtaking photography exhibits.

Voted Best Place for a First Date, the complex also boasts a rooftop restaurant whose creative, veggie-forward menu stars plates like roasted carrot with hummus and mandarin-sea buckthorn glaze, or potato-celeriac gnocchi in bacon-brown butter sauce.

Finish the evening with a tipple at Juniperium, the area’s new gin distillery.

That’s the Tallinn of today. And tomorrow.

History to explore But the charm of centuries past blooms in Old Town, honored as a UNESCO 26 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

Cultural Heritage site. Husky medieval walls cradle a tangle of cobbled streets radiating from Town Hall Square, long the city’s beating heart.

Peek into the pharmacy in the Town Hall’s shadow, in business for 500 years, selling cures involving bat wings, stallion hooves, dog feces and deer penises.

The spire beyond it crowns the Dome Church of 1236, gleaming with elaborate coats of arms. Antiques shops flaunt Nazi and Soviet medals and the occasional gas mask, while St. Catherine’s Passage nearby salutes creative female artisans fashioning elite couture, leather goods,

specialties like bear and elk, all while sipping homemade schnapps.

Head next to St. Nicholas, once the wealthiest church in the land and now a museum of medieval art. Its showpiece is the cautionary Dance of Death, a mural whose grinning skeletons drag sinning patricians to their fate.

Weave your way to the hilltop to see Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, an Orthodox structure brimming with icons hazy with kisses of the devout. Beside it looms the Pepto-pink Toompea Castle, where today’s Parliament resides.

For a glimpse into the dark years under

paper works and fabrics. (Wait ’til you see my new jacket!)

Slip back in time to dine at Olde Hansa, housed in the manor of a medieval merchant, where musicians entertain guests as they sup by candlelight on game

Soviet rule, visit the Occupation Museum and listen to first-person accounts of living in terror; or pop in, if you dare, to the former KGB prison to view its dire cells and torture devices.

Rejoin sunnier times at Ore to dine on

⊳ The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn, Estonia, is an Orthodox cathedral designed in the typical Russian Revival style popular between 1894-1900.

Photo by Mark Harrison/ Courtesy of the Tallinn City Tourist Office and Convention Bureau

treats such as sweetbreads in a chestnut puree or perch with whitefish roe and a would-you-believe-it dessert of beets aside caramel cream and currant sauce.

Or seek out Mekk for a soul-saving bowl of rich and creamy salmon chowder, followed by duck with honey-roasted beets in spiced pear sauce.

Saunas, bogs and songs Then head off to the winter capital of Otepaa — 2.5 hours inland by car — to witness the annual sauna marathon, in which teams of four in outlandish costumes (Fred Flintstone, ballet tutus and many more) vie to spend three steamy minutes in 19 different saunas within six hours. Vodka may be involved.

At the GMP Puhajarve Restaurant nearby we conquered winter temps with farm-totable fare like oats risotto with beet leaves and homemade chokecherry liqueur.

Then it was time for a sauna of our own. Mooska Farm, an hour distant,

offers an authentic traditional, almost mystical, experience in which the lady healer/owner guides you through poaching in the smoky shadows while she tosses water on the stove to create steam.

When you can bear the heat not one minute longer, step outside and jump into the icy lake (optional), then you’re back at it. Rinse and repeat, snacking meanwhile on cheeses and sausages and such.

Sleep came easily for me that night and readied us all for a walk in Meenikunno bog. We strapped on what looked like snowshoes to clamber over the soggy turf to an ice-glazed lakefront, where peace and quiet reigned.

Then — cameras ready — we drove across the border into a corner of Russia for a few minutes, commanded by glaring signs not to stop, much less leave our car.

Safe in the home of Sirje, a local cheesemaking champ, we watched her prepare the egg-and-butter-rich cheese traditionally served at parties, then Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 27

Bog walks in Estonia bring visitors to peaceful, open landscapes such as Mannikjarve bog.

Photo by Sven Zacek

devoured special fishcakes and homemade fruit wines. Sirje quit her job as a school cook to follow her dream and launch, most successfully, her in-home restaurant, Maagokono.

