Lifestyles After 50 Southwest/Lee/Charlotte Edition, March 2019

SouthweSt ~ MARCh 2019

Lee, Charlotte

Book Review Book Review By kATHy MeGyeRi

“S

How to Complain When There’s Nothing to Complain About:

More Thoughts About Life from the Far Side of the Hill

usan’s on a roll again!” proclaims her friend, singer Willie Nelson in his endorsement of Susan Goldfein’s second book, How to Complain When There’s Nothing to Complain About. And with that melodic proclamation (now he’s got me humming that song), off we go, headed for what feels like a good time with an old friend – one who shares witty and charming tales about marriage, the indignities of aging and life’s absurdities.

In the vein of Andy Rooney, Erma Bombeck, and Nora Ephron, Goldfein’s relatable collection of 50 essays sheds new light on ordinary events. Her chapter titles alone will make you smile: “Women Who Pack (and Men Who Don’t),” “The Insomnia Games,” “Death, Taxes, and the Annual Exam,” and “Are There Outlet Malls in Heaven?”

So who is this insightful, funny and honest writer who takes a light but piercing look at life as we age?

If you are a regular reader of Lifestyles After 50, you will recognize Susan Goldfein’s name as a popular humor columnist from Palm Beach who lives with her husband, Larry, (an endless source of fodder) and her dog named Sam. She has a doctorate in Communication Disorders from Teachers College at Columbia

Adult In Home Assistance Seniors Helping Seniors

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Assisted Living Love To Know Seniors Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

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Food, Clothing, Personal Care, Household Goods Meals on Wheels www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org Trinity Cafe www.trinitycafe.org Feeding Tampa Bay www.feedingamerica.org Daystar Life Center www.daystarlife.com Metropolitan Ministries www.metromin.org Education Eckerd College (St. Petersburg)

www.eckerd.edu/olli

Employment Florida Department of Elder Affairs www.elderaffairs.state.fl.us Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) www.doleta.gov/seniors/ Retirement Life Matters www.retirementlifematters.com Work Force 50 www.workforce50.com Financial Services National Council on Aging Benefits Check Up Women’s Institute For A Secure Retirement (WISER) BBF Capital Advisors

www.benefitscheckup.org/ www.wiserwomen.org/ www.bruceficken.com/

Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 2

University, and was a successful speech pathologist, adjunct professor, and consultant. Her second career as a writer evolved after retirement at age 69, when she asked herself, “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” She then took time to explore her passions and skills, and discovered she had a knack for writing humor, so she began a blog at susansunfilteredwit.com.

MEET SUSAN! At 74, she authored her first book, Book signing event How Old am I in Dog Years? a col10 AM-12PM, March 21 Lifestyles Spring Expo lection of essays that won her several 9 AM-1 PM at TPepin’s awards plus a multitude of benefits: she Hospitality Centre was having fun, she basked in positive 4121 N. 50th St., Tampa feedback, and she was challenging her mind.

She says it’s all therapeutic: “Humor continues to be my weapon of choice to combat the foibles of domestic life, the indignities of aging in an ageist society, ridiculous social trends, and whatever piece of nuttiness I happen to be observing that day.

“So instead of lying on a couch, or picking up a sharp instrument, I write.”

Government and Senior Community Resources Administration for Community Living (ACL) www.acl.gov/ American Association of Kidney Patients www.aakp.org American Red Cross www.redcross.org American Association of Retired Persons www.aarp.org/tampabay The ALS Association Florida Chapter www.webfl.alsa.org Area Agency on Aging (Elder Help Line) www.youragingresourcecenter.org Department of Business and Professional Regulation www.myfloridalicense.com Florida Information Locator www.stateofflorida.com Hills County Dept of Aging www.hillsboroughcounty.org Internal Revenue Service (Seniors & Retirees www.irs.gov/individuals/seniors-retirees Medicare www.medicare.gov National Parks www.NPS.gov Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) www.seniorsinservice.org Ronald McDonald House Tampa rmhctampabay.org/ Senior Connection (Hillsborough) www.agingcare.com Senior Games www.flasports.com/florida-senior-games Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) www.score.org Social Security Administration www.SSA.gov U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development www.UD.gov Health & Medical Services Addiction Center www.addictioncenter.com American Association of Kidney Patients www.aakp.org Dementia www.dementia.org Melanoma Research Foundation www.melanoma.org National Stroke Association www.stroke.org Senior Home Improvement Program (SHIP) www.thecentre.org/programs services-for-older-adults National Institute of Senior Health www.nihseniorhealth.gov Insurance Consumer Advocate Legal Services Bay Area Legal Services Tax Counseling for the Elderly

www.consumersadvocate.org/

www.bals.org www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-counseling-for-the-elderly

Pet Services Consumer Advocate TLC Pet Snip (non-profit)

Citrine Publishing, 2018, 180 pages

www.consumersadvocate.org/pet-insurance/best-pet-insurance www.tlcpetsnip.org

Preplanning Final Expenses Aging Care Retirement Living LCB Senior Living Transportation Florida Department of Elder Affairs ITN Suncoast Travel and Leisure Florida Orchestra Gaylord Palms Orlando Players Theater (Sarasota) Straz Performing Arts Center (Tampa) Tampa Bay Rays

www.agingcare.com/articles/funeral-planning www.lcbseniorliving.com

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MARCH: COLOR IT GREEN

G

reen is the unofficial color of March. From St. Patrick’s Day festivities to springtime’s magnificent new growth, green symbolizes life, freshness, fertility and the environment.

