VOL 14 #4 • OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018
IDAHOSENIORINDEPENDENT.COM
INFORMING • ENTERTAINING • EMPOWERING
The Lady Long Rider Photo by Lydia Hopper
To see the story, turn to page 20
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
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MAILING ADDRESS 1985 McMannamy Draw Kalispell, MT 59901 PHONE 208-318-0310 or 866-360-5683 WEB idahoseniorindependent.com EMAIL info@idahoseniorindependent.com
Published six times per year, our paper exists to serve our mature readers. We encourage our readers to contribute interesting material. As such, any views expressed in editorial are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Likewise, this publication does not endorse any particular product or service shown in the advertisements appearing in this paper. All copy appearing in this publication is copyright protected and may be reprinted only with written permission of the publisher.
Contributing Writers
Our Staff Robert Hunt....................... Publisher Janet Hunt.......................... Chief Financial Officer Kathleen McGregor........... Advertising Sales Diane Brosseau................. Advertising Sales Carol Blodgett.................... Advertising Sales ............................................ Digital Specialist Francesca Beckerle........... Advertising Sales Jonathan Rimmel............... General Manager ............................................ Graphic Designer ............................................ Webmaster Nann Parrett...................... Managing Editor Sherrie Smith..................... Production Assistant Ruth Hunt........................... Social Media Manager
Natalie Bartley Fred Birnbaum Holly Endersby C.W. Guthrie Randall Hill Gail Jokerst
Jim Miller Kathleen Mulroy Mary Ann Reuter Carrie Scozzaro Dianna Troyer Dawn Wilksten
Contents Brain Games.................................. 3
Money Matters.............................. 17
Fitness............................................ 32
Comics............................................ 5
Spotlight......................................... 18
Travel.............................................. 34
Fluffy Critters................................. 6
Cover Story.................................... 20
All About Idaho.............................. 36
Home & Lifestyle........................... 8
Health Care.................................... 24
Answers to Brain Games..............39
Entertainment............................... 11
Caregiving...................................... 28
Recreation...................................... 14
Nutrition......................................... 30
© 2018
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
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Brain Games
PUZZLES•QUIZZES•GAMES•CONTESTS•BRAIN TEASERS•FUN
ANSWERS TO THESE PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 39
Sudoku Complete the grid, so each row, column, and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.
Serve Idaho Accepting Brightest Star Nominations Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, is accepting nominations for the annual Idaho’s Brightest Star Awards. The awards recognize outstanding Idaho volunteers in a variety of categories. Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 19, 2018. Nomination forms can be found at serveidaho.gov/events/brighteststars. The following submission categories are available: << Individual << Student – 19 years and younger << Veteran << Individual – 55 years and older << Business << Nonprofit/Civic Organization << Teacher/Professor To be eligible, nominees must be Idaho residents who have performed volunteer service in 2018. Companies must conduct business in Idaho to be eligible.
If the company’s headquarters are out of state, local affiliates must be engaged in local volunteer activities. Individuals may submit more than one nomination per category or in multiple categories. A panel to include Serve Idaho commissioners, Serve Idaho staff, and unaffiliated community members will review and select the winners in each category. An award ceremony will take place Jan. 16, 2019, at Boise State University’s Student Union
Building in the Simplot Ballroom to recognize the winners. For more information on the Idaho’s Brightest Stars Awards and volunteering, visit ServeIdaho.gov ISI Serve Idaho, a division of the Idaho Department of Labor, encourages voluntary public service and volunteerism throughout the state. The Serve Idaho Commission is funded in part by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Idaho Department of Labor.
TO SUBSCRIBE Mail $15 to 1985 McMannamy Draw Kalispell, MT 59901 Or order online at IdahoSeniorIndependent.com
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BRAIN GAMES
Doodle Puzzle ILLUSTRATION BY FLORENCE PAXTON - WILDER , IDAHO Fall has officially arrived! Now that summertime fun is behind us, it’s time to get back to work—well, at least for some of us. Those who have retired from the workforce have time to enjoy this change in season with long walks in the cool, crisp breeze while traipsing through colorful autumn leaf piles—never having a thought to the work they’ve left behind. For this month’s Doodle seek-and-find page, find items associated with jobs.
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
We award a $25 cash prize for each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent to the person who finds everything on the list and submits the prettiest Doodle coloring page. Please mail your entries for all contests to the Idaho Senior Independent, 1985 McMannamy Draw, Kalispell, MT 59901, or email to: info@Idahoseniorindependent.com by November 15, 2018 for this edition. Accountant Cowboy Fireman Baker Dairyman Jewelry Model Beautician Doctor Nurse Postmaster Carpenter Farmer
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
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Fluffy Critters PET TIPS•BREEDS•CARE•GROOMING
Little Horses: Great Big Love BY MARY ANN REUTER They may be itty bitty, but the joy and hope they bring to children, teens, and seniors is enormous. A team of three miniature horses and one mini donkey serves as healers in animal-assisted therapy programs and as friends in animal-assisted activity programs around Idaho’s Treasure Valley.
The burden of life’s difficulties is temporarily lifted with the clatter of tiny hooves and a welcoming whinny. © Sweet Child of Mine, Bigstock.com
The nonprofit organization called Mini Joys Inc. is the brainchild of Laurie Bell, founder and executive director. A physical education teacher and longtime horsewoman, she started the program part-time in 2009
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after watching an Animal Planet segment that featured mini horses visiting sick kids in the hospital. The program has grown over the years with the help of about 50 volunteers, many of them teenagers. Now retired from teaching for more than 20 years, Laurie combines her love of animals and people with her experience as an educator to provide life-changing experiences for both program participants and volunteers. The full-time program now serves 3,000 to 4,000 people each year, including kids with special needs, at-risk youth, children in hospitals, seniors, and veterans (minijoys.org). Whether a child battling cancer or a teen in a shelter home, a family with a disabled child, or a senior in memory care, the burden of life’s difficulties is temporarily lifted with the clatter of tiny hooves and a welcoming whinny. “Mini Joys uses gentle, miniature horses and big-hearted volunteers to bring joy and hope to those facing very tough challenges,” said Bell. Not all animals are suitable for being part of a therapy team, according to the American Miniature Horse Association (amha.org). The association uses Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program guidelines to help owners evaluate their animal’s readiness to serve. First and foremost, a therapy animal must welcome interactions with new people and be comfortable being petted or hugged, sometimes clumsily. Besides being calm and obedient, confident and well-behaved, Levi, Spunky, Sophie (the mini horses), and Hope (the mini donkey) have something else that sets them apart: compassion. Bell chose Levi as the first Mini Joy because of his amazing gentleness and loving nature. Sophie joins him as a member of the travel team, while Spunky and Hope entertain guests at the Mini Ranch in the Boise foothills. Another addition to the herd is Wrangler, a youngster who recently graduated to visiting senior homes, special needs classrooms, and hospital rooms. And in keeping with the small-is-beautiful theme, two more arrivals to the peaceful, welcoming ranch are miniature goats, Sky and Nellie — who seem to believe they are lap dogs. Their playful antics keep volunteers, and visitors, on their toes.
Promoting hope, joy, and healing is the mission of Mini Joys Inc. Its programs focus in five main areas, including special education in public schools or community settings; at-risk youth in shelter homes or youth advocacy groups; community outreach with organizations and activities like the Boys and Girls Club or the Autism Awareness Run; seniors in assisted living and memory care; and individuals and families needing emotional or medical support. “Thank you seems like such a small thing to say for the awesome interaction and joy your visit gave to our veterans,” wrote Cindy Tatro, activity director for the Idaho State Veterans Home. “Our guys are still talking about how much they enjoyed seeing the horses and sharing tales.” In another example, Levi and Sophie were a huge hit at Cynthia Mann Elementary School, according to special education teacher Elizabeth Blosser. Their handlers brought copies of one of the Mini Joys books, called Wonderfully Made, The Story of Hope, a delightful tale about being unique. “The students listened to your story about Hope, the donkey, and could relate on how it is okay to be different.” Another Mini Joys book used as part of an anti-bullying lesson is called, Big Bully Buddy, Finding Friendship. It tells the story of a fullsized horse overcoming his defensiveness to become pals with a pint-sized pony. It turns out there is always more to a bully than what we see, according to Bell, the author. “Friendship was meant for all of us, and the way to find it is through kindness and respect.” Bell was honored as one of the 2017 Idaho Business Review Women of the Year for sharing her vision of the healing power of horses. As she looks back on nearly a decade of work with little horses and a whole lot of love, Bell has this to say about the journey: “Everyone has a story and faces a hardship at some time in life. What matters is that someone cares and will come alongside you.” Bell calls herself a “connection coach” and is witness to many people who later return as volunteers to give back. In this circle of giving and getting support, she says, “People volunteer to bring joy and hope to others, and, in the process, their hearts are filled up too.” ISI
MINI-JOY CURRICULUM Wonderfully Made and Big Bully Buddy were created as curriculum and are gifted to schools and classrooms thanks to donations and sponsors. They are also available for sale at feed stores and veterinary clinics in southwest Idaho, with 100 percent of the proceeds supporting Mini Joys programs. Locations are listed on the website. A third book is in the works, for publication before the holidays.
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
PAGE 7
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Home&Lifestyle
GARDEN•REAL ESTATE•RECIPIES•DECOR•ANTIQUES
Wild Edible Food in Your Backyard, Along Hiking Trails BY DIANNA TROYER Foraging for free organic food in my backyard started innocently enough with a mystery plant: a creeping groundcover with tiny delicate white flowers. With a little Internet research, I realized it was chickweed, an edible plant chock full of vitamins and minerals. It tasted a lot like sweet corn and was delicious in salads along with a few florets of wild onions growing near our creek. Wanting guidance about other edible and tasty plants, I talked to an expert at our local chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society in Pocatello. Marijana Dolsen understandably adores wild plants. They kept her family alive during World War II when food shortages rocked her native Croatia. “I was born during the war, so my family ate all kinds of plants,” Dolsen said. “You just have to know what to look for. We used them for medicine, too. Since then, plants have become my life.” Strolling around her yard, Dolsen gathered nearly two dozen edible plants, many considered weeds. “This took only about 20 minutes to pick,” she said, rummaging through a bowl brimming with greens and flowers. “These are delicious and filled with vitamins and minerals. The leaves of many plants can be used as salad greens. Or they’re perfect stewed with a little olive oil, garlic and salt.” Underfoot, yet often overlooked, common wild plants, or those considered weeds, are becoming more popular to forage as tasty, nutrient-rich ingredients to supplement a meal. Through books and classes, expert foragers are helping people who want to return to their gathering roots.
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Dolsen, a longtime member of the local Sawabi Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society, advises those who want to learn about wild edible plants to come to monthly meetings, which wrapped up in September but will begin again next May on Saturday mornings or Monday evenings. “You can read guidebooks, but it’s best to ask questions from someone who can point out the slight differences between plants,” she said. “Some plants are similar and grow beside each other, but Marijana Dolsen’s bowl brims with edible backyard food, one is edible and the including violets, mint, mallow, chickweed, currants, and plantain. Photo. by Dianna Troyer. other is not.” For example, poisonous white death camas often grows near the edible blue camas. Poisonous hemlock plants have been mistaken for edible watercress. She also said to not pick plants growing near roads, where exhaust fumes from vehicles contaminate them, or herbicides are often sprayed. Ideally, plants should be gathered when they are beginning to grow and are tender. From her bowl, she pulls a few of her favorites that are easy to identify. “Here is lambsquarters,” she said. “Use it as a substitute for spinach. It’s filled with vitamin A.” Another plant, ground mallow, is prolific. “The whole plant is edible. Chop it up and put it in stews and soups as a thickener. It soothes a sore throat, too.” To make Greek dolmathes, broad plantain leaves can be used instead of grape leaves. “The plant veins can be tough, so you can cook the leaves and scrape away part of the veins.” Two weeds that are maligned in the U.S., the dandelion and salsify, are appreciated in European cuisine. “The dandelion is a wonderful plant,” she said. “The flowers can be made into wine or sautéed in butter. The leaves can be used in salad or stewed. During the war, people roasted the roots for a coffee substitute. Chicory was another coffee substitute.” The salsify, a tall slender plant with a yellow flower, is prized for its roots. “I couldn’t believe it. A few years ago, I bought some pickled salsify root at T.J. Maxx. It was made in France and was delicious.” Other common plants include nettles, wild lettuce, and goldenrod leaves. The petals of columbine, wild hollyhock, and wild roses are also edible. The oxeye daisy brightens local hillsides. “For this one, the leaves are the best to eat. Wild plants should be harvested conservatively. Always leave the healthiest plants, so they can reproduce.” In the desert, the moisture-laden fruit of prickly pear cactus can be eaten. “Roast it first and scrape off the needles.” According to Dolsen, one can find food outdoors even in winter. “When you scrape away the bark of an aspen tree, you find the spongy white pith underneath and can survive on that.” She especially enjoys the fall, when berries ripen. “Wait to pick them until after the first frost, when the starches in the berries have turned to sugar. We have so many berries: elder, thimble, Saskatoon, hawthorn, chokecherries and currants,” she said.
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Home & Lifestyle
PAGE 9
“In nature or your yard, there are so many wild plants and fruits to eat almost every season.” To satisfy my hunger for wild edible plants, she suggested a few resources. Her favorite guidebooks are Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West by Gregory Tilford and Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains by Terry Willard. To learn about nutrients in wild edible plants, www.nutritiondata.com is great. If you don’t want to pick wild edibles such as nettles, fiddlehead ferns, and mushrooms, they are available from Whole Earth Harvest (www.wholeearthharvest. com) based in Yamhill, Ore. Green Deane Jordan describes common edible weeds, their identification, and preparation at www.eattheweeds. com. Although based in Florida, many plants on his website are common nationwide. ISI
Common edible plants are, from left, chickweed, lambsquarters, dandelions, and wild onion. Photo. by Dianna Troyer.