We were in the region of the Setos too — people with a distinct language, costumes and traditions, whose Obinitsa Museum reveals their artifacts. As we gaped in wonder, a young woman donned an elaborate wedding costume, weighted with impressive jewelry. Then a quartet of Seto matrons introduced us to the unique Seto leelo singing, proudly intertwining harmonics.

Beyond to Tartu Next we were on to Tartu, Estonia’s second-largest city, 45 minutes northeast of Otepaa, and its famed university, founded in the 17th century.

Tartu for decades was claimed by the Soviets for secret military purposes, allowing no one to visit, nor residents to leave. In recent years, its plucky citizens 28 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age Northern Star Botanicals GA 0420 V3.indd 1

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have reinvented themselves, turning dreary Soviet housing blocs into ecosmart homes and reviving Seto ways, sauna culture and reverence for nature.

It’s been chosen as a European Cultural Capital for 2024.

Already it’s home to the blockbuster Estonian National Museum. This modern treasure unspools the history of its people, beginning in 8000 B.C., via displays of daily life rather than dusty history.

It heralds the country as a digital innovator, from Skype to satellite phones that defied bugging. And it celebrates the Singing Revolution that turned the nation’s history around.

Explore visitestonia.com/en and plan your visit — for a time when we're beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, of course.

Carla Waldemar is an award-winning food/travel/arts writer. She edits the annual Zagat Survey of Twin Cities restaurants and writes food and travel articles for publications around the world. She lives in Uptown.

REAL AGING

A second-act career: Baby care!

BY JEN WITTES

W

hat would it be like to land your dream job at the tail end of a long, high-stress career or — better yet — during retirement?

Pretty amazing, say a trio of Twin Cities women, who have found paid work in the field of postpartum doula care.

Though being a nurse isn’t a requirement to carry the title of certified postpartum doula, all three landed serendipitously in the field after decades in full-time nursing.

And retired nurses aren’t the only folks ending up on the same path.

Nationwide — as young families struggle to juggle full-time work schedules for both parents — older adults from all walks of life are finding postpartum doula work can be an ideal second-act career.

What’s a postpartum doula?

While a birth doula serves the mother during labor and delivery, a postpartum doula serves the mother (and her immediate family) in the home after the baby is born.

The idea that “it takes a village to raise a child” is nice, but in reality, today’s parents don’t have the villages of yore. Extended families are often separated by distance, demanding careers and busy lives.

30 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

Even if grandparents, friends and neighbors are willing to pitch in on occasion, more help is often needed, especially given the increase in births of multiples such as twins and triplets, compared to a generation ago.

A postpartum doula is a specially trained, unbiased professional there to fulfill a variety of needs at a time when the family’s needs are most pressing.

It can a be a huge service for the family, but also a gift to the postpartum doula on duty.

“Watching as a family unit grows and learns together is beautiful,” said Patti Oslund, a licensed practical nurse, certified postpartum doula and certified lactation counselor from Minnetonka.

Facilitating growth and discovery is a big part of a doula’s work, which entails

▲ Patti Oslund of Minnetonka cares for two babies at once for a local family as part of her job as a postpartum doula, a career that can involve taking care of twins or even triplets. Photo courtesy of Patti Oslund

knowing when to fade into the background (and maybe fold some laundry) and when to be front and center, giving hands-on assistance with breastfeeding.

A fascinating aspect of doula work is the ability to intimately observe different families during their most vulnerable time.

With this intimacy comes a deeper wisdom. A doula learns so much in her training program and then infinite lessons on the job, every day.

No two babies are the same. No two families are the same. And no two days are the same.

The dynamic, doulas say, is precisely

what makes doula work so necessary and so gratifying.

Though Joy Hoffman carries a long chain of professional qualifications (including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing), she prefers the title Captain of the Universe, which is what her children call her.

She started as a nurse’s aide at age 17.

Over the years, she’s seen women sent home earlier and earlier after giving birth.

“Now moms are being discharged very quickly from hospitals and birthing centers,” she said. “We used to keep everyone for at least three days’ time — enough to really get breastfeeding started.”

Hoffman said those quick discharges mean there’s most definitely a need for postpartum doulas, adding: “Insurance should pay for it!”

Night and day A postpartum doula offers a variety of services — light housework, meal planning, cooking and shopping. Though these tasks may fall in line with a general housekeeper or personal chef role, the doula is trained to recognize signs of postpartum mood disorders, complications after a surgical birth and when there’s a problem with a baby.