As the dominant color in nature, green generates feelings of hope and the promise of renewal.

And so does Trader Joe’s.

The other day, my daughter Lauren brought home a halfdozen Trader Joe’s apples in a bag – a wonderful, stretchy, eco-friendly, compostable produce bag that, unlike its plastic predecessors, won’t stick around for hundreds of years.

The bags, made by Crown Poly, are composed of starches, cellulose and vegetable oils, so they are plant-based rather than petroleum-based.

Trader Joe’s, a grocery chain known for its emphasis on clean food and sustainable business practices, says the aim is to have the new compostable bags for produce in their 474 stores by April 1, thus eliminating more than 1 million pounds of plastic this year.

This is a noble start since only a small percentage of plastic (about 9 percent) is actually recycled and much of it finds its way into landfills, ditches, rivers, lakes and oceans, where it can be deadly to wildlife. Plastic breaks up but never fully breaks down and instead turns into toxic microplastics that can invade our food and water supply.

As a consumer, you can help by buying earth-friendly products such as compostable trash or dog doo bags, diapers, cups, plates, containers and cutlery from Amazon and other retailers.

It should be noted that for now, most compostables are more expensive and not widely available. Some are suitable for backyard composting bins, others may require industrial composting facilities which operate at higher temperatures.

Southwest Edition Published monthly by Lifestyles After 50 Volume 30, Issue 3 Publisher Ed Graves Ed. Graves@lifestylesafter50.com Editor Terri Bryce Reeves Terri. Reeves@lifestylesafter50.com Website Coordinator Allie Shaw Allie. Shaw@lifestylesafter50.com Distribution Nancy Spencer Nancy. Spencer@lifestylesafter50.com Questions/Customer Service 813-653-1988 • 1-888-670-0040 Press Releases Editor@lifestylesafter50.com Advertising Sales Karen Lyons: 941-505-0101 deadlinelady@comcast.net Joe Gess: 813-817-9855 Joe. Gess@lifestylesafter50.com

The good news is, it seems like the world is catching on to the plastics problem. Each day, more and more cities are taking the bold move to ban plastic bags and straws. More and more retailers are doing what they can to cut back on the use of plastics and promote the use of reusable, biodegradable and compostable products.

As citizens and consumers, let’s do our part by letting businesses, retailers and government officials know that green is an important color in our world – one we want to see all year ‘round and for centuries to come.

See you in April.

Terri Bryce Reeves Terri Bryce Reeves, Editor

May you always have Walls for the winds, A roof for the rain, Tea beside the fire, Laughter to cheer you, Those you love near you, And all your heart might desire! ~ An Irish Blessing ~

Event Logistic Coordinator Vicki Willis: 813-765-1070 Vicki. Willis@lifestylesafter50.com Event Sales Ed Graves: 731-267-1532 Ed. Graves@lifestylesafter50.com __________________________________

Our other editions:

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Lifestyles After 50 P.O. Box 638 Seffner, Florida 33583-0638 Fax: (813) 331-2634 www.lifestylesafter50.com

Attention Readers: The articles printed in Lifestyles After 50 do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editor or the staff. Lifestyles After 50 endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we cannot be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Lifestyles After 50 reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. Our advertising deadline for each issue is the 15th of the previous month. Magazines are out by the 7th of each month. All rights reserved.

As a reader of Lifestyles After 50, you are creating an established relationship with our advertisers. You may be contacted by email, telephone or mail as allowed by law.

Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 3

local events around town • March 2019 Event: 82nd Annual Shell Festival Date: March 7, 8, 9 Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cost: FREE admission to the Festival Grounds

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Book Swap March 8 6 – 8 p.m.

FREE

Place: Sanibel Community House Address: 2173 Periwinkle Way Sanibel 33957 Phone: 503-871-1082 Website: Sanibelshellfestival.com

Morgan Family Community Center Address: 6207 W. Price Blvd.

North Port 34291 Phone: 941-429-3555 Website: cityofnorthport.com

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Garden Club of Cape Coral Garden Tour March 13 12 – 3 p.m. $5 (Members & Students FREE)

Place:

Yappy Hour March 8 6:30 - 8 p.m.