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
Home & Lifestyle
Wines for Fall BY HOLLY ENDERSBY In recognition of International Merlot Day on November 19, do yourself a favor and enjoy an Indian Wells 2015 Merlot produced by Chateau Ste. Michelle of Paterson, Wash. This is a merlot that fills your mouth with exceptional flavors of luscious ripe blackberries with just the right amount of tartness. We enjoyed this wine slightly chilled, allowing it to breath for a few minutes with outstanding results. The bold, but velvety textured red wine just begs for grilled elk steak, marinated flat iron steak, or robust spicy shrimp. At $10.99 a bottle at Costco, this is a wine you should stock up on. International Tempranillo Day falls on November 9, and a superb Idaho T em p ra nil l o c om es f r o m S aw t o o t h Wi n e r y near Cal d w el l , I d a h o. Their 2015 Classic Fly Tempranillo, aged in new, French-oak barrels, is made from all Idaho grapes and is about as luscious a wine as you will find. My first mouthful was redolent of Mexican chocolate, raspberries, and just a touch of black cherry. Of ten wineries I visited in two days, this was one of three bottles I bought. At $30, it isn’t inexpensive, but in terms of value, it is worth every penny. As a plus, Sawtooth’s tasting room is relaxing and a perfect spot to try their other fine wines, with a nice bar and cozy table seating as well. Ready for some fall menus and Octoberfest? Don’t just think of beer steins when you plan on celebrating the harvest; be sure to add wine as well to your party. In fact, think cheese fondue accompanied
by the German style 2016 Dry Reisling from Williamson Orchards in the Snake River AVA (American Viticultural Area). It has notes of pear, and, while it is a bit sweet, it is not cloying and has a lovely bouquet. For Octoberfest, pair this with a good German sausage and coleslaw, and you have the makings of a yummy meal. The price point of $12 makes this wine a great buy. Petit Verdot is a grape often blended with others, but Fujishin Family Cellars Winery near Caldwell, Idaho has a 2015 that is 100-percent Petit Verdot. This grape demands hot weather to finish well, and this area provides that. We found this unusual wine to be smooth, lush, and fruit-forward. Our pourer shared that she loves this wine with grilled lamb seared and seasoned with rosemary. Sounds good to me! Finally, it’s rare to find a winery that produces bottle after bottle of wine I enjoy, but that was the case this summer when I visited Cinder Winery in Garden City, Idaho. Winemaker Melanie Krause attended Washington State University and worked at Chateau Ste. Michelle, learning the craft and developing her own style. Our group of tasters was taken with Cinder’s Snake River Valley Syrah, and I purchased a bottle to enjoy at home. The intense, dark fruit flavor with a smooth, lingering finish is perfect with the wild game we regularly eat. In it’s 12th year, the tasting room has good vibes, an upstairs art gallery, and knowledgeable servers to help you explore their exceptional wines. This is one urban winery that really hits the mark. ISI
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Entertainment
MUSIC•BOOKS•THEATER•DINING•ART•FILM•TELEVISION
It Ain’t Fiddler on the Roof, But It’s Still Tradition BY LESLIE HANDLER SENIOR WIRE—Early on in our marriage, we celebrated Thanksgiving with just the four of us. My favorite things about the holiday were the traditions we created. Sleeping in, staying in our pajamas, watching the Macy’s parade on TV, setting a nice family table, and smelling that turkey cooking in the oven for hours in anticipation of the moment everyone ogled its golden tenderness as it was placed on the dinner table. These were my favorite things about Thanksgiving. As our kids grew older, we moved closer to my husband’s family and shared the holiday with them. I missed our own holiday traditions, but they were now filled with more loving family members, and we started new favorite traditions. One such tradition was to go around the festive table just before the meal and take turns sharing what we were thankful for. I think I was the only one among us who actually liked this tradition. Over the years, everyone got bored with it because every year, we all had the same pat answer: family. Rarely did any of us waiver from this generic response. It wasn’t that we weren’t grateful for the fortune we had in our lives; we were. But we also all knew that we have a unique family. We all get along. We all love each other, and we are all grateful for it. But after years of suffering through repeating ourselves around the table, we finally stopped the practice altogether. The family grew so much in size with our children now having spouses, in-laws, and children of their own, even I grew weary of what once was my favorite tradition. In more recent years, our kids have moved away. They can’t come home for both Thanksgiving and Chrismukkah. My sister-in-law who hosts the holiday every year always graciously invites us. But for the last several years, we’ve opted not to make the three-hour drive each way for the day. It’s a long trip, and to be honest, the crowd has gotten so big with all the extended family members, it just doesn’t feel as intimate anymore. The traditions have become theirs and not ours. Each year, I look back and remember the Thanksgivings of yesteryear with our little girls in PJs, watching the parade, and a turkey roasting in the oven. I miss those little girls,
“By choice, my husband and I have spent the last few Thanksgivings alone.” © TWS 1980, Bigstock.com
but life moves on. The memories are lovely, but we can’t spend our lives living in them. By choice, my husband and I have spent the last few Thanksgivings alone. The traditions are still my favorite part of the holiday. Even though it’s now just the two of us, I can still sleep in—well kind of. I get up now at 7 a.m. instead of 6. My bladder just won’t wait anymore. I still stay in my PJs. I still put a turkey in the oven and smell it roasting as I watch the parade and call my kids to wish them a happy holiday. But with age, so too comes reflection. Thanksgiving reminds me that’s it’s once again time to reflect. This allows me to remember the challenges I’ve faced and overcome and the family I have and remain grateful for. I’ve brought back the tradition that was once my favorite. It continues to be my favorite thing
Book Review: Aldo (BETTY JEAN CRAIGE, BLACK OPAL BOOKS, 2018) BY AARON PARRETT If you like mysteries and you’re interested in the ethical problems posed by rich billionaires who would like to control research at public universities, Betty Jean Craige’s newest book, Aldo, is just what you’re looking for. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
about the holiday. It’s the part when we tell each other what we’re grateful for before we eat. But I’ve tweaked this tradition just a bit. Now that it’s just the two of us, after 35 years of marriage, we already know how grateful we are for our family. I don’t have to verbally tell my husband how grateful I am to have him in my life. I don’t have to call all my in-laws to remind them how much I appreciate them. I don’t have to tell my kids. They all already know. They know in the way we treat each other the other 364 days a year. They know when we call showing concern of each other’s illnesses. They know when we celebrate each other’s successes. Nowadays, the tradition I love on Thanksgiving day is still to say I’m grateful before I eat. But it looks different now. I look different now. I am different now. Now, on Thanksgiving morning, my favorite thing is to look in the mirror. I look at myself—teeth not yet brushed, hair not yet combed, and still in those beloved PJs. And when I look in the mirror and see the age spots, the wrinkles, and the physical scars, I tell myself I’m grateful. I’m grateful to see myself there for another year. My favorite thing about Thanksgiving you ask? It’s the same as it’s always been. It’s enjoying the tradition. It just looks a little different from the other side of youth. ISI Leslie Handler’s book Rats, Mice, and Other Things You Can’t Take to the Bank, is available on Amazon and where other fine books are sold. You may follow her blog and read previously published essays at www.lesliegoesboom.com.
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
Entertainment
BOOK REVIEW / CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
After a long and successful career in academia (Craige was a Professor of Literature at the University of Georgia for more than 30 years), she retired and started writing mysteries for Black Opal Books. Her latest is a thought-provoking humdinger, involving domestic terrorists who kidnap a university president to try to halt genetic research. The kidnapping goes tragically awry, and the pace of the novel ratchets up as the perpetrator scrambles to stay one step ahead of authorities and researchers trying to figure out who the terrorists are.
The heroine of the book, Isabel Canto, is the director of Atlantic University’s Institute for Genomic Modification, which is meanwhile under threat from terrorists of another sort: rich donors who would like to control the direction of scientific research. The controversy at the heart of the novel sparks tension among the principal characters and illustrates one of the actual major crises in higher education and the public’s misapprehension of what science is and involves. At the center of the controversial research is Dr. Linus Winter, Isabel’s mentor, and a scientist of Galilean resolve who eloquently explains what happens when scientific
research is suppressed or impeded in the name of religious concern. As Betty Jean Craige is an emerita professor from one of the country’s premier research institutions, she is able to draw on her impressive network of friends and professional acquaintances to concoct a thrilling mystery based on the actual current state of genetic research and computer forensics. It so happens there’s a love story happening simultaneous to all of this, but Craige keeps that pleasant distraction in the background until the moment is right for revelation — but I must stop here before giving away the plot. ISI
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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Entertainment
PAGE 13
Movie Preview: The Old Man and the Gun BY RANDAL C. HILL “Just before Forrest Tucker turned 79, he went to work for the last time.” So opens New Yorker writer David Grann’s 2003 article “The Old Man and the Gun,” a true-life profile of a likeable lawbreaker, then in his 80s, that sometimes reads like the script of a contrived “B” movie. In September, director David Lowery’s The Old Man and the Gun arrived from Fox Searchlight Pictures. It’s a film that offers viewers an endearing tale about the charismatic bank robber/prison escape artist portrayed by Robert Redford in what is reputed to be his swan-song role. Lowery gives us a perfectly cast trifecta of Oscar winners: Redford (Ordinary People), Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner’s Daughter) and Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), as well as solid supporting roles from Danny Glover, Tika Sumpter, and the always-quirky Tom Waits. Lowery enthused, “It’s just been a thrill to team up with so many legends and heroes in telling this wild and wooly tale.” The movie isn’t wild and wooly in the traditional Hollywood sense — Redford isn’t leaping off any cliffs as he did in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Rather, Lowery’s understated period piece is based on Grann’s nonfiction narrative about the six-decade career criminal.
During his lifetime, Tucker, who was first jailed at 15, managed to slip out of prisons 18 times—including, at age 70, from notorious San Quentin via a handmade kayak. By the year 2000, he had successfully pulled off a hard-to-imagine string of heists (and a few marriages along the way) that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. In The Old Man and the Gun, we also meet an obsessive detective named John Hunt (Affleck), who is hot on the trail of the oldster, though Hunt respects Tucker’s commitment to his craft. (Tucker always felt that robbing a bank properly was an art form.)
Then there’s Jewel (Spacek), Tucker’s third and final wife who, despite her husband’s chosen profession, adores the still-dapper gentleman whose omnipresent hearing aid is actually a police scanner wired through his shirt. And the sly scofflaw still yearns for the adrenaline rush of carrying out just one more perfectly executed job. The Old Man and the Gun showcases one man’s few regrets. When told that surely there had been a better way to make a living, irrepressible Tucker responds, “I’m not talkin’ about makin’ a living; I’m just talkin’ about livin’.” ISI
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
PAGE 14
Recreation
SPORTS•ACTIVITIES•FISHING•HUNTING•CAMPING
Trophy Fishing in North Idaho BY HOLLY ENDERSBY If you think you have to head to Alaska for stellar fishing, then you haven’t been to North Idaho. Priest Lake and Lake Pend Oreille offer some of the finest fishing possible in our country, eight full months a year. October and November are perfect for venturing north and hooking some of the biggest rainbow trout imaginable. Rich Lindsey has been a fishing guide for fortyfour years on these two northern lakes, and if anybody knows this fishery, he does. I had the pleasure of fishing with Rich when I took a day off from hunting whitetail bucks, to try my hand at lake trout from Priest Lake. The November weather was frigid, but the day was filled with big fish and lots of laughs.
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Lake trout can be found spring through With no venison gracing the frying pan, our mid-December in Priest Lake and usugroup of hungry hunters really appreciated ally run between 3 to 8 pounds, but some those lake trout. are caught hitting as high as 30 pounds. Lindsey typically spends summers in his Kokanee and smallmouth bass are landed largest boat, plying the waters of Priest Lake. spring through fall. The small mouth bass population is very healthy there as are kokanee (land-locked salmon) and lake trout (Mackinaw). Cutthroat trout are found in the lake as well, but they are strictly catch and release. “Overall, it’s a remarkably healthy fishery,” Lindsey says. Most of the resorts along either lake can help guests set up fishing trips. Lindsey says during the summer, he is kept busy with referOctober and November are perfect times for venturing north and hooking some of the biggest rainbow trout imaginable. © Mirovic, Bigstock.com rals from resorts, so plan ahead before October and November are the two best you take off for north Idaho then. Lindsey also months to head to Lake Pend Oreille for giant runs trips on Lake Pend Oreille in the summer rainbow trout. Anglers from all parts of the when anglers can catch German brown trout, country arrive to fish these waters, where walleye, smallmouth bass, pike, and large trout average 10 to 18 pounds but also include yellow perch. It’s strictly catch-and-release some giants in the low to mid 20-pound for bull trout and westslope cutthroats. Expect range. And these jumbo fish are anything but lots of action, no matter which lake you end sluggish. Expect big jumps, surface eruptions, up fishing. and line zinging off your reel when you hook “One of the reasons the fishery stays one of these winners. healthy is people have to work to get here,” “Coming to Lake Pend Oreille gives anglers explains Lindsey. a chance to see some of the biggest rainbow But getting to north Idaho is worth it. trout in the world,” asserts Lindsey. “These When I was hunting in November, I also got are really trophy-sized fish.” to see a sow grizzly with her three 2-year-old There’s still time to get in some fabulous cubs, running down a back road for all they fall fishing on these two north Idaho lakes. were worth. And one afternoon, I watched So, go ahead and add catching a world-class a bull moose mosey around munching on rainbow trout to your bucket list, and head shrubs, unaware I was there. north — you’ll be glad you did! ISI Now add awesome fishing to that and you have the makings of a great trip.
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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
RECREATION
PAGE 15
Wheeling on the White Rim Trail BY NATALIE BARTLEY Natalie Bartley is a Boise-based author of trail guidebooks Best Easy Day Hikes Boise and Best Rail Trails Pacific Northwest. She is a member of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Deep in the Canyonlands National Park the White Rim Trail snakes along an extensive mesa. It’s located near Moab in southeast Utah, with views of distant canyons and two major rivers await adventurers at every turn. Dotted with orange-tinted cliffs, arches, and spires, this backcountry trail ranks high on mountain bikers’ and four-wheeler enthusiasts’ bucket-lists, testing one’s stamina on the 100-mile loop route. It’s best to take three to five days to enjoy the expansive scenery. More time allows for camping and hiking. Mountain bikers in top physical condition and four-wheelers in a hurry complete the route in a day. Fortunately for our group of five Idaho mountain bikers, three Boise friends with four-wheeler trucks joined us on our do-it-yourself camping trip. “I always wanted to four-wheel drive the White Rim Trail, so this was a great opportunity to help friends by supporting the bike trip,” said Ken Taghon. Two Toyota trucks transported our food, camping gear, and 80 gallons of water.
A mountain biker previews the White Rim Trail from the vantage of a roadside overlook in the Canyonlands National Park. The White Rim Trail is a famed long-distance ride. Photo by Natalie Bartley
Though known as a 100-mile trail, several roads comprise the White Rim Trail. A 76-mile section of dirt road within the Island in the Sky District of the park starts on the east side near the Visitor Center, traverses down the Shafer Trail Road, and then continues on the White Rim Road with the Colorado River to the east. On the west side of the trail, the dirt road drops to the Green River. Some groups leave a shuttle and end the trip where the gravel Mineral Road switchbacks lead to the paved Utah State Route 313. The paved road leads back to the turnoff for the trip’s starting point near the Visitor Center. Travelers go in either direction along the route. Helen Stroebel, of Moscow, Idaho, did the trail in April. “It was a fantastic experience because of pedaling that many miles and seeing that vast scenery up close and personal,” she said. Distant mountain ranges
in view include the La Sals, Abajos, and Henrys. There is no shortage of sensory stimulus. Rugged terrain jolts bodies, bikes, and vehicles. Along the dirt route atop and below the mesa, expect ledges, clay, and sand. Riders and drivers gaze at a parade of colors. Black manganese and reddish brown iron oxides —called desert varnish—streak the redand-white banded sandstone. Rock towers glow orange at sunrise. Murphy Hogback and Hardscrabble Hill are particularly suspenseful and demanding. Rocky inclines with blind corners are common. “A couple of places I had to stop the truck, get out, and look at what was over the ledge before dropping over it,” said Taghon. Plants and animals manage to survive in this Great Basin Desert environment. At the east side of the park, Utah Juniper grow in Airport Tower Campground is one of the several designated camping areas the arid environment. Deer and along the White Rim Trail. This camper arrived via a four-wheel drive jeep. bighorn sheep dine on blackbrush, Photo by Natalie Bartley a shrub common along the dirt road. At one point along the trail, we saw several desert bighorn grazing. Spring and fall are the optimal seasons 661 S Curtis Rd • Boise, ID 83705 • 208-344-2164 because the weather is more accommodat• Senior (62+) and Eligible ing. Self-supported camping trips require a • Disabled (18+) Apartments $30 backcountry permit and signing up for • Rent Based on Income campsites as early as four months in advance. • Ground Floor Facility • Accessible Units (4) Campsites go quickly. • One Bedroom and Studio Arrive a day before your permit date for Retirement Housing Foundation • 911 Studebaker Rd the mandatory check-in at the Visitor Center. Long Beach, Ca 90815-4900 • TDD 800-545-1833 The ranger issues the backcountry permit, provides current road conditions, and reviews important desert camping etiquette. If you don’t have a permit, they also issue last-minute permits available due to cancellations. Take some time to explore the paved road within the park that leads to overlooks with views of the rivers, distant mountain ranges, and trail. Commercial companies offer an alternative to planning your own trip. They provide ease and adventure during one-day and multi-day trips. Grab an opportunity this upcoming year to experience the endless remoteness of Canyonlands National Park via a scenic overlook or wheeling on the White Rim Trail. ISI
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Learn about the White Rim Trail at nps.gov/ cany/planyourvisit/whiterimroad.htm or call the Backcountry Reservation Office at (435) 259-4351. Find permit information at nps.gov/cany/ planyourvisit/backcountrypermits.htm.