Though a postpartum doula can’t make an official medical diagnosis, she’s on the front lines and ready to make proper recommendations, including when to seek care.

The doula is also trained in breastfeeding, weaning, nutrition, bonding, infant development, soothing tricks and sleep patterns.

She learns to hold space for an emotional, exhausted and fragile mom.

She knows how to tie on the over-complicated baby carrier. She’s willing to hold the baby — or not — while Mom takes a nap or a hot shower.

One of the more popular doula services

Learn more

Watching as a family unit grows and learns together is beautiful.

— Postpartum doula Patti Oslund

among families is the overnight shift, which gives the new parents at least one night of nearly uninterrupted sleep.

Whatever the day brings, the doula leaves her shift feeling like she’s made a difference. An added bonus is that she makes her own schedule, within reason.

“What job can be better than wearing slippers and cuddling babies?” Oslund said.

A natural transition Though anyone can train to become a postpartum doula — most certification programs take 4-8 weeks — the profession is especially well-suited for caregivers and nurses.

Elizabeth Weinlick, a registered nurse who’s worked at Abbott and Southdale, as well as Health Foundations and Minnesota Birth Center, said she enjoys getting to know families at home, verses in a health-care setting.

“With nursing, my relationships with my patients were limited by the length of my shifts and the requirements and demands of the job,” she said. “Doula work allows more opportunity to really get to know families and their babies.

I feel my knowledge is utilized in a different way as a doula. I pull in a lot of my nursing experience, but I also bring a lot of personal mothering experience to the table.”

Of course, new parents feel a significant sense of relief and confidence in having

Contact these local resources to learn more about postpartum doula training and programs that support local families.

Welcome Baby Care, Bloomington, welcomebabycare.com Blooma, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Plymouth, blooma.com Enlightened Mama, Twin Cities, enlightenedmama.com Everyday Miracles, Minneapolis, everyday-miracles.org Better Beginnings, Twin Cities, betterbeginningsmn.com Blissful Beginnings, Woodbury, blissful-beginnings.com DONA International, Chicago, dona.org CAPPA, Hoschton, Georgia, cappa.net.

a real nurse in the house, particularly one who’s worked in labor, delivery and postpartum recovery.

New moms and dads also find real reassurance in working with seasoned moms and grandmothers, drawing from generations of experience.

Though doulas don’t often give out black-and-white advice, but rather guidance and resources, they all believe in empowering parents.

Said Weinlick, “Trust yourself. The information overload in regard to pregnancy, birth and parenting is mindboggling. It almost sets parents up for trouble. Babies are pretty simple when you learn some easy tricks!”

Jen Wittes is a certified postpartum doula, marketing director and writer who lives in St. Paul.

Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 31

Leaning in to jazz Pianist and composer Mary Louise Knutson celebrates nearly three decades of performing in the Twin Cities and beyond!

BY JULIE KENDRICK

Mary Louise Knutson performs in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners in Minneapolis with Phil Hey on drums and Chris Bates on bass.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Canter

32 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

T

he world is full of people whose parents insisted that they take piano lessons. But the world’s supply of people who have mastered the piano is much, much smaller.

Mary Louise Knutson is one of those few. She took her first piano lesson at age 4 and has since built a career as a nimble, lively virtuoso in the world of jazz.

The group she formed in 1992, the Mary Louise Knutson Trio, has been described as “state-of-the-art piano trio finery” by JazzTimes, with performances offering “timeless, classic, piano-trio music, right up there with Bill Evans and Bill Charlap,” said the Star Tribune, citing two of America’s most influential jazz pianists.

Knutson’s trio, which typically includes Gordon Johnson on bass and Phil Hey on drums, tours frequently and also plays at a number of venues around town, including jazz clubs such as the Dakota and Crooners in Minneapolis and at Jazz@St.Barney’s in Plymouth, among others.

The trio’s two CDs, In the Bubble and Call Me When You Get There, feature jazz standards and Knutson’s original compositions. Both have performed well on JazzWeek’s radio charts.

From classical to jazz After growing up in Wausau, Wisconsin, Knutson graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton with a degree in classical piano performance.