FREE

Place: PetCoral Resort & Veterinary Address: 924 Del Prado Blvd. S. Cape Coral 33990 Phone: (239) 673-8453 Website: www.petcoral.com/

New Hope Yard Sale March 9 8 a.m FREE to attend

Place: New Hope Baptist Fellowship Address: 431 Nicholas Pkwy. E. Cape Coral 33990 Phone: 239-573-1370 Website: www.newhopebaptistfellowship.com/

Place: Cape Coral Historical Museum Address: 544 Cultural Park Blvd.

Cape Coral 33990 Phone: 239 – 772-7037 Website: capecoralhistoricalmuseum.org Event:

5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Trolley Event Date: March 17 Time: 3 - 9 p.m.

Cost: $17 Place: South Cape Entertainment District Address: 1217 Cape Coral Parkway E. Cape Coral 33904 Phone: 239-900-4028 Website: www.southcapeentertainment.com

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Lifestyles After 50 Spring Expo March 21 9 a.m - 1 p.m.

FREE

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Place: T Pepin’s Hospitality Centre Address: 4121 N. 50th St. Tampa

Place:

Phone: 813-653-1988 Website: www.Lifestylesafter50.com/events

Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Motown R&B All-Star Band Live In Concert March 23 7 - 9:30 p.m. $20 cover charge

Place: Cape Cabaret Address: 4725 Vincennes Blvd.

Cape Coral 33904 Phone: 239-549-3000 Website: capecabaret.com

BSU Member Appreciation Day March 23 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

FREE

Customer Service Bldg. & Water Plant Address: 11900 E. Terry St. Bonita Springs 34135 Phone: 239-275-5758 Website: www.BSU.US Event: Date: Time: Cost:

Southwest Florida Concert Band Celebration of Music March 24 2 p.m.

FREE (donations accepted)

Place: South Fort Myers High School Address: 14020 Plantation Road Fort Myers 33912 Phone: 239-322-4021 Website: www.SWFLConcertBand.org

send your event news to Jenna@lifestylesafter50.coM by the 15th of each Month for publication in the following Month's issue.

“Dumbo” March Film

By RANDAL C. HILL

I

n 1941, Disney proved that being different can help one soar to new heights no matter what the bullies say with the release of the animated film Dumbo. Now, nearly 80 years later, a live-action remake comes to town and, along with it, a potentially darker plot.

Something to take the grandkids to see? Let’s investigate.

The new Dumbo, set to be released March 29, will be light years away from what Uncle Walt gave the world many years ago – a few cartoon characters and an uncomplicated plotline. In today’s cinema world, that 1941 version just wouldn’t fly (excuse the pun).

Now director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas) has re-imagined the iconic elephant with computer-generated imagery, and he’s surrounded him with a star-studded cast including Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito.

Farrell plays Holt Ferrier, a former circus headliner who returns home from war a damaged man. He and his two children are hired to care for Dumbo by circus owner and ringmaster Max Medici (DeVito). Due to his freakishly enormous ears, Dumbo has become the laughingstock of Medici’s second-rate operation. But Holt and the kids soon learn that those same ridiculed ears offer the baby elephant a chance for success in life.

Entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Keaton) imagines Dumbo as a headliner in his new entertainment venue called Dreamland, a place where a shiny veneer can hide dark and unsavory secrets.

Along with Vandevere, circus aerialist Colette Marchant (Eva Green) and Wall

Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 4

Street mogul, J. Griffin Remington (Alan Arkin), all manage to push their way into Dumbo’s world when they also foresee star potential—and piles of cash—in the precocious pachyderm.

With the inimitable Tim Burton behind the camera, you know that this Dumbo is going to be a little eerie, a little dark, probably a bit melancholy.

Add in the fact that Ehren Kruger, who wrote or co-wrote such sophisticated fare as the Transformers sequels, Scream 3 and the first two The Ring movies, is the writer behind this screenplay, and you may be more inclined to invite your hip teenage grandchildren to accompany you to the film than the younger set.

This time around, Dumbo offers no sympathetic Timothy

Q. Mouse and, mercifully, no trashtalking, racist crows. But whatever Burtonesque touches do make their way into the new feature, the touching tale is still guaranteed to yank at viewers’ heartstrings.

You may want to take along some pocket tissues if you go – as well as some for those hip teenage grandchildren.

Just in case.

Dumbo

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Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 5 2/14/19 4:59 PM

FOOD FESTS

By RANDAL HILL

One sign of spring in Florida is the vast array of food and music festivals that start popping up in nearly every corner of the state. This time, we’ve handplucked what we believe to be some of the top food festivals on Florida’s West Coast. So, mark your calendars and don’t miss some great gastronomical fun.

FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL Festival grounds, Plant City, through March 10 flstrawberryfestival.com

Sure, this annual get-together offers an abundance of star-studded entertainment, parades, rides, exhibits and vendors, but keep in mind that its primary purpose is as a celebration of those little heart-shaped morsels of succulence for which the festival is named. More than 10,000 acres of strawberries are grown at local farms each year, and since 1930, Plant City folks have celebrated with a gala that draws a half-million visitors from around the world.