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PAGE 16
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
Recreation
Hey Hey, I’m a Monkee! QUALITY TIME WITH MICKY AT THE BOWLING ALLEY BY SAM BEESON SENIOR WIRE—I’ve been around the block a few times … usually on my feet. Sometimes crawling. I’m on the this-ain’t-funny-anymore side of middle-aged, or perhaps as I prefer to think of it, the younger side of senior. I’m no spring chicken. I’m well-seasoned, even burnt a bit. I don’t gush. Well…usually. Generally speaking, I would not go out of my way to meet a celebrity. There are no politicians, no actors, no sports figures whom I would interrupt my afternoon nap to go and see. It’s just not my thing. Now, I don’t hate any of them for their success or their views or anything else. It’s just not of general interest to me. But … singers are something different entirely. To me, music is very near a religious experience. I am a fan of many different types of music, and even in the one or two genres that don’t enthrall me, I can generally find at least a song or two in them that I enjoy. I must stress this, I LOVE music. I listen to it in the background almost constantly when I am not in a position to listen to it actively. It’s a major part of my everyday life. I was a child of the ‘60s, so I grew up listening mainly to rock music. Also, being of that generation meant that I watched no small amount of TV. This was back during the time when our parents were learning that a television set made a pretty good babysitter. It was also during the time when we only had a few TV stations to choose from. So once “Gilligan’s Island” or “F-Troop” ended, it was off the couch and into the streets, where we would play until the street lights came on. (My mom also used an air horn that she would BLAAAT on the porch when she wanted us home earlier. Our neighbors must have loved that. But I digress.)
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So back then, there wasn’t the same belief there is today that television was ruining our young minds. It was simply part of our play-day. Which brings me to one of my favorite TV shows…”The Monkees.” I LOVED The Monkees. Their show was unlike anything seen before or seen since. Even in my unsophisticated youth, I could appreciate that the show was unique in many ways. Their musical montage bit was the forerunner to today’s music videos. And although the show was certainly silly and lighthearted, some of the Monkee’s music, especially their later works when they were allowed greater musical freedom, rivaled many of the other popular groups. But I’m not here to argue their merits as a TV-turned-rock band (who are criminally being denied entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame due to their TV-show beginnings. Write your congressperson.) Instead, I am here to tell you about my career as the fifth Monkee. My family had a console record player. State of the art for its time. For hours out of the day, I would sit smack dab in the middle of the console and listen to The Monkees. I memorized their songs. I memorized every note, every supporting vocal, every inadvertent background noise of the band. And I would pretend. I was the fifth Monkee. They were all my pals, and, together, the five of us would do concerts in front of cheering fans. I was the keyboardist, sitting there in front of the stereo, pretending to be playing a keyboard even in songs where there wasn’t one. But I learned early that the music business is a quirky one. The music I loved so much was soon replaced by another sound. Disco. Ick. Life was over. But life wasn’t over. It continues on, and my love for music branched out to other genres. Yet I still would hold fast to The Monkees. They were, are, and always will be my favorite. The Monkees enjoyed a nostalgia wave during the ‘80s and ‘90s and re-formed either in pairs, or trios for several concerts. I was thrilled to see them during this time when they finally came to my town. Since then, if any combination of them were in concert, I was there in the crowd. Then, in early 2012, Davy Jones died. By that time, of course, I was certainly old enough to understand that everyone’s time must come… even my heroes. Until that time I had always hoped that someday I would get a chance to meet The Monkees and tell them—probably like so many fans before me—how much their music meant. But now, I had lost that chance with at least one of them. I was fortunate a few years ago to meet Michael Nesmith (the guy with the beanie cap) after a solo concert in my hometown. I was able to chat with him a bit, get a photograph or two and an autograph. I was able to tell him that I had been a fan since we were both kids. One down, two more to go. This past Father’s Day I was given a gift from my wife and son that will likely never be topped. For a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a few select fans were given the opportunity to go bowling with Micky Dolenz (the drummer). This was not a simple “meet and greet” after a concert. This was actually a chance to spend some quality time in a small group with, arguably, the voice of The Monkees. To top it off, I love bowling and bowl in several leagues, so I was combining my favorite past time with my favorite band. I don’t mean to brag, but I ended up with the highest score from everyone there, my wife coming in second, and my son in third. So the Beeson family made an impression on Micky, and we ended up chatting quite a bit about bowling and life. As I said at the beginning, I don’t gush. I am a grown man talking with a peer, not some silly sappy teenager fawning over an idol. Yeah….that’s a bunch of malarkey. I gushed. I gushed all over the place. I’m sure I was quite embarrassing. But I would do it again in a heartbeat and will if I ever get the chance. My next goal, is meeting Peter Tork (the “dumb” one—who is actually anything but.) So Peter, if you’re out there reading this…watch out. Because I may be coming to your town. ISI
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
PAGE 17
Money Matters
BUDGET•MEDICARE•TAXES•ESTATE•INVESTMENT•RETIREMENT
‘This the Season to be...Prudent MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT OCT 15 - DEC 7
BY RANDALL HILL Ah, autumn. A time for colorful falling leaves, a blazing fireplace, a return to sweaters and boots. And shopping. Not for gifts —that time arrives soon enough—but for securing the best possible deals during the Medicare Open Enrollment period. This is your opportunity to use Medicare’s Plan Finder (at Medicare.gov/find-a-plan) to find a program that best meets your needs. BE FOREWARNED The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is one of the most confusing and misunderstood annual events in this vital program. Premiums, benefits, formularies, copays, providers, and pharmacy networks can all change—and often do from year to year. Give yourself plenty of time to review and understand your options, and don’t be afraid to seek help. Both Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have licensed agents to guide you, and your state health insurance agency also has counselors who can help you sift through the often-confusing information.
ORIGINAL MEDICARE This includes Part A (which covers certain hospital expenses) and Part B (which applies to doctor bills and other medical costs). That’s it. Period. No dental care. No vision care. No hearing aids. PARTS C AND D Though Medicare offers a valuable healthcare safety net, most of us want or need to create a custom plan that fits our particular circumstances. This is where Medicare Advantage plans (called Part C) come in. These are private insurance options run by government-regulated insurance companies for seniors and the disabled currently enrolled in Original Medicare (Plan A and Plan B). Out-of-pocket costs in Part C plans can sometimes be lower than with Original Medicare and often include benefits not found in Parts A and B. Prices vary by plan provider, so it’s to your advantage to compare all the plans available in your area before choosing the one best for you. Most Medicare Advantage plans also include prescription drug coverage, which is an optional add-on called Part D, for beneficiaries who retain Original Medicare. Luckily, premiums are not influenced by age or pre-existing conditions.
You can usually enroll if you live in the service area of the plan you want to join (although not all plans are available everywhere in the state), you have Original Medicare, and you don’t have end-stage renal disease. PHONE A FRIEND To help you navigate your way through the often-daunting mountains of information, Medicare has licensed insurance agents at 1-844-847-2659 (TTY users 711) Monday through Friday 8AM to 8PM ET. Have a list of prepared questions at hand when you call. DATES TO REMEMBER Like anniversaries or birthdays, you can be in big trouble if you forget them. Mark the following dates on your calendars: < < October 15th. This is when Open Enrollment begins. You can now switch Medicare plans, join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or drop your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan completely. << December 7th. In most cases, this is the last day to change your Medicare coverage for the next year. < < January 1st. Your old or new coverage starts today. CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
Help your neighbors get the (tax) credit they deserve. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is looking for compassionate, friendly people to join our team of local volunteers for the upcoming tax season.
Sign up at aarpfoundation.org/taxaide.
Tax-Aide is a free program that makes it easier for older, low-income taxpayers to file their tax returns and get the credits and deductions they’ve earned. Neighbors like you help prepare tax returns or serve in other ways, like organizing client paperwork, managing computer equipment, acting as interpreters, or making sure everything runs smoothly. There’s a role for everyone.
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
PAGE 18
Spotlights
HISTORY • FEATURED AREA • NARRATIVES • HUMAN INTEREST • TRENDS
Coeur d’Alene’s Art Study Group Unites Members in Shared Passion for 95 Years BY CARRIE SCOZZARO September is back-to-school month for the young and young-at-heart alike, including a group of north Idaho women whose shared interest in art has kept the Art Study Club alive for an impressive 95 years. “Everyone is a teacher, and everyone has something to learn,” said Jane Morgan, one of several retired teachers in the Coeur d’Alene-based group, which dates back to December 1922. One reason club dues are kept so “absurdly” low (at $5), explained Morgan, is they don’t want to do anything other than meet, do a little socializing, and then talk about art. The format is similar for most meetings, which usually last three hours and occur twice monthly, excluding summer months. The designated host is responsible for providing a light meal, while the presenter is tasked with a presentation relevant to the annual theme. On our visit, for example, member Pat Swann — the most senior member at age 92 — hosted the group in the meeting room of North Star Retirement Community, where she resides, while Johanna-Claire Cooperstein discussed the portraiture techniques of American-born Impressionist Mary Cassat. Some past themes, said Morgan, include genres and general categories, such as regional artists and outsider artists. For their 90th anniversary year, they focused on women artists. In recent years, the central idea has been exploring artists’ processes, including printmaking by early Renaissance master, Albrecht Dürer, and Jacob Lawrence’s gouache paintings from 1930s-40s life in New York City. Morgan, for example, will contrast two styles of woodworking: that of her late father, Tom Cromwell, and Emilie Brzezinski, wife of the late U.S. Foreign Policy advisor, Zbigniew
Brzezinski, who are parents to MSNBC’s Morning Joe host, Mika Brzezinski. “I love researching, and I did a lot of research as a teacher, but this is research for an adult audience,” said Morgan, who joined eight years ago after retiring from the Coeur d’Alene School District, where she taught elementary art for 22 years. “This is for pure love of teaching and learning. There’s no Art Study Club member Jo Ann Nelson gives a presentation on painter Mary Cassat. Photo by Carrie Scozzaro. paycheck involved.” The club originally had 10 charter Retired North Idaho College instructor members, many of them prominent in Coeur and Art Study Club member Jo Ann Nelson d’Alene’s early-20th century society, which serves on the Idaho Humanities Council, saw huge increases in population. Firmly while Blair Williams runs Coeur d’Alene’s established as a resort and outdoor desArt Spirit Gallery. tination, Coeur d’Alene in the 1920s was About half the members have experience transitioning from its heyday as a lumber making and exhibiting artwork, including and mill town, although steamboats were Teresa McHugh, the next-to-youngest memstill a primary mode of both commercial and ber at 56, who makes her living as a sculptor recreational travel. and welder. “It was really always considered to be an “I’m self-educated,” said McHugh, honor to be a part of this group,” said Morgan. “so the Study Club opened my eyes to art Current membership is capped at 20 and history more.” cuts across varied industries: education, Another benefit, said McHugh, are the healthcare, social work, business, and, of meetings themselves, which usually begin course, the arts. with a fair amount of hugging and how-haveMember Sue Jacklin, for example, is a you-beens amongst members. Many women painter, whose civic contributions include the are longstanding members, thus have known preservation and renovation of a late-19th ceneach other through births, deaths, marriages tury church in Post Falls, Idaho, which would and everything in between. become an arts-enriched community center McHugh, who joined in 2012, likes being called the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center. part of a group that is not only supportive of the arts — they walk the walk, said McHugh— but that also stretches back many generations. “I love the tradition,” she said. ISI
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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Spotlights
PAGE 19
Former Idaho State Senator Mary Lou Reed Reflects on Life in Public Service in Oakland Calif. As a graduate student at Columbia University, Reed studied history of religions. “I had the gift of a very broad education and was always appreciative of how fortunate I was.” Although no longer active in state-level politics, Reed’s calendar is still plenty full. She’s a frequent face at arts events, occasionally mentors future leaders, and has recently discovered a love of opera. “Music offers so much at every stage of life,” said Reed, who tries to live by simple principles, staying optimistic and hopeful, being involved in community, caring about others, and having a sense of purpose. “I think that’s when people give up: when they don’t think they matter.” ISI
BY CARRIE SCOZZARO The first thing one notices is Mary Lou Reed’s smile. At 88, the former Idaho sixterm state senator has outlasted nay-sayers who decried her presence in Gem State politics with a quintessentially optimistic attitude built on a life of public service that continues to this day. Whether it’s advocating for early education through Head Start, contributing to the Pacific Northwest Inlander’s monthly political column, or supporting human rights—she helped create Coeur d’Alene’s Human Rights Education Institute when white supremacists were still grabbing headlines—Reed has remained a positive force in north Idaho. “I like to always have some kind of challenge,” said Reed, who began her political career stumping for others, including fourtime Idaho governor, Cecil Andrus, and being involved in local issues. She helped promote passage of the Local Land Use Planning Act in 1975, which guided cities and counties in establishing appropriate zoning that balanced public and private interests. She also co-founded the Idaho Conservation League with husband, and environmental lawyer, Scott Reed. In 1984, Reed was elected to represent District 4 in the state senate, a position she’d hold for 12 years. Although Reed wasn’t the first female state senator—that honor belonged to Hattie Derr in 1937—the legislators, all men, seemed flummoxed that first day in the Capitol, recalled Reed. She attributed it to her newfangled electronic device—a Radio Shack computer —although, she said it may have been the pants she was wearing. Reed smiles as she tells this familiar story, which was included in Public Broadcasting System’s 2013 video about her career, “Forces of Nature.” “I think I was an effective legislator, but not mean,” said Reed, whose signature issues were the environment, particularly water quality, and classroom size, early education, and funding school buildings. Reed loved campaigning, she said, because she could meet and listen to people. In 1992, for example, she went door-todoor in the Silver Valley, talking with people impacted by lost jobs, especially when the mines closed. “I like people,” said Reed, who lives downtown Coeur d’Alene in a residential high-rise across from the lake that initially drew Reed and her late-husband, Scott, to the area. The building overlooks McEuen Park and neighboring 165-acre Tubbs Hill, prime waterfront the Reeds helped preserve from development in the 70s. Reed and her late husband, Scott, were a lifelong team, meeting in grade school in Klamath Falls, Ore. In 1956, the newlyweds traveled throughout Montana, Washington, and Idaho before settling on Coeur d’Alene.
Idaho state senator Mary Lou Reed, 88, served eight terms. She has been a positive force for education and human rights in the Gem state. Photo by Carrie Scazzaro.
I M A
Back then Coeur d’Alene’s waterfront was nternal still industrial, hardly the worldwide tourist destination it is today. They rented a rowboat —a rare thing, said Reed—and sojourned edicine 208.263.6876 across the lake. 202 S Euclid St “And the water was just as delicious then Ste 202 as it is now,” she said smiling, yet wistful. ssociates Sandpoint The Reeds built a home close to the lake, on a wooded hillside where they lived for 60 years, raising two children: Bruce, now a Princeton graduate and Rhodes Scholar active in national politics, and Dr. Tara Reed Wollpy, an accomplished author and 200’ Of River Frontage professor of aquatic sciences at University of Wisconsin. If there is any credit due to her and Scott’s parenting, said Reed, it’s in ensuring her children understood that ideas are 306 Shepherd Rd, St. Maries MLS# 18-5861 important. Serene views await you from this home's idyllic setting. The spacious Reed learned that lesson early on. Her 2,808 ft2 home w/ 2 bed, 2 baths on the main floor & 2 bed, 1 bath, & kitchenette downstairs. Behind the home is a private inlet/lagoon for father worked for Oregon Agricultural College lazing away the afternoon. Boat from St. Maries to 7 different lakes & all —it became Oregon State University—served the way to Coeur d'Alene, enjoying scenic views, swimming, & fishing. Beautiful home, beautiful setting; what more can you ask for? in World War II and became a veteran’s service officer. Her mother was a kindergarten teacher, so Reed tagged along well before FOUR SEASONS REALTY Call Nancy Turner [Broker/Owner] starting public school officially. 208-582-1205 [cell] or 208-245-6898 [office] “I was always able to be kind of out127 S. 7th Street, St. Maries standing because I had that extra push,” said Reed, whose desire to serve also came early. She ran for librarian’s office in fourth grade and was elected student body president in seventh grade. Curious to understand others and drawn to the creative It costs the same no matter where you have your prescription filled with your insurance card. At Interlake Pharmacy, you’ll recieve the prompt spirit, Reed majored and personal service you deserve. in religion, sociol• Everyday Low Prices • Flavored Medication ogy, and philosophy, • Prescription Delivery • Compression Hose • Covered Drive-Up Window • Compliance Packaging minoring in art his• Vitamins and Supplements • Ostomy Supplies tory at Mills College • Diabetic Supplies
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PAGE 20
Lady Lon IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
Cover Story
Alone Acros
BY C.W. GUTHRIE “I admire what you’re doing. It’s one of those things I wished I had done in my younger days, just get on a horse and ride across the country.” Bernice Ende hears these words countless times as she rides across the United States. Surprisingly, she hears it not only from equestrians, ranchers, and farmers but almost as frequently from construction and road workers and passing motorists in a variety of professions. A few are young adults, many in mid-life, and most often they are from people whose faces are lined with the memories of a lifetime of experiences, still wishing they just once freely roamed the country. Thirteen years ago, at age 50, Trego, Mont., ballet teacher and horse trainer Bernice Ende began her life as a long rider. That year she rode 2,000 miles on horseback from Montana to New Mexico. In the following 12 years, she rode another 27,000 miles on horseback. Bernice and her horses and dog, Claire, have crisscrossed the United States and Canada, seeing the country as few others see it—up close in all its wonders and perils. They have trod the roads and trails of the high mountains and wildernesses of the Rocky Mountains, wound their way through the snow-clad peaks and low valley passes of the Cascades, and over the vast treeless grasslands of the Great Plains and through the canyons and the seemingly endless arid and silent landscapes of the Southwest Deserts. On her longest single ride of 8,000 miles, from 2014 to 2016, Bernice rode from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast and back again—her horses’ hooves splashing in both oceans. In 2018 she has ridden a 600-mile ride in France with plans for a 400-mile ride through the southwest United States and a seven-month book tour beginning in October. Bernice has earned acclaim from the International Long Riders’ Guild and is known world-wide as The Lady Long Rider.