But during a summer session at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, she encountered other young musicians who were studying jazz.

What she heard intrigued her, and when she moved to Minneapolis after graduation, she knew she wanted to be a jazz pianist.

It was a style of music that she mostly taught herself.

“I sat in my apartment listening to recordings, transcribing and analyzing them, learning how to express melodies,” she said. “The biggest part was learning how to improvise melodies, which is something I’ve worked at continuously.”

As she freelanced with other groups and sat in on jam sessions, she knew she wanted to form her own trio, so she did.

And that group’s been going strong for 28 years now.

When she’s not busy with her own group, Knutson plays with the JazzMN Orchestra and accompanies beloved jazz vocalists Connie Evingson and Patty Peterson. She also teaches private lessons in jazz piano on the side.

All about town This month, Knutson was scheduled to be at the piano during the seasonfinale performance of the JazzMN Orchestra, featuring Grammy-winning Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza on April 20 at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (COVID-19 will likely change that.)

Kris Howland with Chanhassen Dinner Theatres said it's really something to see a star like Knutson paired up with a group like JazzMN. 34 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

A wise woman once told me, ‘If you want to be a successful artist, you have to put the time in.’

— Mary Louise Knutson, pianist and composer

“This is an astonishing group,” she said.

“They are one of a handful of professional jazz orchestras still in existence across the nation, and they’re in our own backyard.”

In addition to the JazzMN concert, upcoming shows for Knutson were set to include an April gig with the Jazz Women All-Stars at the jazz club Crooners in Minneapolis and a May 1 show at Orchestra Hall’s Target Atrium in Minneapolis.

Hard work and dedication So what’s the difference between all of us who disappointed our mothers — by goofing off when we should’ve been practicing piano — and someone like Knutson, who’s devoted her career to composing and performing music at the highest level?

Of course, there’s the matter of talent, with which she was clearly blessed. But there are other factors, as well.

One of them is desire.

“I haven’t found anything else I’d rather do or anything that I think I could do better,” she said.

Then there’s the incredible power of showing up to an instrument, day after day: Practicing with a terrible head cold. Practicing when it’s a beautiful day outside. Practicing with a broken heart.

Practicing on your birthday.

A dedicated musician needs to be there for all of it.

Knutson, age 53, practices for at least two hours just about every day in her studio, located in the South Minneapolis home she shares with partner Michael B. Nelson, a trombonist/arranger and longtime Prince collaborator.

“A wise woman once told me, ‘If you want to be a successful artist, you have to put the time in,’” Knutson said. “There are plenty of days when I sit down to write music and nothing comes to me. There might be five days a row with nothing.

But then on the sixth day, I get a great idea, and it was worth it. If you’re not working consistently, you won’t be around when the muse shows up. It’s like wanting to win the lottery, but not buying a ticket.”

A refined repertoire World class jazz/R&B vocalist, KBEM Jazz 88 FM radio personality and Twin Cities music legend Patty Peterson — founder of the Jazz Women All-Stars, of which Knutson is a member — described Knutson as a jazz “goddess.”

“Her exquisite looks, incredible piano playing and professionalism are far superior to so many people who want to be in this business,” Peterson said. “I love the way she jams on stage with up-tempo tunes. And then, when it comes to playing a passionate ballad, she can move an entire room to tears.”

Jeff Whitmill, director of St. Barnabas Center for the Arts and artistic director of Jazz@St.Barney’s concert series at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth, said the Mary Louise Knutson Trio consistently draws the series’ biggest audiences.

“She’s a musician of the first order and one of the most fun people you’ll ever meet,” he said. “She puts such energy into the piano and the music, and she’s so good at communicating with the audience. She lets people know the significance of the music and why she chose it.”

Twin Cities jazz pianist and composer Mary Louise Knutson strikes a pose in Northeast Minneapolis.

Photo courtesy of Dietrich Gesk

Pianist Mary Louise Knutson plays regularly with the JazzMN Orchestra, a nationally renowned group known for its classic and contemporary styles.

On the road with Doc One of Knutson’s career highlights was when she was regularly touring with trumpeter Doc Severinsen, former bandleader for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. From 2010-2018, she was the pianist for Severinsen’s big band and symphony shows, playing in concert halls all over the United States.