Florida Strawberry Festival vendors sell every imaginable strawberry delight, from the traditional (pies, cheesecakes, milkshakes) to the, ahem, unusual (strawberry-laced hamburgers and pizzas).

See website for ticket prices.

FORT MYERS BEACH/LIONS CLUB SHRIMP FESTIVAL

Fort Myers Beach, March 9 & 10 fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com What began as a blessing of the local shrimp boats decades ago has blossomed into a major annual Fort Myers Beach party. The fun kicks off on Estero Boulevard, March 9th at 10 a.m., with a two-mile-long, dazzling parade replete with floats, bands and Clydesdale horses. The crowning of the 2019 Shrimp Queen follows afterward at Lynn Hall Park.

Each year, the Lions Club cooks up over a half-ton of locally caught shrimp. Each dinner consists of a halfpound of the steaming, delectable

crustaceans, coleslaw and the Lions’ “secret recipe” cocktail sauce.

Besides a shrimp-eating contest, over 100 vendors will set up on or near the pristine beach. Free admission.

of musical styles including Motown, country, pop and Latin tunes.

Registration is required to attend this event. Visit the website for more info.

ST. ARMANDS SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL

St. Armands Circle Park, Sarasota, May 24-26 seafoodfestivals.com

CUBAN SANDWICH FESTIVAL

Centennial Park, Ybor City, Tampa, March 31 thecubansandwichfestival.com

CLEARWATER BEACH TASTE FEST

Pork, Swiss cheese and “secret” ingredients. Aromatic, freshly baked Cuban bread. Who serves up the Sunshine State’s very best Cuban sandwich? You be the judge at the 8th annual Cuban Sandwich Festival in Tampa’s historic Ybor City. Live music and dance performances on two stages. Over 100 vendors offering food and sundry exhibits. Free admission.

Special note: Watch folks attempt to create the world’s biggest Cuban sandwich, the day before at Centro Asturiano de Tampa. The planned length is (hold on) 170 feet!

USA Today ranks Clearwater as Florida’s Best Beach Town. Judge for yourself when you enjoy the food and fun at the 10th annual Clearwater Beach Taste Fest on May 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. This highly anticipated “oceanfriendly” event features hearty samples of casual and fine-dining cuisine supplied by over 30 local restaurants.

You’ll also find wine and craft beer, and a wide variety of vendors.

Get your groove on as crowd favorite C’Nergy takes the stage with a range

Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 6

Pier 60, Clearwater Beach, May 3 clearwaterbeachtastefest.com

The 3rd annual St. Armands Seafood & Music Festival at St. Armands Circle Park is back Memorial Day weekend with scrumptious fresh seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes prepared onsite by local restaurant folks using indigenous and sustainable ocean resources from Florida’s coastal waters. The annual bash also includes tasty side dishes, desserts and drinks to enjoy while relaxing amid the strains of live R & B, rock, classical and calypso. Arts and crafts booths, gourmet food and specialty items round out the attractions.

You just might come away from this Sarasota event with a life companion as the Humane Society of Sarasota County will be there with their mobile adoption center featuring lots of adorable furry faces.

Free general admission.

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Estate Bequests, Disclaimers and Medicaid Penalties

by Steven GibbS, eSq.

S

ince the passage of the OBRA (Federal Omnibus Reconciliation Act) in 1993, the disclaimer of an inheritance has been deemed a “disqualifying transfer” under the Medicaid Rules and this results in a penalty for the Medicaid recipient. So, this concern applies to families who receive inheritances, and especially to spouses who become qualified for Medicaid and then experience the death of a spouse with assets.

The solution to keep from having to “spend down” the entire estate is most often to allocate a certain percentage of the estate to the surviving spouse in a special trust of some type. In most common law states, the spouse who cannot be disinherited may claim what is called an “elective share” of the estate. Cases have shown that Medicaid may attempt to penalize the spouse based upon the elective share amount.

For a spouse on Medicaid or a non-spousal beneficiary such as an adult child, that share of the estate can be allocated to a Testamentary Special Needs Trust of some type.

For a non-spouse, a special needs trust can be an effective strategy to avoid the penalty, especially, in my opinion, for non-spousal beneficiaries under age 65.

To learn more about Florida Medicaid or estate planning options, connect with us today!

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Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 7

I can hear you now

Portable Oxygen For The Way You Want to Live

Obtaining hearing aids has helped me hear so much better, stay socially active and hopefully, will prevent future medical maladies. If you are struggling to hear, please don’t put off a visit to the audiologist or delay getting hearing aids. I’ll tell you why.

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Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 8

irst, it seemed like my husband Les constantly mumbled – and so did the store clerks, now that you mention it. And could he please turn up the volume on the TV so we could hear the news?