Equestrian travel is unique. It is not at all like walking or riding on wheels in an automobile or on a bicycle. There is less human control. “Riding a horse, I not only have this mass of energy between my legs, my eye-level is 12 feet high, and I’m riding an animal that can think and react on its own,” said Ende. On a long ride, and especially along busy roads and fast-moving highway traffic, Ende has to always be in the moment. No daydreaming—look up, look ahead, look around, look behind—anticipate what may happen and how her horse will react, and be ready. And nightfall brings a whole other set of concerns—a safe place to camp and having food and water for her horses, her dog, and herself. Although Bernice often hears from people that they, too, wish they had ridden or could ride across the country as she has done, ironically, one of the most often asked questions she gets is “Why on earth do you do this?” Ende has a somewhat philosophical answer.
>>MAP AND TENTATIVE SCHEDULE<< Lady Long Rider 2018/2019 Book Tour Western United States schedule. Mid-west and eastern states will be provided later MONTANA Whitefish Public Library, Whitefish................................. Sept 24, 7:00 p.m. Northlake County Public Library, Polson........................ Sept 26, 7:00 p.m. Grizzly Claw Trading Company, Seeley Lake.................. Sept 27, 7:00 p.m. Montana Book Festival, Missoula, MT............................. Sept 27-30, day & time TBD The Hidden Chapel (book club dinner), Libby................ Oct 15, 6:00 p.m. IDAHO Boundary County Library, Bonners Ferry....................... Oct 16, 7:00 p.m. Sandpoint Library, Sandpoint.......................................... Oct 17, 7:00 p.m. WASHINGTON Newport Public Library, Newport.................................... TBD Chewelah Public Library, Chewelah................................ Oct 19, 7:00 p.m. Coleville Public Library, (children’s talk) Coleville.......... Oct 22, 3:30 p.m. Republic Public Library, Republic.................................... Oct 24, 6:30 p.m. Tonasket Public Library, Tonasket.................................. Oct 25-29 TBD Omak Public Library.......................................................... Oct 25-29. TBD Winthrop Public Library.................................................... Oct 25-29 TBD Moses Lake Public Library................................................ Oct 25-29 TBD Walla Walla Public Library................................................ Oct 25-29 TBD
OREGON Pendleton Public Library, Pendleton.............................. Nov 01, 7:00 p.m. Gillian Public Library, Condon......................................... Nov. TBD Jefferson Public Library, Madras..................................... TBD Bend Public Library, Bend................................................ TBD Back Country Horsemen of Oregon, East Cascades Chapter, Bend.......................................... TBD Klamath Falls Main Library, Klamath Falls...................... Nov 9, 6:30 p.m. CALIFORNIA/NEVADA Lassen Public Library, Susanville, CA.............................. TBD Carson City Public Library, Carson City, Nevada............ TBD Mammoth Lakes Library, Mammoth Lakes, CA............. TBD Bishop Library, Bishop, CA............................................... Nov 14, Time TBD Lone Pine Library& Lone Pine Museum, Lone Pine...... TBD Barstow Public Library, Barstow, CA............................... TBD Needles Public Library, Needles, CA............................... TBD
ng Rider: OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Cover Story
PAGE 21
ss the Globe
“Everybody does long rides—there are the long rides of youth, education, motherhood, military service, jobs, retirement.” But for Ende, the answer to that question came as what some might consider a calling. After 49 years of life experiences, Ende had a deep-felt void that she needed to fill and could no longer ignore. The answer came to her as a vision on a summer day in 2004, when she sat on her horse looking out over the Whitefish Range. She saw herself riding a strange horse across an unknown desert. More powerful than the image was the idea of it—a notion she could not shake off. When she set out on her maiden journey, she wondered how she could set out on such a journey without being afraid. “I felt my smallness and reached for my bigness— hoping all the while there was bigness to be found.” She likened it to how a mountain climber must feel—fearful, anxious, determined, and exhilarated by the challenge and hopefully—and finally — the joy of succeeding. Since that day, Ende has been Photo by Lydia Hopper long-riding. As she travels the country, she often gives talks at schools, libraries, senior centers, hospitals, and museums. She has discovered the advantage of being a senior woman. “I think I receive a measure of respect
I would not receive as a younger person,” she said, “and I try to be worthy of it in my dress and manner.” Ende also admitted her more mature self as a lady long-rider has found it easier to deal with not having something you think you can’t get along without, accepting what won’t work and finding a way that will. Generally, people seeing this lone woman riding a horse and leading a pack horse across miles of landscape tend to think Ende is carefree, independent, and adventurous. She is quick to respond, “Not True!” Ende leads a very singular life, which allows her the freedom to do what others cannot do—mount up and travel the Continent. She does miss not having a family and has a lot of alone time. But she is not lonely. In the past, Ende may have been considered to be independent, even free-spirited, but crisscrossing the nation on horseback profoundly changed her. “Even though my image is one of loneness and independence, I somehow feel intimately connected to the river of humanity that inhabits our nation. The people I meet on my travels, no matter how distant from Trego, Mont., they live, are my neighbors. It’s this view of humanity that carries me,” she said. “I rely on people more than most. So often, when I have been in need, strangers (trail angels) have offered shelter, food, help with the horses or my dog, medical attention, good advice, tips on where to find water, whatever was needed. I could not do what I do without them.” It is also true that during her travels Bernice has experienced many adventures, some delightful and some frightening but she does not consider herself an adventure seeker. “I just really like living without walls.” ISI Bernice chronicled her extraordinary life and adventures in her book recently released by Farcountry Press, Helena, Mont., titled Lady Long Rider, Alone Across America on Horseback. She has scheduled a fall book tour throughout the west and southwest U.S., then north through the Mid-west and Great Lakes and stopping over at Fort Edward, New York.
PAGE 22
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
Spotlights
Medicaid Expansion will Hurt Seniors Who Need It Most—Vote NO on Proposition 2 BY FRED BIRNBAUM, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE IDAHO FREEDOM FOUNDATION On
November 6, Idaho voters will decide whether to expand Medicaid via Ballot Proposition 2. Please consider the following reasons why rejecting Medicaid expansion is in the best interest of all Idahoans, including senior citizens.
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Medicaid currently provides long-term care for eligible adults over 65 years of age, including Home and Community Based Services. In Idaho, these services are provided by Medicaid’s Coordinated Medicaid Plan. This plan consumes about a quarter of the Medicaid budget and includes the following services: Personal Care Services, Adult Day Health, Adult Residential Care, Specialized Medical Equipment & Supplies, Non-Medical Transportation, Attendant Care, Chore Services, Companion Services, Consultation, Dental Services, Home Delivered Meals, Homemaker Services, Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, Personal Emergency Response System, Respite Care, and several other services. These services are part of the traditional Medicaid program. Other recipients of traditional Medicaid services include disabled adults and children along with pregnant women from low income families. However, Medicaid expansion would extend coverage to adults without disabilities, under the age of 65, the majority of whom are not providing care to either children or elderly adults. These are working-age adults with lower incomes. If they choose to work, they are eligible for taxpayer-subsidized health insurance coverage on the Your Health Idaho healthcare exchange. By expanding Medicaid, resources currently going to the truly needy and elderly will be redirected to able-bodied, working-age adults. If you have heard that Idaho can accommodate a surge in Medicaid enrollment, consider the following.
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Medicaid expansion is costing “expansion” states far more than was originally projected. When reviewing evidence from states that have expanded Medicaid, we see that on average enrollments and costs are more than double what was initially projected. Kentucky, which faces a $300 million shortfall due to Medicaid expansion, is seriously considering rescinding it. Medicaid expansion is sold as a way to help our neighbors. Not mentioned is the following data, which makes the opposite case. According to a March 6, 2018 report by the Foundation for Government Accountability, “Since Obamacare expansion began, at least 21,904 individuals on Medicaid waiting lists have died in expansion states.” These individuals were on Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiting lists. These services are essential to elderly Idahoans. Finally, many news stories assert that Medicaid expansion will save us money, because expansion costs will be offset by reducing other state and local medical expenses for indigent patients. However, the data we have suggests, to the contrary, that expansion will be a net cost to Idaho. The July 19, 2018 Milliman actuarial report on Medicaid expansion projects that expansion will cost the state $105.1 million—and given the experience with Medicaid forecasting in other expansion states, we can expect costs to be much higher. Medicaid exists for a purpose: to provide healthcare for those who are most vulnerable, including Idaho’s senior citizens. Expanding Medicaid to able-bodied working-age adults will jeopardize the future of the program for those who need it most. ISI
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Will you help us? We’ve preserved the Coeur d’Alene Region’s history for 50 years. Help us make it another 50. Museum of North Idaho needs a new home. To make this happen, we need your help. Please include us in your end-of-year giving plans and estate plans. Contact us at 208-664-3448 to discuss how you can help keep history alive. Go to www.museumni.org for our newsletter and membership information.
PUNNY Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantly I changed my iPod name to Titanic. It’s syncing now. I tried to catch some Fog. I mist. When Chemists die, they barium. Jokes about German sausages are the wurst. A soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran. I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time. How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it. I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me. This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I can’t put it down. ISI
Ellen Weissman Thank you for your vote on Tuesday, November 6th!
IDAHO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTRICT 1A (Bonner and Boundary Counties)
EDUCATION, EQUALITY, ENVIRONMENT, ELDERS, ENGAGEMENT “We can disagree without being disagreeable.” Ruth Weissman PO Box 812, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-3448 • museumni.org
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Ellen Weissman, Lanie Johnson, Treasurer
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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Close the Health Covarge Gap, Expand Medicaid — Vote YES on Proposition 2
Spotlights
PAGE 23
Stop a cold before it starts
BY DAWN WILKSTEN, CATALDO, ID I live in Cataldo, a rural town in beautiful Kootenai County, where I am raising my 14-year-old grandson alone. Throughout my life, I’ve been a business owner, scout leader, and active volunteer in our local schools and community. Being 60 years old, I am not quite at retirement age and don’t yet receive Medicare. Because I make too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid, and too little to afford insurance through the state exchange, I fall into the health coverage gap. There are a limited number of jobs that offer health benefits in the rural Idaho community where I live. I work odd jobs throughout the year to make ends meet. I know from experience that it is very hard for older adults to find jobs when they are dealing with untreated medical conditions that limit their ability to meet many employment requirements. I have needed a hip replacement and treatment for arthritis for years now. It has gotten to the point where I can no longer stand for more than two minutes without excruciating pain. This makes it impossible to be independent, work full-time, or volunteer in the community. My story is not an uncommon one. Seniors throughout rural Idaho experience the same challenges. Since we are not yet at the age where we qualify for Medicare, we go without health insurance and needlessly suffer from both chronic and acute health conditions. This deeply affects our quality of life, health, and financial security. Seniors are some of the most active members and volunteers in our communities. But when health conditions go untreated, our ability to give back to our community is limited. Fortunately, on November 6th, voters will have the chance to close the coverage gap and expand Medicaid by voting yes on Proposition 2. Closing the gap would allow 17,000 seniors to access treatment for chronic pain from arthritis and other conditions and receive care for cancer, osteoporosis, and respiratory conditions. Most of us know and care for aging family members and understand how important good healthcare is to their quality of life. Voting yes on Proposition 2 is also good for local communities because it will reduce the cost of uncompensated care we all pay for with our tax dollars and bring $400 million in funds back to Idaho— right now that money is being spent to fund healthcare in other states. Expanding Medicaid will ensure our rural hospitals can stay open and help working families be healthier and more productive. Seniors in Idaho have the wisdom that comes with life experience. When we are healthy and active, we are able to be incredible leaders and teachers. Our communities would be stronger, more engaged, and healthier if everyone could afford needed healthcare. Supporting Proposition 2 is the right thing to do because expanding Medicaid will enhance the health of our children and grandchildren, our families, and our seniors. ISI
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New research: Copper stops colds if used early. New research shows you can stop a cold in its tracks if you take one simple step with a new device when you feel a cold coming on. Colds start when cold viruses get in your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery. But scientists have found a quick way to kill a virus. Touch it with copper. Researchers at labs and universities agree, copper is “antimicrobial.” It kills microbes, such as viruses and bacteria, just by touch. That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. That’s why Hippocrates, the “father of modern medicine”, used copper to heal skin ulcers, and why Civil War doctors used it to prevent infection of battlefield wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do. Researchers say microbe cells have a tiny internal electric charge across the membrane surrounding the cell. The high conductance of copper short-circuits this charge and pops holes in the membrane. This immediately stops the microbe from reproducing and destroys it in seconds. Tests by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show copper surfaces kill germs that are left on them. That way the next person to touch that surface does not spread the germ. As a result of this new knowledge, some hospitals switched to copper for various “touch surfaces”, like faucets, bedrails, and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses in those hospitals by over half, and saved lives. The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When he felt a cold coming on he fashioned a smooth copper probe and rubbed it gently in his nose for 60 seconds. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold went away completely.” It worked again every time he felt a cold coming on and he hasn’t had a cold since. He asked relatives and friends to try it. They said it worked for them, too, so he patented CopperZap™ and put it on the market. Soon hundreds of people had tried it and given feedback. Nearly 100 percent said the copper stops their colds if used within 3 hours after the first sign. Even up to 2 days, if they still get the cold it is milder and they feel better. Users wrote things like, “It stopped my cold right away,” and
“Is it supposed to work that fast?” Pat McAllister, age 70, received one for Christmas and called it “one of the best presents ever. This little jewel really works.” Now thousands of users have simply stopped getting colds. Copper may even stop flu that starts in the nose if used right away and for several days. In a lab test, scientists placed 25 million live flu viruses on a CopperZap. No viruses were found still alive soon after. People often use CopperZap preventively. Frequent flier Karen Gauci used to get colds after crowded flights. Though skeptical, she tried it several times a day on travel days for 2 months. “Sixteen flights and not a sniffle!” Businesswoman Rosaleen says when people are sick around her she uses CopperZap morning and night. “It saved me last holidays,” she said. “The kids had colds going round and round, but not me.” Some users say it also helps with sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.” One man had suffered seasonal sinus problems for years. It was so bad it ruined family vacations and dinners out with friends. His wife Judy bought CopperZaps for both of them. He was so skeptical he said, “Oh Judy, you are such a whack job!” But he tried it and the copper cleared up his sinuses right away. Judy and their daughter said, “It has changed our lives!” Some users say copper stops nighttime stuffiness if used just before bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had in years.” People have used it on cold sores and say it can completely prevent ugly outbreaks. Copper even kills deadly germs that have become resistant to antibiotics. If you are near sick people, a moment of handling it may keep serious infection away. It may even save a life. The EPA says copper still works even when tarnished. It kills hundreds of different disease germs so it can prevent serious or even fatal illness. CopperZap is made in the U.S. of pure copper. 90-day full money back guarantee when used as directed. It is $69.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code isi7. Go to www.CopperZap.com or call toll-free 1-888-411-6114. Buy once, use forever.