Severinsen, who is now 92, was always known for his flashy outfits, sense of humor and incredible trumpet playing.

“He’s still all those things and more,” Knutson said. “He’s a great guy, and it was a wonderful experience, even though — as one of only a couple of women on the tour bus — I did crave the company of other women sometimes.”

36 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

Over the years, Knutson has performed with countless other artists, including jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves and many others.

As a show player, she’s performed with Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, Jordin Sparks, Trisha Yearwood, Sam Moore, Donny Osmond, Smokey Robinson, the Osmond Brothers and even comedians such as Phyllis Diller.

A distinctive style Even before she ever sits down to play a note, Knutson has an attention-getting personal style that makes her especially memorable. Her tumbling mass of graying curls has become part of her signature look.

“After seeing my first gray hairs at age 18, I never thought to hide or dye it, and luckily it’s been graying in an attractive way. I always get compliments on it,” she said. “I’m sort of a lowmaintenance kind of gal, and I don’t want to spend the money or hassle with anything like dying it.”

In a world in which many musicians opt for a wardrobe of basic black, she also sets herself apart with the colorful, flowing garments she wears during performances.

“I’m very aware of choosing the right clothing,” she said, “because I really want it to pop from the stage.”

When you’ve been performing and composing music for most of your life, the passing years naturally bring new

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I used to work so hard to create perfect gems of tunes that would blow people’s minds harmonically or melodically.

Now, I want things to be simpler. The nerves are gone, and I have realized that if I can enjoy the moment, I’ll actually play better.

— Mary Louise Knutson, pianist and composer

perspectives and approaches.

“I used to feel pressure being a rare female instrumentalist in the jazz world,” she said. “I always worked so hard to be at the top of my game, I guess as a way

to give people a reason to hire me when they might have traditionally been more comfortable hiring a man.”

Now she’s gained an appreciation of the simpler things, not just in everyday life, but also in her music.

“I used to work so hard to create perfect gems of tunes that would blow people’s minds harmonically or melodically,” she said. “Now, I want things to be simpler.”

And there’s a quiet power in that simplicity.

“I find I’m more able to keep my energy focused in the moment of playing and to be completely present,” she said. “The nerves are gone, and I have realized that if I can enjoy the moment, I’ll actually play better.”

Julie Kendrick is a contributing writer for many local and national publications.

She lives in Minneapolis. Follow her @KendrickWorks on Twitter.

Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 37

CAN’T-MISS CALENDAR APRIL

Stay home, stay safe.

That’s what we all need to do in the midst of COVID-19.

Here are a few ideas to help you pass the time as you wait it out at home.

Visit virtually: Social distancing doesn’t have to mean loneliness. Take full advantage of video-chat technology to communicate often with friends and family. Don’t worry if your hair isn’t pretty.

Connecting is more important than being impressive right now. At the very least, keep in touch by increasing phone calls, texts and emails to family and friends, who are also hungry for interaction!

Seek help: If you feel overwhelmed by what’s happening or if you’re suffering from anxiety, isolation or depression, call the national Disaster Distress Helpline 800-985-5990 (open 24 hours a day).

Catch up on the classics: Instead of idly flipping through TV, make your couch time a cultural event. Scan through a list of history’s greatest American movies —

according to the American Film Institute (afi.com/afi-lists). Take note of the ones you haven’t seen and look for streaming versions on Netflix, Amazon Prime or even YouTube.

Go international: If you’re interested in world cinema, check out the list from the British Film Institute (tinyurl.com/ bfi-films). To see many of these you’ll have to stray beyond streaming services: True cinephiles will find a subscription to CriterionChannel.com well worth it.

Turn on local radio: Jazz88 (88.5FM) and The Current (89.3FM) feature live broadcasters, sending comforting messages of hope, plus uplifting music (versus the latest COVID-19 analysis). Whether you stream these stations online or turn on an actual radio, it’s lovely to have a live local voice filling the house.

Listening care package: The On Being Project — a Minneapolis-based, nationally renowned podcast and radio show

— has compiled A Listening Care Package for Uncertain Times, including podcasts and poetry to help folks process the pandemic. We promise you’ll enjoy the soothing voice (and gentle soul) of host/ founder Krista Tippett. See tinyurl.com/ listening-care.