I was struggling to hear, and when I began screaming at people seated next to me at social gatherings, I knew it was time to see an audiologist.

When the practitioner confirmed I had hearing loss, I put my pride and vanity aside and purchased a pair of hearing aids. I had the option of flesh tone or silver, and though I may go for more sparkle in the future, for now, I am more comfortable with something less attention-grabbing.

Granted, they took a couple of months to get used to, periodically need new batteries and adjustments, and are not covered by my Medicare plan.

But I’m sticking with them – and not only because I can hear.

Dr. Frank Lin, Director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, warns that those with untreated hearing loss have a 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia and a 40 percent increased risk of becoming depressed within five years. Untreated hearing loss can also lead to falls (because we may miss ambient sounds) and even cardiovascular diseases due to stress and isolation.

My father was living proof. Disgusted with ill-fitting hearing aids and impatient with changing batteries on a regular basis, he refused to wear them and eventually was cut off from social interactions, became depressed and developed dementia. His brain could no longer process the sounds needed to stimulate cellular activity and to keep his mind cognitively engaged.

Today, 38.2 million Americans aged 12 and older have hearing loss. More than half of us in our 70s and more than 80 percent of those in their 80s have moderate to severe hearing loss, some even approaching total deafness.

Even more surprising, according to Lin, 85 percent of those with hearing loss who don’t seek treatment or use their hearing aids regularly will see their health care costs rise significantly. Forgoing treatment leads to an average 46 percent increase in health care costs over ten years, studies show.

Considering such statistics, providing hearing aids for seniors is good preventative medicine and trumps the social, emotional, physical and medical costs of going without.

Are you listening, Medicare?

Recipe

Sugar-Free Shamrock Shake

By JENNA LEE REEVES

T

hose of you who thought your milkshake drinking days are over, cheer up! You and the little leprechauns can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this refreshing matcha green tea milkshake that has all the sweet creaminess everyone loves, minus the fat, calories, artificial coloring and sugar.

Stevia, created from the leaves of the Stevia plant, is my sweetener of choice as it is all natural with zero calories. Studies have shown it may lower blood sugar levels. Matcha green tea is loaded with antioxidants and can boost metabolism.

At only 100 calories a serving, your milkshake drinking days are only a blender away.

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients: 1 c. plain, nonfat yogurt 1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond (or cashew) milk 1 tsp. matcha green tea powder Directions: Mix all ingredients in a blender; 1 or 2 Stevia packets (sweeten to taste) puree until smooth. Top with ¼ tsp. almond extract non-dairy almond milk whipped ½ tsp. vanilla paste topping if desired. Add a sprig 2 sprigs of mint leaves of mint for good luck!

1 c. ice cubes

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Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 9

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Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 10

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ith the conclusion of the Oscars, another awards season draws to a close. A whopping 44 award events have been held since January, affording the celebs plenty of opportunities to dress up and hang out.

Mostly, it’s the women who were hanging out, which generates today’s topic.

Am I imagining it, or was 2019 the Year of the Supreme Plunging Neckline? Starting with the Golden Globes, I saw more of Halle Berry, Regina King, Gina Rodriguez and Patricia Clarkson than I ever imagined. It was nearly as intimate as sharing a dressing room with them while trying on bathing suits.

The number of perky boobs playing peek-a-boo with the audience was overwhelming. I held my breath in anticipation of at least one Janet Jackson-style wardrobe malfunction, but it never happened.

Was I disappointed? Maybe a little.

So how do they keep everything so perfectly in place? Are the gowns real or spray-painted body art?

Other pressing questions keep popping out of my mind: Are gowns without fronts cheaper?

Considering the designer skimped on the yardage, they should be. And that goes for backless tushy plungers as well.

Should females with breasts more substantial than a prepubescent’s wear one? Surely there are fashion rules which exclude well-endowed women.

Are there plastic surgeons who specialize in inserting magnetic implants to hold the damn things in place? And what happens when you have an MRI? Do they explode?

Do these low-cut gowns come with an instruction manual? Is it okay to wave? What about vigorous hand-clapping? What happens if you sneeze?

My exhaustive research did uncover (pun intended) a very real product on the market called Boob Glue. According to the video, you apply it to your skin, press the fabric to your breast and hold it for one minute. (Don’t forget to do the other side.) Now I’m not sure how well it performs, so use it at your own risk.

I do know one thing for sure. With all that flaunting of the goods, these ladies have succeeded in adding a whole new meaning to the term “Golden Globes.”

MEET SUSAN!

Lifestyles After 50 Spring Expo features “How to Complain When There’s Nothing to Complain About,”a book signing event with humorist Susan Goldfein., from 10 AM to 12 PM. Our free expo is March 21, 9 AM - 1 PM at the TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 N. 50th St. in Tampa.