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
HEALTH CARE
PAGE 24
Health Care
MEDICINE•PREVENTION•DIAGNOSIS•TREATMENT
Passing Myself on the Stairs: Adult ADD BY SHARON LOVE COOK SENIOR WIRE—It was a trendy new café: chrome counters, hanging lamps, and jazz playing in the background. The sandwich menu was an old-school blackboard, scribbled in chalk. After perusing the list, I told the bandana-wearing server I’d have prosciutto and cheese. “What do you want it on?” he asked. “Bread.” His smile was patient. “We have ciabatta, croissant, brioche, whole-grain artisanal . . . ” He waited, tapping his pencil on the counter. “Whole grain.” “How about toppings?” He pointed to another list on the busy blackboard. “You can choose three.” I slipped on my glasses and leaned forward to read. “I’ll have lettuce, tomato, sprouts.” He nodded. “What kind of sprout — mung bean, lentil, alfalfa . . . ?” “Alfalfa.” I blotted my forehead. I’d made it this far. There was no turning back. “What about cheese?” He rattled off names. When he got to Gorgonzola, I interrupted. “Do you have American?” I craved the familiarity of the bland, processed squares.
My response must have been loud. The server looked startled. “Sure.” He wrote on his pad and without looking up, said, “Take a seat. We’ll call when your order’s ready. What’s your phone number?” I told him. Then I added, “It’s a landline. I’ll be at home when you call.” With that I turned and raced for the door. As a senior adult with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), I’m constantly confronted with an overwhelming barrage of choices. Even the pet food manufacturers have gotten into the act. Our dog’s brand now contains gluten-free beet pulp, flax seed, and added probiotics. Not to be outdone, our cat’s food is geared to feline ailments such as urinary tract infection, Clarkston Denturist Clinic dental plaque, and hair balls. When I was a kid, pet food was made by • Over 55 years of making, relining, and repairing Dentures one company: Calo. The product smelled as • Full service for all your Denture needs unappetizing as it looked, but at least pur• Licensed Denturist on duty chasing it was easy. It came in two varieties Eldred D. Olson, L.D. • Clinton J. Olson, L.D. —one for cats, and one for dogs. Only Denturists in the Valley Likewise, the greeting card industry is For prompt service call 509-758-7805 exploding. Where cards once occupied a rack 1346 12th St, Clarkston WA or two, they now take up three aisles at the supermarket. 20 CAH WINNER 2018 TOP
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And, like the pet food manufacturers, they’ve gotten into sub-categories. I recently hoped to find a simple condolence card. No easy task, I discovered, searching among cards that specified the recipient’s relationship to the deceased, i.e. “Sorry for the loss of your mother-in-law.” I saw cards intended for great-aunts, step-grandmothers, second cousins. When the industry has run the gamut of family relations, will they expand to the professionals in our lives: “Sorry for the loss of your plumber/lawyer/hairdresser?” When and if that happens, three aisles won’t be enough. For those with ADD—which runs in families; my mother kept her go-to-church girdle inside a seldom-used electric skillet—shopping can be perilous. Try going into Starbucks without a plan, or a movie theater with its dozen screens. They don’t call it a “complex” for nothing. Surrounded by so much stimuli, I lose track of where I’m heading or where I’ve been. I call it “passing myself on the stairs.” For instance, the last time I went to the mall, I got so overwhelmed I rushed for the exit. In my haste, I bounced off a free-standing plexiglass panel. The clerks, ignoring me earlier, now helped me off the floor. Needless to say, I avoid malls. My idea of a perfect store contains two racks: “Reduced for Clearance” and “Everything Must Go.” In my opinion, online shopping was designed for ADDers. We can relax and mull over our choices. Nobody is pressuring us, or as my mother used to say of pushy salespeople, “breathing down your neck.” To a kid, her words conjured up a world of strange adult behavior. Maybe someday we’ll have service dogs for ADD. Wearing sensors, they’ll be alerted when their subjects reach stimulation overload. I could have used such a dog at the trendy café. Sensing a meltdown, the specially trained canine would lead me to the exit. There, at the door, he’d pause and lift his leg. ISI Sharon Love Cook of Beverly Farms, MA, is the author of the Granite Cove Mysteries and the novel, Phantom Baby, a “triple-A tale” of addiction, abduction and adultery. Contact her at sharonlovecook@comcast.net
BAT PROBLEMS Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantly Three pastors were having lunch. The first one said, “You know, since summer started, I’ve been having trouble with bats in my loft and attic at church. I’ve tried everything—noise, spray, cats—nothing seems to scare them away. The second pastor said, “Me, too. I have hundreds living in my belfry and in the attic. I’ve even had the place fumigated, and they won’t go away.” The third said, “I baptized all mine and made them members of the church. Haven’t seen one back since!” ISI
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Beckoning Biome Benefits
colonies from our skin to … our guts, our bodies housing 10 times more bacterial cells then human cells.” Bacterial cells, smaller than human cells, enter through mouth and nose, then “travel to the esophagus, stomach and/or intestines— locations where most of them set up camp.” Until recently, we took antibiotics to kill germs that caused illness, never suspecting we were destroying bacteria that contribute to our health. Here’s the latest: Our biome does Until recently, we took antibiotics to kill germs that caused illness, never suspecting we us a lot of good. were destroying bacteria that contribute to our health. © Digitalista, Bigstock.com First, the Scientific American article cited above teaches us that “bacteria produce chemicals to help us harBY CARRIE LUGER SLAYBACK ness energy and nutrients from our food.” Studies seem to show that gut bacteria have SENIOR WIRE—Remember playing “cooties?” a role in “ability to synthesize vitamins and We’d chase each other, touch, and sing out, digest complex carbohydrates.” “I gave you my cooties!” Looking at the role of the microbiome Hints that cooties are a good thing in obesity, we like our cooties even more. keep showing up. Dr. Stefano Guandalini, “Experiments on mice suggest that bacteUniversity of Chicago authority on gluten ria actually help in the process of slimming sensitivity, believes the current prevalence by suppressing a hormone that facilitates of autoimmune diseases may be the result fat storage.” of the antiseptic environment parents create Intestinal bacteria also appear to regufor kids. late the density of immune cells, which help WebMD’S Dr. Thom McDade of a variety of immune functions. “For examNorthwestern University says, “Just as your ple, Wenner says UC Santa Cruz researchers baby’s brain needs stimulation and input observed that the H. pylori bacteria, present … to develop normally, the young immune in the gut, while believed to protect against system is strengthened by exposure to everyesophageal cancer and asthma, cause ulcers day germs so that it can learn to adapt and or stomach cancer in 10% of us. However, regulate itself.” other bacteria, possibly, the Clostridium What about adults? How important is species, are “potential candidates for a our personal germ collection? Scientific protective effect,” keeping the ulcers and American’s Melinda Wenner says, “in truth we stomach cancer at bay. are walking petri dishes, rife with bacterial
PUNNY Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantly << I did a theatrical performance about puns.
HEALTH CARE
The Economist’s 2012 article “Me, Myself, and Us,” says the trillions of bacteria, 100 trillion in the gut alone, can be looked at as another organ. Each of us is an ecosystem, with a microbiome that functions as part of digestion and the immune system. Recent discoveries point to links between heart disease and autoimmune responses resulting in asthma, eczema and multiple sclerosis, which seem to result from “some component of the microbiome … ” The Economist sums up our close relationship with our cooties like this: “Our bacterial cells and human cells exist in a symbiotic relationship. Humans “shelter [and feed] the microbes, and they are integral to the hosts well-being.” However “in bad times, the alignment … can break down … the microbiome can cause disease.” It goes on to ask: “If gut bacteria are making you ill, can swapping them [with a healthy person] make you healthy?” Don’t hold your nose; read the next paragraphs to discover a low-cost cure to an intractable infection. Drug resistant C. difficile kills 14,000 people a year, mainly in hospitals. Last-chance treatment involves heavy-duty antibiotics, which destroy the patient’s entire biome. If the treatment fails, the C. difficile returns, “with a vengeance.” Dr. Mark Mellow of Baptist Medical Centre, Oklahoma City, pioneered a treatment of collecting small amounts of feces from a healthy person and preparing it for an enema to fight C. difficile. Therefore “an entire bacterial ecosystem is transferred from one gut to another.” It “often does the trick,” cures the infection. Readers may experience revulsion, but patients whose lives are threatened by drug-resistant infection must feel gratitude for their new disease-fighting biomes. So there you have it. Welcome the gift of cooties when you’re in no condition to run away, anyway. ISI Carrie Luger Slayback an award winning teacher and champion marathoner, shares personal experience. Contact her at carriemisc@icloud.com.
<< I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me. << When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble. << What does a clock do when it’s hungry?
It goes back four seconds. It was a play on words. < < I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. << They told me I had Type-A blood, but it was a Type-O. Then it hit me. << A dyslexic man walks into a bra. << PMS jokes aren’t funny, period. << Class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. Pre-Hospice, Hospice I hope there’s no pop quiz. Palliative Care Care << Energizer bunny arrested. Charged with battery.
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HEALTH CARE
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
Tips for Living with Macular Degeneration BY JIM MILLER SAVVY SENIOR — Around 15 million Americans are living with macular degeneration today. Over time, this progressive disease can rob people of their central vision, making everyday tasks like driving a car, reading the newspaper, or watching television extremely challenging. Here are some resources that can help. LOW VISION HELP The best place to get help living and coping with macular degeneration is at a vision rehabilitation agency or clinic. Typically run by state or nonprofit organizations, or private eye care clinics, more than 1,500 of these services scattered across the country help people who are living with all types of uncorrectable vision impairments. Most state and nonprofit vision rehabilitation services are free or low-cost, while private clinics typically charge a fee or may accept Medicare. While vision rehabilitation does not restore lost sight, it does help people maximize their existing sight, or, if they have no vision, it can equip them with techniques and tools to help them maintain an independent lifestyle. Services include counselling, along with training on how to perform daily living tasks with low vision and how to use visual and adaptive devices and assistive technologies that can help improve quality of life. They also offer guidance for adapting your home that will make it safer and easier to maneuver, and can help locate low-vision support groups. Some agencies will even send their specialist out to work in the comfort of your own home. To find a vision rehabilitation service in your area, call the American Foundation for the Blind referral line at 800-232-5463, or visit VisionAware.org/directory. If you use a smartphone or tablet, download their VisionConnect app (see AFB.org/VisionConnect), which connects you to all types of low-vision resources in your area.
If, however, you don’t live near a vision rehabilitation service, you can also get help from an occupational therapist (OT), who can provide low-vision training in your home. Medicare, if prescribed by your eye doctor or healthcare provider, covers this. ONLINE HELP Another convenient place to find help is online at VisionAware.org. This free website, created by the American Foundation for the Blind and the Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation, is designed to help older adults who are losing their sight.
While vision rehabilitation does not restore lost sight, it does help people maximize their existing sight, or, if they have no vision, it can equip them with techniques and tools to help them maintain an independent lifestyle. © Creative Family, Bigstock.com
It provides information on eye conditions, along with dozens of practical tips and instructional videos on living with vision loss, including concepts for adapting a home to make it easier to navigate, techniques for traveling safely outside the home, and various tips on how to manage things like finances, medications, and other tasks like cooking, cleaning, grooming, reading, writing and more. It also offers a comprehensive list of low-vision products and technologies that can help people stay active and independent, including product reviews that are published in their online magazine called AccessWorld, accessed at AFB.org/aw. OTHER RESOURCES Some other good resources that can help include the Hadley Institute (Hadley.edu, 800-323-4238), which offers dozens of free online instructional videos to help the blind or visually impaired live independently. Ears for Eyes (EarsForEyes.info, 800-843-6816) provides free audio lessons that teach low-vision adaptive daily living skills. Living Well with Low Vision (LowVision.PreventBlindness.org, 800-331-2020) offers up-to-date information and free materials for people living with severe vision impairment. ISI Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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Health Care
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Painful Sex? New Treatment for Menopausal Women on its way to Pharmacies BY MARCIA HEROUX POUNDS, SUN SENTINEL TNS — For menopausal women who experience painful sex, a new treatment is on its way to pharmacies. Boca Raton-based TherapeuticsMD began distributing its new product, Imvexxy, to stores recently. It will be available at all major retailers such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, as well as small pharmacies. TherapeuticsMD, which is focusing on new health products for women, received FDA approval in May to market Imvexxy. The vaginal gelcap insert was developed for menopausal women who suffer from vaginal dryness. “We expect to have strong demand for the product,” said John Milligan, president of TherapeuticsMD. “A lot of women are going to find it very effective for this condition.” “A doctor’s prescription is necessary to purchase Imvexxy, which costs about $35 in an insurance co-pay or with coupons online, “said TherapeuticsMD CEO and co-founder Robert Finizio. The FDA’s approval of Imvexxy was based on the results of a Phase 3, double-blind clinical trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of 4- and 10-microgram dosages, compared with a placebo for 12 weeks. Milligan said as required by the FDA, TherapeuticsMD will do follow-up studies on women prescribed Imvexxy, as there is always a risk of endometrial cancer in women with a uterus who use estrogen-only therapy. Imvexxy’s package label warns users to report any unusual vaginal bleeding to their doctor. But the clinical trial showed that women who tried Imvexxy had “very little or no side effects,” Finizio said. Some women reported headaches, breast tenderness or nausea, according to the Imvexxy.com site.
The treatment proved effective in “less than two weeks” for women participating in the clinical trial, Finizio added. TherapeuticsMD has built an internal team of 250 sales representatives to introduce the treatment to physicians nationwide. It plans TV and web advertising. For marketing purposes, executives were pleased that the FDA approved the name “Imvexxy,” Milligan said. “It sounds close to ‘I’m sexy,’ which is a memorable name.” Competing products include Allergan’s Estrace Cream, Pfizer’s Premarin Cream and Novo Nordisk’s Vagifem. There’s also an oral medication, Duchesnay USA’s Osphena. TherapeuticsMD said its product is different from others on the market because it can be used any time of the day and requires no applicator. It also contains a low dose of estradiol, a form of the hormone estrogen. Dr. Jay Cohen, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Plantation, said a low-dose estrogen treatment for vaginal dryness fills “a huge unmet need in this country.” The condition affects about 32 million menopausal women in the United States, according to TherapeuticsMD. “Fifty percent are sexually active into their late 70s,” Cohen said. “A woman lives 20 to 30 years in menopause, and this gets worse and worse for women.” TherapeuticsMD also is developing a proposed treatment for hot flashes. The company hopes to receive an answer on marketing clearance from the FDA by the end of October. That proposed treatment is in the form of one soft-gel capsule of estradiol, a form of estrogen, and progesterone. Today, many women have to take two different medications to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. ISI
Alzheimers vs Dementia BY JIM MILLER SAVVY SENIOR — Many people use the words “Alzheimer’s disease” and “dementia” interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. In fact, you can have a form of dementia that is completely unrelated to Alzheimer’s disease. Here’s what you should know. Dementia is a general term for a set of symptoms that includes memory loss, impaired communication skills, a decline in reasoning, and changes in behavior. It most commonly strikes elderly people and used to be referred to as senility. Alzheimer’s disease is a specific illness that is the most common cause of dementia. Though many diseases can cause dementia, Alzheimer’s—which affects 5.7 million Americans today—accounts for 60 percent to 80 percent of dementia cases, which is why you often hear the terms used interchangeably. But many other conditions can cause symptoms of dementia, like vascular dementia, which is the second most common cause, accounting for about 10 percent of dementia cases. Vascular dementia is caused by a stroke or poor blood flow to the brain. Other degenerative disorders that can cause dementia include Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), Huntington’s disease, and Korsakoff Syndrome. Some patients may also have more than one form of dementia. Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells, but the symptoms can vary depending on the cause. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, protein fragments or plaques that
accumulate in the space between nerve cells and twisted tangles of another protein that build up inside cells cause the damage. In Alzheimer’s disease, dementia gets progressively worse to the point where patients cannot carry out daily activities and cannot speak, respond to their environment, swallow, or walk. Although some treatments may temporarily ease symptoms, the downward progression of disease continues, and it is not curable. But some forms of dementia are reversible, which is why it’s important to be evaluated by a physician early on. Vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, brain tumors, depression, excessive alcohol use, medication side effects, and certain infectious diseases can cause reversible forms of dementia. Another treatable form of dementia is a condition known as normal pressure hydrocephalus, which is caused by a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain that can be relieved by surgically implanting a shunt to drain off excess fluid. This type of dementia is often preceded or accompanied by difficulty walking and incontinence. To learn more about the different types of dementia, including the symptoms, risks, causes and treatments visit the Alzheimer’s Association at ALZ. org/dementia. ISI
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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Caregiving
SUPPORT•INSIGHT•COMFORT•SERVICE•ENCOURAGEMENT
Clinging to Dignity as the Years Pass BY SHARON M. KENNEDY SENIOR WIRE—As we age, it gets harder to cling to our dignity. For some folks, losing a sense of dignity is due to major health problems that require constant medical attention, including poking and probing into our physical body. For others, it’s dealing with non-life-threatening ailments like arthritis, knee problems, and poor vision. Regardless of the cause, having to admit we need help can be difficult for those of us who have always been independent.