Catch some Baseball: Disappointed about the delay to the baseball season?

You can at least watch six ballgames’ worth (that’s 18 hours) of Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary for free. It’s available on pbs.org/show/baseball and on many streaming services.

Check out ebooks: You may not be able to visit your library, but you can check out some of the thousands of ebooks ready for download. In Hennepin County and St. Paul you can gain access through an app called Libby; the Ramsey and Dakota County systems use cloudLibrary; Anoka County Library offers its own app.

Until next month: Hang in there!

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Brain teasers SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH Minnesota's Own

ALEXANDRIA BATTLEFIELD BEMIDJI EXCELSIOR FORESTVILLE FRANCONIA GLENSHEEN

CRYPTOGRAM Break the code to reveal a quote from a famous person.

Each letter represents another letter.

Source: Dalai Lama Clue: Y=I

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WORD SCRAMBLE Complete the following words using each given letter once.

.

F K A D Z V .

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Y M

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40 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

C U

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ANSWERS

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2. Leech Lake

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TRIVIA 1. Red Wing

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PETROGLYPHS PIPESTONE STILLWATER SUPERIOR TETTEGOUCHE WHITEWATER VOYAGEURS

GRANTSBURG LIGHTHOUSE LINDBERGH LUVERNE MANTORVILLE NORTHFIELD OWATONNA

TRIVIA

2. What lake, located entirely inside the Chippewa National Forest — and mainly within an Indian reservation — is the state’s third-largest?

CRYTPOGRAM Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help, at least don’t hurt them.

1. What Minnesota town is known for pottery, boots and the Sheldon Theatre?

WORD SCRAMBLE Itasca, Lutsen, Hudson

Quite a State

3. New Ulm’s top attraction is the nation’s secondoldest continually operating brewery, which produces what beer?

CROSSWORD

ANSWERS

SUDOKU

Sources: mngoodage.com, wikipedia.com, newulm.com

Minnesota Good Age / April 2020 / 41

Crossword

63 PlayStation maker 64 Formally gave up 65 __ out a living: barely manages

DOWN

ACROSS

1 Worshipped one 5 Outer garments for Batman and Superman 10 Kite stabilizer 14 Congregation area 15 Popeye’s main squeeze __ Oyl 16 Meat safety agcy.

17 Boring party, say 18 Light measure 19 D.C. MLB team 20 Where Will Rogers was born 22 King with a golden touch 23 Ripped 24 Where Bulls and Bears are cheered 26 Parisian parting 29 Capital of Greece 31 Goes down to defeat 32 Reddish-brown horse 42 / April 2020 / Minnesota Good Age

33 Color variant 36 Where the Beverly Hills Hotel is located 40 Decide (to) 41 Sabrina portrayer Melissa Joan __ 42 Noncom nickname 43 Quagmire 45 Bygone 46 Where Arthur ruled the court 49 Against 51 Make one’s case 52 Where the answers to 20-, 24-, 36and 46-Across have appeared in lights 56 What no centipede has exactly 100 of, oddly 57 Roles on 52-Across 59 First-rate 60 Eurasian border river 61 Erupt, as tempers 62 Skipjack or yellowfin

1 Prefix with Chinese 2 __ horse: long shot 3 Shaped like the president’s office 4 Inheritors 5 Red, white or blue 6 Wellesley grad 7 Fine cotton 8 Mother of Cain and Abel 9 Capitol Hill VIP 10 Forum garments 11 Carne __: taco filling 12 Luggage label 13 Rodeo rope 21 Social unit sharing the same dwelling 22 State nicknamed the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” 24 __ En-lai 25 Recover from injury 26 In addition 27 Make spiffy 28 Stevie Wonder’s “__ She Lovely” 30 Harness race paces 33 Difficult 34 Strong desire 35 8-Down’s first home 37 Tropical root vegetable 38 Babysitter’s bane 39 Bear out, as feelings 43 Pitifully small 44 Existentialist Jean-Paul 46 Not quite a B 47 Last Olds model 48 Mullally of “Will & Grace” 50 Snooped (around) 52 Slim nail 53 “The Caine Mutiny” author Herman 54 Diarist Frank 55 Affirmative votes 57 Rank below cpl.

58 Lager alternative