Women of the Wild West KATHY MEGYERI

March is Women’s History Month and for fun we’re going to take a look at some colorful and often notorious Women of the Wild West – those who you may not have read about in the history books, but whom collectively were heroines and heartbreakers, entertainers and entrepreneurs, outlaws and other women of note.

Phoebe Ann Mosey, stage name Annie Oakley (18601926), was a sharpshooter who was said to have split cards on their edges, popped corks off bottles and snapped cigarettes out of the mouths of men. In 1887, she joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and became an international superstar.

Cigar-smok ing, gun-toting, whiskey- drink ing “Stagecoach Mary” Fields (1832-1914) was born into slavery, freed after the Civil War and did a variety of odd jobs until her 60s when she became the first female African-American star-route mail carrier in the U.S. Would-be thieves didn’t stand a chance against this stagecoach driver with the “temperament of a grizzly bear.”

Pearl Hart (1871-1928), the “Lady Bandit of Arizona,” was a Canadian who came to the West in the 1880’s and was the only documented female stagecoach robber in U.S. history. While on trial, she claimed, “I shall not consent to be tried under a law in which my sex had no voice in making.” She went to jail anyway where she charmed the warden into allowing her to entertain visitors, journalists and photographers in her cell.

Pearl de Vere (1862-1897), the “soiled dove of Cripple Creek,” was the madam of the stylish Colorado brothel, The Old Homestead. Catering to rich gold miners, a room cost $250 a night but offered carpeting, bathtubs with running water, chandeliers, and an intercom. Her funeral was the most lavish in the town’s history as bands played, There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight. The Old Homestead is now a museum.

Carrie Nation (1846-1911), a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, crusaded against alcohol before Prohibition by smashing up Kansas bars and liquor barrels with her axe. She proudly sold souvenir hatchets and signed photos of herself in her later years.

Eliza Farnham (1815-1864) was a novelist, feminist and abolitionist. In 1849, she organized a party of single women to travel to California to meet eligible bachelors of the Gold Rush and save them from the evils of drinking and depravity. Her unconventional methods helped transform the land into one fit for wives and families.

Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr, a.k.a. Belle Starr (1848-1889), was part of the Jesse James-Cole Younger gang. A flamboyant outlaw and horse thief, she often wore velvet riding dresses with plumed hats while sitting side saddle and carrying six shooters. She was fatally shot in the face at age 40.

Martha Jane Canary, “Calamity Jane” (1852-1903) is said to have dressed like a man, shot like a gunslinger and drank like a fish. As part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, she told outlandish tales of frontier life. Despite her daredevil ways, she cared for the poor, sick and injured. Alcoholism and poor health led to her early death at age 51; she’s buried next to her friend Wild Bill Hickok.

Olive Oatman (1837-1903) was captured by a Native American tribe at age 14, enslaved and later sold to the Mohave people. During her time with the Mohave, they raised her as their own including giving her a ritualized blue tattoo on her chin. Later, after returning to white society she spoke highly of her treatment with the Mohave though she would often cover her tattoo in public.

Sacagawea (1788-1812). As a translator, this Lemhi Shoshone woman is credited for the successful outcome of the 1804-06 Lewis and Clark Expedition. She made the cross-country trip pregnant and returned with a newborn baby on her back. She is believed to have died from an illness at age 24, but her legacy continues: she is honored on a U.S. dollar coin and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 11

March Word Search

In the grid below, twenty answers can be found that fit the category for today. Circle each answer that you find and list it in the space provided at the right of the grid. Answers can be found in all directions – forwards, backwards, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. An example is given to get you started. Can you find the twenty answers in this puzzle?

Last Month’s Answers February Sudoku Last Month’s Winner is Mike Saunders, Sanibel Good Luck!

CongratuLationS!

Win Great Prizes!

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New winner selected each month

March Sudoku Sudoku requires no arithmetic skills. The object of the game is to fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers. Each row and each column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order.

Each 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9 as well. Good luck! The first correct answers selected from the drawing on the 20th will win.

Send your answers along with your name, address, telephone number & email to: Send your answers along with your name, address, email and telephone number to: LIFESTYLES AFTER 50 P.O. BOX 638, SEFFNER, FL 33583

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Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 12

Answers to FeBrUArY seArch

New device stops a cold New research shows you can stop a cold in its tracks if you take one simple step with a new device when you first 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 New research: Copper stops colds if used early. kill a virus. Touch it with copper. have stopped getting colds.

Researchers at labs and universities People often use CopperZap preagree, copper is “antimicrobial.” It ventively. Frequent flier Karen Gaukills microbes, such as viruses and ci used to get colds after crowded bacteria, just by touch. flights. Though skeptical, she tried That’s why ancient Greeks and it several times a day on travel days.

Egyptians used copper to purify water “Sixteen flights and not a sniffle!” she and heal wounds. They didn’t know exclaimed.