© One Inch Punch, Bigstock.com
Something as simple as opening a jar of pickles can cause frustration when our hands no longer have the strength to twist off the lid. Even if we’re alone in the kitchen, we might feel ourselves slipping into that gray zone called old age. I remember my grandmother asking me to thread a needle for her. I was just a little girl and couldn’t believe Gram couldn’t see the hole and slide the thread through it. Now I understand. What bothers me most about losing my youth is realizing it’s never coming back. For the past few years, I’ve avoided driving at night because my vision is poor. The result is I’ve missed lots of events I would have enjoyed. I’m too proud to ask a friend to take me. Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean we like the same things. Living on a side road doesn’t help either. Our road is always icy in winter. I wouldn’t want someone to slide into the ditch or hit a deer on their way to my place.
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Despite all our advances in technology, psychology, and peer relationships, it seems many youth and adults of today have slid down the dignity ladder. Is it just old fogies who hold on to our dignity like a clinging burr? Perhaps we want to be called Sir or Ma’am. Perhaps we want doors opened for us, and when we dine out we certainly appreciate cloth napkins, white tablecloths, crystal water glasses, and a waiter in a pristine uniform. That’s not to say we want to be coddled as if we were an organic egg, but we do want to be treated with respect and some semblance of dignity. We are well aware the niceties of our younger days are slipping away, but that’s no reason for us to fall in line and accept modern behavior. I suppose young people don’t understand us any more than we understand them. It’s more than just a generation gap. It’s an entirely different cultural gulf that some of us may never cross. If there’s one thing that offends my dignity almost more than anything else it’s when someone calls and then puts me on “hold” because another call is coming in. I don’t know anyone so important they need to answer the new call immediately. I find it demeaning, insulting, and downright rude to be asked, “Can you hold a minute while I take this other call?” For years I agreed and kept my mouth shut. I responded politely when what I really wanted to say was something like, “If you’re so important why did you call me?” Another response I never gave but always wanted to was, “No, I won’t hold. I’m hanging up. Don’t call me back.” Now when someone calls and asks me to wait, I just say I’m all talked out. One lady friend said she solved the call waiting problem by explaining if someone calls and her line is busy they wait until it’s free and then call again. That’s my idea of an excellent call waiting system. Growing old means facing a lot of challenges. Some are easier to accept than others. We might be willing to walk with a cane, but no one wants to wear Depends. We might drop things due to arthritis in our hands, but we don’t want our house to smell like Watkins Liniment. We don’t mind losing a back molar, but dread the thought of a complete set of new choppers. We agree to visit the doctor twice a year for a checkup, but cringe at the thought of a serious illness. We cling to whatever dignity we have left, knowing full well it will disappear if we end up in a nursing home, so take my advice. Hold your head high as you walk with a cane while wearing Depends. Dine at a fancy restaurant, and hope your teeth don’t fall out with your first bite. And if sickness comes your way, fight it with all the strength of a sumo wrestler. ISI
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Caregiving
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Choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community BY JIM MILLER SAVVY SENIOR—Individuals wanting their next move to be their final one, an all-inclusive retirement community—also known as a continuing-care retirement community (or CCRC)—is a great option to consider, but they aren’t cheap. CCRCs are different from other types of senior housing because they provide all levels of housing, services and care in one convenient location. While they vary greatly in appearance and services, most CCRCs offer apartments or sometimes single-family homes for active independent seniors. In addition, they also offer onsite assisted living for seniors who require help with basic living tasks like bathing, dressing, or going to the bathroom, and nursing home care for residents when their health declines. CCRCs also provide a bevy of resortstyle amenities and services that include community dining halls, exercise facilities, housekeeping, and transportation, as well as many social and recreational activities. But be aware that all these services come at a hefty price. Most communities have entry fees that range from the low- to mid© Dole, Bigstock.com six figures, plus ongoing monthly fees that can range from around $2,000 to over $4,000, depending on the facility, services, and the chosen contract option. With more than 2,000 CCRCs in operation throughout the U.S, finding a facility that fits your lifestyle, needs, and budget will require some legwork. Here are some steps that can help you proceed. MAKE A LIST Start by calling the Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 for contact information) in the area you want to live for a list of CCRCs, or search websites like Caring.com. CALL THE FACILITIES Once you’ve located a few, call them to find out if they have any vacancies, what they charge, and if they provide the types of services you want or need. TAKE A TOUR Many CCRCs encourage potential residents to stay overnight and have a few meals in their dining hall. During your visit, notice the upkeep of the facility, and talk to the current residents to see how they like living there. Also, check out the assisted living and nursing facilities, and find out how decisions are made to move residents from one level of care to another.
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To check-up on a facility, call the state long-term care ombudsman (see LTCombudsman.org), who can tell you if the assisted living and nursing care services within the CCRC have had any complaints or other problems. You can also use Medicare’s nursing home compare tool at Medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND FEES Most CCRCs offer three types of contracts: Life-care, or Type A contracts, which have the highest entry fee but cover all levels of long-term care as needed; Type B, or modified contracts that have lower entry fees but limit long-term care services in the initial fee; and Type C, or fee-for-service contracts, which offer the lowest entrance fees but require you to pay extra for long-term care if you need it. You also need to find out what yearly price increases you can expect. How much of your entry fee is refundable to you if you move or die? And what happens if you outlive your financial resources? RESEARCH THE CCRC Find out who owns the facility, get a copy of their most recently audited financial statement, and review it, along with the copy of the contract with your lawyer or financial advisor. Also get their occupancy rate. Unless it’s a newer community filling up, occupancy below 85 percent can be a red flag that the facility is having financial or management problems. ISI Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
ALL ABOUT IDAHO
Nutrition
FOOD•HOLISTIC•WELLNESS•LONGEVITY•PREVENTION
Potent Pumpkin Power & Thanksgiving Tradition BY WENDELL FOWLER SENOR WIRE—I’m a pushover for nostalgia. When I see a fat pumpkin, my thoughts drift to childhood memories of gray, rainy autumnal days, the familiar smoke from burning leaves hazing the air, hot cider, outdoor football games, smooching on hayrides under harvest moons, and, of course, glowing jack-o’-lanterns. Then there’s Thanksgiving reminiscences of the aroma of a mouthwatering, creamy, spicy pumpkin pie fresh from the oven, escorted to the table by the heady perfume of a turkey roasting in the oven. Speaking of pie: Is the ratio of a pumpkin’s circumference to its diameter called “pumpkin pi”? The confusion comes from learning about “pi squared” in math class and Mom telling me that “pie are round”—a really bad, old southern Indiana joke. Do you consider pumpkin as a food that could create glowing health? Probably not. References to the versatile pumpkin date back four centuries. According to the University of Illinois Extension, the name pumpkin
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originated from “pepon,” the Greek word for “large melon.” That word was nasalized by the French into “pompon,” which was changed by the English to “pumpion.” (Shakespeare
which we should express humble gratitude. But we’ll discuss that later. Now, pumpkin, really a squash and a member of the cucurbita family, which
No Matter how you prepare pumpkin, it’s potent power—the wonderful beta carotene, fiber, and vitamins—will add fresh ammo to your nutritional arsenal. © Borodin, Bigstock.com
referred to the “pumpion” in his Merry Wives of Windsor.) The American colonists changed “pumpion” into “pumpkin,” and there we have it. Pumpkins were a revered part of the Native American diet, and the pumpkin seeds, pepitas, were valued more for their oil and medicinal properties than the pumpkin flesh. Native Americans and early colonists preserved pumpkins by drying them. They peeled the skin and scooped out the insides. The pulp was sliced and placed on drying racks or hung up to dry in the sun. Native Americans fed pieces of pumpkin to their horses. The Mayans used the crushed seeds to treat kidney infections and intestinal parasites, and the juice was used to treat burns. The orange globes quickly became a standby of the early New England settlements. In early colonial times, settlers hollowed out large pumpkins, filled them with milk, eggs, honey or maple syrup, and cinnamon, and baked them in the hot ashes of their fireplaces. A Pilgrim verse from around 1633 said, “For pottage, and pudding, and custards and pies, our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies. We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon. If it were not for pumpkins, we should soon be undoon.” There are conflicting reports as to whether pumpkin was a part of the first Thanksgiving meals of the Pilgrims and the Indians. Regardless, since then, pumpkins have been, and continue to be, a sacred tradition at the Thanksgiving Day table. But, please, do not diminish and insult pumpkins’ lofty vitamin content by smothering a slice-o-pie in god-awful Cool Whip. Not a processed food for
includes squash and cucumbers, has become a rising star on the nutritional block due to its high fiber, potassium, and vitamin content. No matter how you prepare pumpkin, its potent power—the wonderful beta carotene, fiber, and vitamins—will add fresh ammo to your nutritional arsenal. According to research provided by Tufts University, pumpkin is a super cancer-fighting food. A mere one-half cup of pumpkin contains more than five times the standard RDA for beta carotene (vitamin A) per day. Furthermore, beta carotene also provides protection against heart disease and many of the degenerative aspects of aging. Pumpkin Nutrition: (1 cup cooked, no salt) Calories 49, magnesium 22 mg, potassium 564 mg, zinc 1 mg, selenium 5 mg, vitamin C 12 mg, protein 2 grams, carbohydrates 12 grams, dietary fiber 3 grams, calcium 37 mg, iron 1.4 mg, niacin 1 mg, folate 21 mcg, vitamin A 2650 IU, and vitamin E 3 mg. So, there you are, intimidated while looking a whole pumpkin in the eye, feeling unsure, and mumbling to yourself, “Now what do I do?” Relax. It’s not that big a deal. It’s just a pumpkin. You can bake it, roast it, stir-fry, steam it, or throw it at Ichabod Crane. You can serve it cubed or mashed, and even make soup, bread, cake, quick breads, and cookies. With a good, strong hand, steady the gift of nature on the counter top, cut it into pieces with a good chef’s knife, and roast it in the oven. When done, the skin will easily pull off, and voila: pumpkin puree. We don’t need no stinkin’ cans! Caveat Emptor: Americans have a love affair, excuse me, blind obsession with, what I’ve christened, “Cruel” Whip. Nothing to be grateful for here. Here’s why I encourage everybody to consider avoiding Cool Whip and make real whipped cream for goodness sake. First of all, the fluffy white stuff contains hydrogenated oils that cause heart disease by increasing bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. This trans fat has absolutely
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Nutrition
no nutritional value whatsoever. According to the National Academy of Sciences, no level of trans fat is safe. Trans fat is implicated in heart disease and diabetes and is commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, margarines, and fast foods. Then there’s the vilified high fructose corn (porn) syrup: In 2015, Princeton University recently found that corn syrup causes more weight gain than regular table sugar and also contributes more to obesity and diabetes. And recent studies show it may also contain trace amounts of mercury, which may cause cancer, reproductive disorders, and a myriad of degenerative diseases. Skim milk and light cream are full of antibiotics and steroids. Researchers found a strong association between skim or fat-free milk and cancer, especially prostate cancer. Sorbitan monostearate listed on many labels is a chemically-derived substance referred to as “synthetic wax.” In numerous studies it has been linked to skin, eye, and respiratory irritants to stomach issues. Sodium caseinate has been linked to autism, brain malfunctions, and allergies. Then there are artificial flavors known to cause many problems, including nervous system depression, dizziness, chest pain, headaches, fatigue, allergies, brain damage, seizures, nausea, and much more. Some of the popular flavorings can also cause genetic defects, tumors, bladder cancer, and many other types of cancer. I sincerely hope you’re seeing that fresh or frozen, not canned, pumpkin is very good for your health. That is, until we begin adding ingredients that make up most pumpkin recipes: cream, sugar, and shortening—especially shortening. (Do you know why they call it shortening? Because it shortens your life.) ISI
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A FEW POTENT PUMPKIN FACTS Offered by the University of Illinois Extension Office << Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a nutritious zinc- and protein-loaded snack. << Pumpkins contain potassium, vitamin A, C, and B. << Pumpkins have more beta-carotene than any other produce. << Pumpkins are used as feed for animals. << Pumpkin flowers are edible. << Pumpkins originated in Central America. << The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin. << Pumpkins are 90 percent water. << Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
Mangoes for Health BY ANN HATTES SENIOR WIRE—Most Americans and Canadians would probably say the most popular fruit in the world is either bananas or apples. Worldwide however, more mangoes are consumed by a factor of three to one over bananas, and 10 to one over apples. Mangoes, an exotic fruit in America, are staples in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America. Grown in India for thousands of years, it is known there as “the king of the A one-cup serving of mangoes has 100 calories, providing fruits.” A symbol 100 percent of your daily vitamin C, 35 percent of your of love in India, a daily vitamin A, and 12 percent of your daily fiber. Photo basket of mangoes courtesy Ann Hattes. is considered a gesture of friendship. The Portuguese were fascinated by the fruit on their arrival in Kerala and helped introduce it to the world. Today mangoes are grown throughout the tropics with India the largest producer and consumer. Most of the mangoes sold in the U.S. come from Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Guatemala, and are available all year long. A one-cup serving of mangoes is just 100 calories, providing 100 percent of your daily vitamin C, 35 percent of your daily vitamin A, and 12 percent of your daily fiber. Don’t judge a mango by its color, as red does not mean ripe. Mangoes come in a variety of colors, such as many shades of green, yellow, and red, and lots of mangoes show more than one color. A ripe mango will “give” slightly, and a firm mango will ripen at room temperature over a few days. Once ripe, mangoes can be moved to the refrigerator and stored for up to five days. Never refrigerate mangoes before they are ripe. In many Latin American countries, street vendors sell mango on a stick with the skin peeled back. Mangoes can be enjoyed with salt, lime juice, or chili powder for a unique flavor experience. Mangoes have unique tenderizing properties, making them a perfect ingredient for marinades. Try mango in smoothies, salads, salsas, chutneys, on fish, chicken or pork, as a Mango salsa. Photo courtesy Ann Hattes. dessert, or as a snack.