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Send your answers for a drawing. First correct answers selected from the drawing on the 20th of the month will receive $20 cash! Send to: Lifestyles After 50, P.O. Box 638, Seffner, FL 33583

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(paid advertisement) Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 13

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We’re looking for good news in the following categories: Club & Charity Events, Ribbon Cuttings, Awards (including Military Service), and other Noteworthy Honors.

How to Submit: Send information (150 words or less) and a photo of the people involved to Terri@lifestylesafter50.com. Place CommuNitY NEwS in the subject line. Submission should include your name, address, phone number, as well as the club or organization’s location and contact info. Information must be received by the 15th of each month for publication in the following month’s issue. Otherwise, it may be considered for future editions. Community News is published on a space available basis.

Seniors Getting Together WomEn SEEKinG mEn 4884 - LooKinG FoR my PRinCE. DWF, 62 yy, iSo nD, SD, SoH, TLC, an honest companion and friend. I like to travel, weekend get aways, bowling, miniature golf, dancing. I love to walk.

Quiet nights at home watching a good movie. I will make popcorn. Candlelight dinners, tennis, swimming, cruising, watching sunsets. I am a loving, caring, honest, romantic woman. Photo/ Phone please. Punta Gorda.

4885 - LooKinG FoR FUn. WW, travel and exploring new places. I like yoga and the gym, jet skis and boating.

Attractive, young 70 yr. Send recent photo. Port Charlotte.

4875 - SWEET HonEST WomAn. iSo nice handsome man for loving/ fun relationship. Reply with name and phone number. Will exchange with same. Must be 55+, stable and kind with a good sense of humor, and loves music and art. SW Florida.

4866 - ARE yoU A PoSiTivE GEnTLEmAn PASSionATE AboUT LiFE? I am a classy, attractive Lady in my early 70’s. I like Golf, Travel, Theater, Concert, Movies, Boating, Dining out or at home. I am always on the go and think it is no fun to have fun unless you have someone to share it with.

Interested? Then send me a letter.

4856 - bE A FRiEnD. Life goes by so fast. ISO friendship only with W widower, age 80-84, who has SOH, is kind, LT, SD, NS, to meet for coffee occasionally . I am W, WW, attractive, intelligent in early 80’s. S. Fort Myers.

4859 - SWF SEEKinG HonEST WHiTE mALE. 70-80. Honesty, friendly, healthy. I am a good cook/baker. Likes going to movies, dinner, dancing, travel. Family involvement. Reply with telephone #. N. Fort Myers.

4840 - bSF, iSo LovinG FRiEnDSHiP. 68yy and am honest, easy going, caring & trustworthy, kind, happy & loving, church. NS, NDrg, SD, FF. Send recent

picture with contact information. NO felons. Manatee/Sarasota.

4829 - SWF SEEKS ComPAnion. I like to dance, swim, movies or theatre, travel, walks in park. Will turn 80 in October. Everyone says “no way”. Judge for yourself.

4119 SEEKinG HonEST GEnTLEmAn. Former airline stewardess and model, 5’4”, 104 lbs., slender, white with Ph.D. in healthcare. Fulbright scholar, eats healthy and exercises. Likes sports and animals. WW. Loves the Lord. Florida.

mEn SEEKinG WomEn 4881 - SWm, 5’7”, 150#. Seeking female willing to relocate and share my home & nice life. Must be fun. ND, NS, romantic, affectionate, easy going.

I am same. Please send letter & include description, photo and phone. Thank you 4869 - iSo LTR, SWm, 75, easy going, out-going, disease and drug free. NS, ND, loves life. Looking for someone to share it with. Age/looks unimportant, sincerity is. Photo/phone please. Thank you.

4871-SinGLE WHiTE mALE, iSo Asian (J, C, Ph). 65 YY, pretty, long term relation. Ft. Myers, Cape Coral area.

Send photo & phone.

4800 - SinGLE WHiTE mALE. My name is Edward. I am a retired dairy farmer seeking a companion between 67 & 70 years of age. Someone who likes to go out to dinner, music, travel, talking, being happy.

4797 - SinGLE WHiTE mALE. Slim, young 70. Non smoker, many interests.

5’10” tall. Seeks slim female, 60 to 70.

Fort Myers, Cape Coral? Dancing. Send photo and phone number. No smoker.

4787 - mALE, W, WW, C, 77 yy, 5’5”, nS, nD, nDrg, HWP, R, absolute gentleman. Love golf, movies, day and short trips, dancing. ISO attractive, W, lady, C, 65-75 YY, SOH, NS, NDrg, SD, LTR, FF, TLC. Send photo and phone.

Lee, Charlotte area.

4771 - FUn LovinG DWm, 69YY, 6’, ISO 59YY+, NS, SOH, HWP, secure female who likes travel, tennis, bicycling, dancing, for possible life partner, NS only. Send recent picture with contact information. Fort Myers area.

To PLACE An AD: Send your ad, stating what edition(s) you would like it placed in, along with a $6 fee for 30 words (25¢ for each additional word, abbreviations not charged) to the News Connection USA, Inc. address listed below. Ads received by the 15th of the month will appear in the following issue.

To RESPonD To An AD: Write a letter to the person you want to contact. Place that letter in a stamped envelope and write the ad # on the bottom left hand side of the envelope. Place your stamped, numbered envelope(s), along with $2 for each letter enclosed, into another envelope and address it to: News Connection USA Seniors Getting Together P.O. Box 638, Seffner, FL 33583 CommonLy USED AbbREviATionS: F-Female, M-Male, S-Single, D-Divorced, WWWidow, A-Asian, B-Black, H-Hispanic, I-Indian, W-White, C-Christian, J-Jewish, YO-Years Old, YY-Years Young, ISO-In Search Of, SOH-Sense Of Humor, SM-Smokes, S-Light Smoker, NSNon Smoker, ND-Non Drinker, SD-Social (Light) Drinker, DR-Drinks, NDrg- No Drugs, LTR-Long Term Relationship, HWP-Height & Weight Proportional, R-Retired, P-Professional, FF-Friendship First, TLC-Tender Loving Care.

Seniors Getting Together

Personal Ad Placement only $6 per month!

Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month prior to placement.

MArk The edITIOn(s) YOu WOuLd LIke TO run YOur Ad In: ❍ Tampa Bay & Suncoast (Hillsborough/Pinellas/Pasco) ❍ Lake/Marion/Sumter ❍ Southwest & Sarasota (Lee, Charlotte/Manatee)

Ad Copy ••• PLeAse PrInT neATLY ••• 30 Word Limit TITLE:

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4860 - SWm, 78, 5’5”, 160. NS, ND, NDrg. Likes sunsets & nature. Am a fit, honest, spiritual person. Would like to meet a healthy, fit, lady for friendship & doing outings together. North Port Area.

4850 - SinGLE, WHiTE, SLim. Retired Colonel. Loves dancing, golf, traveling.

Seeks 65-75, slim female. Let’s talk, laugh and begin a friendship. Bonita Springs.

4849 - RETiRED ARmy CoL. needs wife. Dance, travel, NY, NJ & other states. Likes to dance. Member of Bonita Springs Golf & Country Club.

Let’s talk. I love to dance.

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(No Charge)

If more room is needed, please use separate sheet. Mail this form along with $6 for each ad per month (add $4 for each additional edition/market in the same month).

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Email: MAIL TO: ATTN. / SENIORS GETTING TOGETHER Lifestyles After 50 • PO BOX 638, SEFFNER, FL 33583 Lifestyles After 50 • Southwest • March 2019 • page 15

ENCORE CAREERS: Basketball Referee

BY JEFFERY LEAF

Just in time for March Madness, our occasional series about encore careers returns with a look at a woman living her dream as a basketball referee for girls and boys basketball.

W

hat do you do when your children, who you followed during their athletic careers through high school, graduate? If you’re like Barbara Noonan, you take up refereeing.

Noonan, 57, has been officiating girls and boys middle and high school basketball for four years now. As she’d watch her own daughter and son enjoy the sport, she’d often fancy herself out on the court, making those fast, hard calls in the center of it all. So when she saw an ad one day for a basketball officiating class, she jumped at it.

She took the course, passed the test, and started to work.

Noonan’s a member of the Gulf Coast Basketball Officials Association (GCBOA), which serves the counties of Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and Hardee.

Of the 94 officials in the GCBOA, only four are female.

“I don’t feel like other officials treat me any differently,” she says.

Noonan retired from teaching at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Mass., but still teaches accounting and

management classes online. the sport. It makes her happy, She works basketball as many gets her out of the house, gives nights of the week as she her a purpose in life, and keeps wants from mid-November her sharp, she says, as she has through February. Noonan to react quickly and decisively lives in Osprey in Sarasota to make the right calls.

County but works as needed Though there are times when the tempers of coaches and in all four counties served by parents can flare, that doesn’t the GCBOA. Officiating basketball offers worry Noonan. Her lifelong Noonan the best seat in the love of the sport, her passion house, some cash and plenty for helping young people learn of exercise. and grow, and her desire to be “It is a gym membership the best she can be keep her without having to pay for it,” motivated. she says.

Perhaps her favorite moment is when the five-foot-three ref Engaging with high school players also helps with her tells people what she does with college teaching by keeping her free time. More often than her up-to-date on the fads not, their response will be, “You Basketball officiating is a passion for and language of her college are a basketball referee?”

Barbara Noonan, 57, of Osprey students.

Women and men: Experience Most importantly, officiating has helped Noonan, a the passion and pleasures of officiating basketball. social person, find friends who share a mutual interest in Contact Ac@gcboa.org

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