A mango has one long, flat seed in the center of the fruit. Always wash the fruit before cutting, and use a clean knife and cutting board. Stand the mango on your cutting board—stem end down—and hold. Place your knife about 1/4-inch from the widest center line, and cut down through the mango. Flip the mango around, and repeat this cut on the other side. The resulting ovals of mango flesh are known as the “cheeks.” What’s left in the middle is mostly the mango seed. Cut parallel slices into the mango flesh, being careful not to cut through the skin. Scoop the mango slices out of the mango skin using a spoon. ISI
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Fitness
STRENGTH•EXERCISE•MOVEMENT•FLEXIBILITY•MOBILITY
If You’re 50-Plus, You Still Need To Exercise inevitably slowing down and transitioning his a day (with low physical activity) had bioroutine while still trying to remain fit. BY MIKE CANDELARIA, ORLANDO SENTINEL logically older cells compared to women who Because of eye-muscle weakness in his were less sedentary. youth, he didn’t play sports growing up. As TNS—Scaling down exercise is OK as you That wouldn’t be news to Elsie Sierra, a young adult, he discovered weightlifting, age, but don’t stop. And if you haven’t begun, 71. After her husband died in 2002, she sat until his lower back and knees weakened. heed the words of Elsie Sierra, 71: “You need around and “did nothing for five years.” They Then he discovered running until he proto exercise.” used to run a half mile or so together as he gressed to triathlons (running, biking, and Mike Napoli has been running marathons battled with diabetes, but when he passed, swimming), which enabled him to better and competing in Ironman triathlons since she stopped. manage the stress loads on his body. Now, his 30s. Typically, he would race in one event Then about 10 years ago, after never havhe awaits his next transition. monthly from March through November. ing been to a gym, she joined one. “I feel older every year,” Lynch said. Not so much anymore. “Somebody told me I needed to change “Pushing myself at the highest level I know Because of work travel and family—along and asked ‘why don’t you go to a gym?’ “ ... that’s not likely to continue forever.” with age—Napoli has a bit slower pace. He’s Sierra recounted. He will eventually still a fitness enthusiast, for sure, includchange his routine, ing biking, running, and cross-fit training but he won’t ever multiple times a week; however, two of his stop, Lynch quickly weekly workouts at the Crossfit Milk District added. “Bodies in gym are with his 6-year-old granddaughter, motion stay in motion and some moves he simply can no longer do, ... There’s nothing I like pull-ups, because of shoulder surgeries. like to do more than “I scale (my workouts) back to make it as exercise. My wife says hard as possible on myself, but also not to the I’m a better husband point where I’m going to hurt myself,” said when I do some trainNapoli, 53, a software developer in Orlando, Fla. ing, conditioning,” “I feel young, but some things don’t work Lynch said. like they used to. I just try to keep fit and stay “If can’t run, then challenged as best I can.” walk. If can’t walk, Jamie Lynch is perhaps even more of then swim. Find what a workout warrior. The 54-year-old is a Elsie Sierra, 71, exercises at the YMCA. After her husband died in 2002, she sat around you can do.” nurse practitioner for cardiology practice and “did nothing for five years.” She now works out there Monday through Thursday for two hours, plus some Friday mornings. © Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel, TNS. Getting older, of (Orlando Health Heart Institute), which course, is a life reallikely helped when in January he ran the ity. Yet, so too is the need to continue to seek Celebration Marathon’s 26-plus miles in That gym was the South Orlando YMCA some level of fitness in your advancing years 3 hours and 32 minutes and qualified for near her home. Today, Sierra works out there —adjusting as you go. People like Napoli and the 2019 Boston Marathon. Monday through Thursday for two hours, plus Lynch will certainly tell you as much, as does Self-described as a fitness “addict,” Lynch, some Friday mornings. the International Council on Activity Aging. 54, can be found swimming and biking across “When I first went there, I looked around The ICAA has a section on its website Central Florida’s lake and roads, starting at 5 and didn’t know what to do. Then I started called Welcome Back to Fitness, starting a.m. But he knows the clock is ticking toward cycling and got motivated,” she said. with the very basics of getting a checkup, Sierra moved from cycling to stair-stepknowing your workout options, and deterping, then to weight machines. Always thin, mining your participation style — all before she now can lift a 30-pound barbell over her actually exercising. head with each arm. According to the American Heart “I’m 71, and I can say that I feel like a Association, you should exercise 150 30-year-old. Nothing hurts,” Sierra said, minutes, or 30 minutes a day at least five noting the lone exception of tendonitis in her days a week. That includes people over right thumb. age 50—in fact, especially those people. Also, her moods are better. “If I don’t go The AHA points to a study released in 2017 to the gym, my (adult) daughters tell me I that showed people get cranky. ... My stress, I leave it here (at the with stable corogym),” she said. “I don’t know what I would nary heart disease have done if I didn’t exercise. I feel great.” who increased their Sierra offers one succinct bit of advice to TO habitual physical others: “You need to exercise.” activity reduced Need a place to exercise? AND their mortality Any of the large gyms in your area, such as rate—with the 24 Hour Fitness, Planet Fitness, or the YMCA greatest benefits accommodate the 50-and-older crowd. For - Short-term Rehabilitation Unit seen in sedentary example, 24-Hour Fitness offers Silver & Fit Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy -Outpatient Therapy people who began classes, designed to increase flexibility, joint to move regularly. stability, balance, coordination, agility, musIn another 2017 cular strength, and cardiovascular endurance. study, researchAccording to Daun Yearwood-Davis, memers at University of ber experience director at the South Orlando MAKE A RESERVATION If you have a scheduled surgery and will need Rehabilitation California, San Diego YMCA, the 50-plus crowd gets catered to and therapy following the procedure, call and make a reservation for your continued care. Our therapists will work with your physician to get School of Medicine represents an increasing sector of Y memyou back home as quickly as possible. REHAB MADE EASY! reported that elderly bership. The reason is that life reality: aging. Please call to schedule a tour or just drop in. We are always available to show you the center and answer any questions you may have. women who sat for “It’s going to happen to us all, God willmore than 10 hours ing,” Yearwood-Davis says. ISI
DEDICATED HOPE, HEALING RECOVERY
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Cultivating Vigor
BY CARRIE LUGER SLAYBACK SENIOR WIRE—When our kitchen cupboards pulled away from the wall, I hired a contractor to nail them back into place. He talked me into a new kitchen, resulting in a prettier and more serviceable kitchen than I ever dreamed of. While I wrote him bigger checks than I ever dreamed of, he said, “This is your last bite of the apple.” Training for a marathon at 71, I had no time for his ageist blather. My new kitchen raised my standard of living, but four years later, the white cupboards show signs of age.
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with its own prescription. Specialists prescribe cardiac, blood sugar, or orthopedic pain medications, but who is watching the mix of meds? According to Dr. Gill, “People tend to take an increasing number of medications [which] are likely to have side effects on their own or in combination, not all of which are predictable. Our kidneys and liver may not tolerate the meds as well as we did earlier in life.” AARP online lists “10 Drugs That May Cause Memory Loss.” Although we are lucky to live at a time when medicines extend life span, I fear that the mix of drugs people take could cause “festering” health problems for seniors. So far, I don’t fear falling. Running and hiking over uneven surfaces gives me fairly surebalance. I do fear future lack of independence and hope to postpone its advent with robust health. Here’s my list for resisting the slide to disease and dependence: 1. Get out at least half hour every day. Move fast enough to sweat. 2. Add a few days of weight training. 3. Eat more fruit and vegetables, less meat and lots of fish. Party with friends but the next day, go back to vegetables. 4. Cultivate relationships. 5. Get vaccinated for flu, shingles. 6. Get yearly check-ups. 7. Follow your interests. I set out to discuss “normal aging.” Actual age isn’t as important as vitality. Yes, I’m having my first dental implant, eye problem and take an osteoporosis prescription, but I’m hoping to paint my best painting Tuesday in art class. I invite you to join me in making that apple last as long as possible. ISI
Actual age isn’t as important as vitality. The slide toward loss of independence comes with decreasing energy, decreasing immune response, and decreasing coordination. © Monkey Business Images, Bigstock.com
My husband and I do too. I’m sitting in a hotel lobby. We’re here to hike Sequoia National Park’s trails, but my husband’s so sick with the flu/cold that we’ll return home after just a day with the big trees. This month a tooth fell out of my head—poof. Gone. I’m in the midst of an implant, hag-like, waiting three long months to fill the gap in my smile. My right eye’s vision, affected by severe dryness, requires treatment. The flu/cold affecting my husband today, felled me last week. So, at 74 and 80, have we bitten off most of that apple? Does sickness define our future? My editor sent me Ronnie Bennett’s blog with her question, “Are You Aging “Normally?” She quotes Yale’s Dr. Thomas Gill, professor of geriatrics whose signposts for each passing decade are: << The 50s: Stamina Declines << The 60s: Susceptibility Increases << The 70s: Chronic Conditions Fester << The 80s: Fear of Falling Grows << The 90s & Up: Relying on Others So, the slide toward loss of independence comes with decreasing energy, decreasing immune response, and decreasing coordination. I’m turning 75 in a few months and planning to run a marathon next year. I will hike Monday with a power-hiking group of younger women. I work out at the gym most days, eat a Mediterranean diet— vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish, and have no chronic conditions and rarely fall ill. These practices do not guarantee healthy aging. However, being at ideal weight, eating as above, engaging in daily aerobic exercise does diminish deterioration. Let me shine a personal light on Gill’s “signposts,” without assigning age to them. Decline of Stamina: True, I’m a slower runner in my 70s. However, I fill my day with writing, reading, gardening, grandmothering, running, hiking, weight training, classes, cooking and more. With a morning run and afternoon gym workout, I sleep soundly. I haven’t noticed decreased stamina. Susceptibility increases: My less active friends have joint replacements, some have diabetic or pre-diabetic conditions. They are on a variety of cholesterol and blood pressure medications. So far, I have no chronic conditions except osteoporosis, bone loss. Yes, this month’s health challenges are notable, but none called chronic. Chronic conditions fester—I’ve observed, friends who are inactive, experience significant weight gain and have “lifestyle” conditions, each
Fitness
Carrie Luger Slayback an award winning teacher and champion marathoner, shares personal experience and careful research. Contact her at carriemisc@icloud.com.
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Travel
CRUISES•GETAWAYS•CULTURE•VACATIONS
Five Tips for First-time Snowbirds our friends recommended contacting BY GAIL JOKERST a property management company to As a fledgling snowbird last year, I was identify rental posclueless how to begin arranging for winter sibilities, and we took quarters in unfamiliar territory. Knowing I that advice. didn’t care to spend another winter at the They showcase mercy of blizzards or berms, I began askavailable properties on ing friends who traveled to warmer climes their websites, where where they went and how they located you can read details turn-key housing. plus see interior and That resulted in a list of places to consider exterior photos of south of Monida Pass, which my husband each rental. These and I both found appealing. We eventually companies also hantargeted the Sonoran Desert as our destination dle any maintenance and loved that region; however, our lodging issues that might admittedly came with its share of challenges. arise, and, in our In retrospect, we did plenty of things Using a property management company for your snowbird rental can save you from a lot of headaches to deal with problems that arise yourself. Photo by Gail Jokerst. case, arise they did. right for first-timers. But we also did plenty Instead of trying to wrong. No matter, we acquired useful lessons reach an absentee owner to fix things, we along the way that other potential snowbirds windows faced the cement wall of the comsimply contacted the agency. might benefit from. For anyone pondering a munal laundry while the remaining two faced When a joint under the kitchen sink southern migration for the first time, these the interstate. To top it off, there wasn’t even collapsed with a sink full of soapy water, five tips may prove helpful. a skillet in the kitchen in which to fry an egg we called, and they dispatched a plumber or a plate smaller than a carving board for pronto. When the microwave and garage WORK WITH A PROPERTY salad or dessert. door opener quit working, we again called, MANAGEMENT COMPANY The good news was that we could break and they sent someone to take charge. Ditto If you’d rather omit the middle man, you our lease agreement. The bad news was for the army of uninvited tiny ants that can always check online posts or newspaper that the agency had only one home left, invaded our kitchen. ads, and deal directly with the owner. However, which hadn’t been rented because it was being remodeled and was a work in progSTART A HOUSE SEARCH AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE ress. Nonetheless, we took it as we needed To our surprise, we discovered that leases housing, needed it immediately, and were for many properties are often signed a year in in no position to be fussy. advance. Since I didn’t begin our search until This ended up being a much larger and May, I quickly realized that rental agencies nicer home in a lovely neighborhood, which have few options left by springtime. That unsurprisingly cost more to rent. But by this could mean you end up staying a different point, we were grateful to have a roof over length of time or in a different type of accomour heads, lots of room, and several skylights. modation than anticipated. Hence, the ants, plumbing, microwave, and For us, this translated to renting for three garage-door snafus seemed more like minor months instead of our original plan of one inconveniences than disasters. month. This turned out to be a good decision (more about that later). We also signed on FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH 8 Hotels in the heart of the Canadian Rockies the dotted line for what was still available THE CLIMATE BEFOREHAND that also included a washer and dryer—a For the past three decades, my husband HOTEL ROOMS SUITES CONDOS 565-square-foot casita. This turned out to and I have flown to Florida to visit family when be a bad decision. the frigid winds of December and January blew 1-800-563-8764 into town. I thought I knew what to expect MAKE SURE THE in terms of winter weather in other southern www.bestofbanff.com RENTAL IS LARGE climes. It would be like Palm Beach County, ENOUGH TO BE I assumed for some unfathomable reason. COMFORTABLE Consequently, I packed mostly clothing that Camping is one of life’s greatest adventures. I confess I am was suitable for hot summer weather. Let us help you take off the stress. one of those peoAlas, high desert in winter bears no resemTime Saver: hook up to your RV ple who has trouble blance to coastal Florida during that season. at home and leave on your trip. envisioning spatial Yes, we managed to avoid ice and snow, but When you return, unhook your configurations. we weren’t exactly basking in the Bahamas tow vehicle and we will return it So when I chose a either. Occasionally in January, I was as cold in to your storage area. 565-square-foot the desert as I’ve ever been in the Flathead and rental, I had no idea not nearly as well prepared for it. Fortunately, Curbside RV Delivery Service I would be living in a nearby thrift shop came to the rescue along on Facebook a home the size of with my predilection for layering. Additional Services: a walk-in closet • End-of-Season Winterizations for three months. STAY LONG ENOUGH TO ENJOY YOURSELF • Complete Detailing • Sanitary Dumping Okay, not quite that Since this was a new experience, initially • Fresh Water Tank Refill small but you get my husband and I didn’t want to commit too • Lighting Repair Contact Lee Cotten • Flat Tire Repair the picture. many weeks or dollars to the venture. That’s 208-941-2545 • And More... In addition, two why we had thought a month would suffice. of the casita’s four But due to the lack of available choices when
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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT we began our research (primarily three-month properties and not many at that remained), we decided to extend our stay another two months. Considering we were going to the effort of closing up the house, emptying the fridge, and blowing out water pipes anyway, we figured we may as well stay longer. And that was definitely a right decision for us. After all, packing for three months is no harder than packing for one. But beyond that, we soon realized we needed ample time to familiarize ourselves with this new territory. GPS apps and maps help but there’s nothing quite like developing a mental map
Travel
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in your head to visualize how to drive to your destination—be it a supermarket or cinema. We also did something new every day to better acquaint ourselves with the area. This included exploring various birding and picnic spots, sampling chiles rellenos at every Mexican restaurant we heard about, and browsing through an array of regional farmers’ markets. While we could have done some of these things in one month, we were able to do so much more thanks to the extra time—of which contributed to making this our preferred winter home for what we hope will be many years to come. ISI
Plane, Train, Taxi, and a Man From Holland BY ERNIE WITHAM
STUBBY LAKE SMOKE SHOP 396610 HWY 95, PLUMMER, ID
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that didn’t work here and try to explain where we were, so they could take us to a hotel somewhere. One of the neighbors said something to her young daughter who dashed away. A few
© Ponsulak, Bigstock.com
SENIOR WIRE—The taxi driver kept tapping his GPS as we drove through crowded narrow Japanese streets. He turned left, then right, then left again, while glancing up occasionally to avoid running over pedestrians or under buses. I looked out the window at all the bright signs—none of which I could read. I thought about the title of my travel book: Where Are Pat and Ernie Now? The owner of the house we would be staying in had emailed the address for us to give to the taxi driver. It had two Japanese characters, followed by four numbers separated by dashes, then two more characters, three numbers, a dot, then four more numbers. The taxi driver stared at it for several minutes before inputting it into the GPS. It had been a 10-hour flight. Our seats on the airplane were over the wing, which the flight attendant pointed out in case we needed to exit during a water landing. I thought of the movie “Sully,” where he had skillfully landed in the Hudson River. I wondered how long it would take the ferry boats to get to us in the middle of the Pacific. Delta was kind enough to outfit the 3000 or so seats crammed into the economy section with free movie monitors. I started up “Murder on the Orient Express.” Hercule Poirot was just about to reveal the murderer when a message from the flight attendant interrupted it. “Some of the monitors are not working,” she said. “So, Atlanta suggested we reboot the system.” The monitors went blank. They were still blank hours later when we arrived at Haneda Airport. We had gone through 16 time zones. It was now Tuesday afternoon. We had lunch. Something with noodles. Then we found the train to Kamakura. It was an express. In the Orient. I looked around for Johnny Depp, to no avail. There are no “maximum number of passengers” signs on trains in Japan. Pat and I had to squeeze into a standing-room-only car with four suitcases, a camera bag, and a purse. I was the only one within sight with a mustache. It didn’t earn me the respect of a
seat however. A little over an hour later, we pulled into Kamakura and hailed the cab we were now in. Our driver turned into a narrow lane. He slowed, looked around, then took several more turns. Finally, he stopped in the middle of the road. Another car approached. He took our piece of paper and went to talk to the driver. There was a lot of head shaking. I thought of a new title for my book: Where Are Pat and Ernie and the Taxi Driver Now? He came back, tapped his GPS one last time, then opened the trunk and took out our luggage, leaving it on the road. He said something apologetic, bowed a few times, then drove away. It was dusk. Some neighbors came out of a house. They spoke some English. They did not recognize the address. As it turns out, none of the streets in the neighborhood had names. More neighbors appeared. The paper with the two Japanese characters, followed by 4 numbers separated by dashes, then two more characters, three numbers, a dot, then four more numbers got passed around. One neighbor would point one way, while another pointed the other way. Then they would switch. I tried not to panic. All we’d have to do was call another taxi with our phones
minutes later, she returned with a man who spoke English. He said he thought he might know where the house was. It was dark now. We followed him down a steep hill then up another steep hill. He told us he came from Holland. I wondered if he had a different taxi driver. He stopped in front of a house. It had the owner’s name on it. We found the lockbox with the key. I thanked the man profusely and told him Holland was my favorite country, and I loved tulips. We carried our bags into the house. “That went well,” I said. Pat collapsed on the couch. ISI
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All About Idaho
LOCAL PEOPLE•LOCAL STORIES•LOCAL FUN•LOCAL BUSINESSES
Potent Pumpkin Power & Thanksgiving Tradition “She gave me a book about growing giant pumpkins in 2000, and it took off from there,” he said. “Two years later, I started entering them in the fair.” For entertainment, Cliff Warren eavesWarren shared his secrets for growing dropped on fairgoers as they admired, gaped, orange and white behemoths from Atlantic and grinned at his 692-pound, blue ribbon Giant Pumpkin seeds. While he attributed pumpkin during the Eastern Idaho State Fair his prize winners to merely “good garin Blackfoot in September. dening practices,” he has developed a detailed protocol with many nuances and variables. “Basically, you need suitable soil and the right amounts of moisture and warmth,” he said. “Probably most important, though, is that you develop a gut instinct because something unpredictable usually happens every summer with weather.” In early April, he plants seeds indoors Clifford Warren of Pocatello tends to his Atlantic Giant Pumpkin, which he estifrom his previous year’s mates exceeds 700 pounds. Last year, his 992-pound pumpkin placed second at winner. In late April, he the Utah Giant Pumpkin Growers’ weigh-in. Photo by Dianna Troyer transplants about four or five with the most potential to his patch “Some people were sure they were fertiland covers them with a hoop house to ized with milk,” said Warren, who has been protect them from the cold. raising mammoth pumpkins west of Pocatello By late June, healthy plants are growing, since 2000. “Others wondered how many pies and in early July, the flowers open. “You would be baked from it.” generally select a blossom growing about His wife, Sondra, said the giant pumpkins 10 feet from the main vine, so the pumpkin lack flavor. will have room to spread as it grows.” “I make pies from my small jack-o-lanEach plant produces male and female tern pumpkins,” she said. b l o s s o m s . “The females are only viable Warren enters his pumpkins at the during the morning of one day. I’ll cross-polIdaho fair and at the Utah Giant Pumpkin linate by hand, then tie the blossom shut with Growers’ weigh-in. a tendril, so bees won’t get in.” “Everyone has a hobby, and this is In July, the pumpkins begin gaining weight mine,” said the 53-year-old electrical rapidly, about 25 pounds a day. “You can engineer at ON Semiconductor. “I’ve actually see them grow in a day,” Sondra said. always been a gardener and am competiWarren is careful to not allow his pumptive, plus giant pumpkins just make people kins to grow too quickly. He fertilizes weekly smile. Every summer, friends at work know with fish emulsion, seaweed, and humic and it’s time for my crazy hobby and ask me fulvic acid. “If it grows too fast, the skin will how big they’re growing.” crack,” he said. He credits his sister with planting the idea. To keep the pumpkins in the ideal temperature range of 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, he covers them at night we are devoted to enriching the lives of those entrusted to us. with blankets and sprinkles them with water during hot weather. “We joke he tucks them in every night,” Sondra said. BY DIANNA TROYER
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To esti ma te thei r wei ght, he u ses a f or mu la. “You take three measurements at various points on the pumpkin and use that to calculate the weight,” he said. “I don’t do it all the time because it tends to ruin my day if one isn’t as big as I think it should be.” He waits until the night before a weigh-in to cut the vine. “You leave it on the vine until the last possible moment,” he said. To lift it, he rolls it and slips a sling underneath. Webbed straps resembling seat belts are attached to a chain hoist supported by a 16-foot-tall wooden tripod of 4-inch square posts. “I raise it, then slowly lower it on a carpeted pallet in the bed of my truck,” he said. “Before I got that equipment, I had to find six or seven friends to help me lift it.” With a blue ribbon from the Idaho fair in hand, Warren hoped to place well at the Utah Giant Pumpkin Growers’ weigh-in in late September. “A pumpkin can only be entered in one contest. Some years, I save my biggest one for the Utah weigh-in. When you cut the vine, it is what it is. Whatever the weight, it’s worthwhile growing them.” In Utah, the weigh-in at Thanksgiving Point is merely the beginning of festivities. Growers also compete in a regatta and later watch pumpkins being dropped from a crane to smash old cars and other objects. Last fall for the first time, Warren rowed in the regatta after hollowing out his 992-pound pumpkin, the largest he has ever grown and the second-place pumpkin. A Yankees fan, he wore a baseball cap for his costume and named his pumpkin the Yankee Clipper. “It’s best to have a pumpkin with a fairly flat bottom because it’s easier to row than a round one. Our daughter Elise had more of a knack for it and took over.” A broker for the Utah growers often helps members sell their pumpkins, usually for $1 per pound. “Managers at car dealerships, banks, and hospitals buy them as a talking point for customers and patients,” he said. “I’ve sold some in the past.” Many growers donate their pumpkins to the elephants at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. Every summer, while Clifford is tending to his giants, Sondra grows about 100 jacko-lanterns. In October, they put them in the backyard and invite their children, grandchildren, and friends and neighbors to pick out a pumpkin for Halloween. The Warrens display the giant pumpkins in their front yard until Thanksgiving when they harvest about 500 seeds per pumpkin. Government Subsidized Apartments for “We spread the Self-Reliant Elderly pumpkin on the senior living garden or use it for compost, so they • A Loving Family Atmosphere • Home Cooked Meals Every Day feed next year’s giant • On Site Beauty Parlor & Laundry Units pumpkins,” Sondra 208-454-0004 • 612 W Logan St, Caldwell said. ISI LoganParkSeniorLiving.com
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
All About Idaho
37. Actress Holmes 38. Ticked off 39. "How was __ know?" 40. Diamond weight 41. Word before Master or case 42. Fountain treat with Bosco, maybe 45. Biblical dancer 46. For each 47. Echoic remark before "What do we have here?" whose words can follow the ends of 20-, 28- and 42-Across 54. Many Mideast residents 57. Verdi opera set in Egypt 58. Color similar to turquoise 59. '90s candidate Ross 60. Hosp. scans 61. Road grooves 62. Japanese capital 63. Literary sister of Amy, Meg and Jo 64. Magnitude
ACROSS 1. 24 minutes, in the NBA 5. Giant among wholesale clubs 9. Heat unit 14. Rideshare app 15. __-deucey 16. Great Lakes mnemonic 17. Author Wiesel 18. Improbable tale 19. Candy heart message
20. Position of football lineman J.J. Watt 23. Sound heard by a shepherd 24. Intense, as a competitor 28. Average, in math 33. Unsteady on one's feet 34. Country rocker Steve 35. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film 36. Divisions of tennis matches
DOWN 1. Tinged 2. Having the skills 3. Actor/singer Garrett 4. They're on the house 5. Prepares to have one's tongue depressed 6. Healthy berry 7. Griffin of game show fame 8. "Auld Lang __" 9. Skating danger
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10. Texas __: poker game 11. Big Australian bird 12. Gun, as an engine 13. The Spartans of the NCAA 21. Part of NFL: Abbr. 22. TurboTax option 25. Hardwood tree that drops acorns 26. Fisher who plays Princess Leia 27. Come in 28. "Queen of Soul" Franklin 29. Equip anew, as a machine shop 30. Ben Stiller's mom 31. Really bother 32. Clichd 33. Nike competitor 37. Superman's birth name 38. Sci-fi classic that introduced Princess Leia 40. Regains consciousness 41. Poet Silverstein 43. Frequent John Wayne persona 44. A cannonball makes a big one 48. Shepherd's charge 49. Lamp-to-plug line 50. Improve text 51. Same: Pref. 52. Skating jump 53. Cut with light 54. Fitting 55. Rock's __ Speedwagon 56. Genesis boat ISI
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ANSWERS TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 39
Fall Festival Showcases Gourds Galore in Boise BY DIANNA TROYER
Gourd artists will showcase their work at the 19th annual Idaho Gourd Society Festival. These pieces are the work of Carol Joyce. This year’s theme is “Wings, Flowers, and Leaves.” Photo by Dianna Troyer.
Boise Valley Monument Co. Serving Families since 1963
Boise 208-343-0471 • Caldwell 208-454-9532 BoiseValleyMonument.com
Learn to transform a gourd into artwork at the Idaho Gourd Society’s 19th Annual Gourd Festival and Gourd Sale on October 27 and 28 in Boise. Along with make-and-take activities for children and adults, participants can watch demonstrations, see a gourd art competition, bid on silent auction items, and purchase gifts, gourd tools, and art supplies. The event celebrates the versatility and beauty of hard-shelled gourds and gourd art in Idaho. With the theme “Wings, Flowers and Leaves,” the festival will be at The Clubhouse Event Center, 7311 W. Potomac Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $4 per person with children younger than 9 admitted for free. The society’s members promote the horticulture and appreciation of gourds and provide a supportive, sharing and educational environment. More information is available at www.idahogourdsociety.org. ISI
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
All About Idaho
Visit Teton County, Idaho for Year-Round Fun Foundation’s Kotler Ice Arena, an outdoor, covered ice rink in Victor, Idaho. For a special experience, go skating there as the sun sets over the BY KATHLEEN MULROY mountains. The website is tetonvalleyfoundation.org/kotlericearena . If you’re searching for a thrilling paddle on Teton County’s rivers Looking for year-round activities in one of the most beautiful and lakes, there are innumerable kayaking and canoing opportunimountain regions in the world? Then head for Teton County, Idaho, ties, from guided group tours to solo adventures. For comprehensive an area blessed with breathtaking scenery and lots to do and see. In information, go to greater-yellowstone.com/teton-valley/kayaking . the heart of the county is Teton Valley, with a high elevation of 6,500 You can get an in-depth look at what feet. The Valley sits in the shadow of the makes Yellowstone National Park and the magnificent Grand Teton peak and is ringed Tetons unique by visiting the Geotourism by three mountain ranges. Yellowstone and Center in Driggs, Idaho. Driggs is the entrance Grand Teton National Parks are nearby. to the Teton Scenic Byway, a part of the During the warmer months, enjoy fishing, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Email tetonhiking, kayaking or canoing, rafting, horseback geotourismcenter@gmail.com. riding, hunting, and mountain biking. In the History buffs will enjoy the Teton Valley winter, experience outstanding downhill and Historical Museum in Driggs. Travel back in Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and snow-shoetime via historic photos and exhibits to learn ing. Animal lovers will want to watch for a wide about the area’s settlement, mining days, variety of wildlife, including bears, moose, elk, and growth. Call (208)354-6000 for more wolves, eagles, hawks, mountain blue birds, and information about the museum’s location even the occasional condor. and hours. For indoor fun at any time of the year, The Teton Rock Gym, a non-profit facility stroll through museums, tackle an indoor in Driggs, offers a unique indoor climbing rock climbing gym, or sip a cold one at an experience for both novices and experts. The award-winning brewery or distillery. gym has more than 3,000 feet of climbing, One destination you might want to check with 1,000 holds across walls up to 30 feet out is Teton Springs Resort, located in the tall. Experienced Teton Valley climbers are heart of Teton Valley. The Resort offers there to assist you. Email the Gym at climb@ cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat-tire tetonrockgym.com or call (208)354-1046. biking, and even heli-skiing. In the summer, If you like hand-crafted micro-beers, head to anglers can dangle a line in well-stocked Grand Teton Brewing, in Victor, Idaho. There’s lakes, and golfers can challenge the worlda pub (no food is served, but you can bring your class golf course. For more information, go Teton Valley in Idaho, elevation 6,500 feet, sits in the own), and free tours are offered weekdays at 5 to tetonsprings.com. shadow of the magnificent Grand Teton peak and is p.m. and weekends at 3:30 p.m., depending on How about lacing up a pair of ice skates ringed by three mountain ranges. The area is blessed staff availability. Contact them at beermail@ and hitting the ice rink? If that sounds like with breathtaking scenery and lots to do and see. © grandtetonbrewing.com or at (888)899-1656. fun, you’ll want to try out Teton Valley MartinM303, Bigstock.com You could also visit the Grand Teton Distillery, known for its award-winning vodka. The Distillery, located in Driggs, has a tasting room that’s open to the public. Go to tetondistillery.com/faq for more information. Highest Over 35 s For information about Teton County events throughout the year, Price Turn Your Years S erving Paid In Old Forgotten the Trea go to discovertetonvalley.com/events. ISI Decades Treasures sure
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SEASON TO BE PRUDENT / CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
If you are satisfied with your current coverage, you don’t need to do anything. SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIODS (SEPS) These offer a lifeline for certain unexpected life changes and are opportunities for change in addition to the regular annual enrollment periods. Go online or call Medicare for more information on this program. THREE HELPFUL HINTS
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1. Review your most recent Medicare and You handbook to see a listing of the plans in your area. 1. Make sure to carefully read your “Annual Notice of Change” letter. 1. Get free personalized health-insurance counseling by calling your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit shiptacenterw.org, or call Medicare to get the phone number.
GO FOR IT! Visit medicare.gov online or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048). Medicare customer service representatives are almost always knowledgeable, patient, and friendly. It’s worth the occasionally long wait (and enduring the “on hold” music) to get the important information for your 2019 medical needs. iSI
OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
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Answers to Brain Games PUZZLES•QUIZZES•GAMES•CONTESTS•BRAIN TEASERS•FUN
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About Our Contributing Staff Writers Natalie Bartley is a Boise-based author of trail guidebooks Best Easy Day Hikes Boise and Best Rail Trails Pacific Northwest. She is a member of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America. nataliebartleyoutdoor.com
Carrie Scozzaro has made a living and a life with words and images, from graphic design and marketing communications, to teaching public school art, to writing about art, education, food, and culture from her Coeur d’Alene-area home for such clients as Inlander, Sandpoint Magazine, and Western Art & Architecture.
Holly Endersby has been an award-winning outdoor writer for 25 years, working in newspaper, magazines, TV, and web-based magazines. She enjoys horse packing in wilderness areas, fishing, hunting, snow and water sports, yoga, and hiking. She was the first Conservation Director for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
Dianna Troyer is a freelance writer based in Pocatello, Idaho. She enjoys family and friends, skiing, riding horses, and hiking.
Gail Jokerst is an award-winning writer and member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and longtime contributor to this newspaper. Contact her at gailjokerst@gmail.com.
REQUEST FOR SUBMITTALS Mary Ann Reuter is a Boise-based health and lifestyle writer whose interests include active aging, rural health, and the human-animal bond. You can reach her at ma.reuter@yahoo.com.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley One day a zookeeper noticed that a monkey was reading two books— The Bible and Darwin’s Origin of Species.
Readers are encouraged to submit interesting material such as: articles, letters to the editor, jokes, poems, and photos. Please send your submissions to: nann@idahoseniorindependent.com or to 1985 McMannamy Draw, Kalispell, MT 59901.
Surprised, he asked the monkey, “Why are you reading both of those books?” “Well”, said the monkey, “I just wanted to know if I was my brother’s keeper or my keeper’s brother.” ISI
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT â&#x20AC;¢ OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2018
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