50plus LIFE Cumberland County February 2019

Complimentary | Cumberland County Edition

February 2019 • Vol. 20 No. 2

UKES ON THE RISE page 4

Writing to Preserve and Revive Memory page 2

special section: tours and trips page 12

Writing to Preserve and Revive Memory

By Beth N. Carvin If you’re old enough to remember the John F. Kennedy assassination or the Cuban missile crisis, you’re probably realizing that your memory isn’t what it used to be.

Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control has reported that 1 in 8 Americans over the age of 60 complains of worsening memory loss. The problem may be related to a medical condition, emotional problems, cognitive impairment, or simply the indignities of aging, but it’s distressing regardless of the cause.

As it turns out, one way to preserve and in some cases even enhance memory is to proactively revisit your past. One form is a technique called reminiscence therapy, which is widely used in applications ranging from mental health interventions to memory care in nursing homes.

But simply committing your life experiences to paper (virtual or otherwise) can be helpful and even therapeutic.

Research also shows the health benefits of writing. Over a decade ago, the American Psychological Association published a study indicating that expressive writing reduces “intrusive and avoidant thoughts about negative

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events and improves working memory.”

Researchers concluded that these improvements help individuals cope more effectively with stress, because they have freed up cognitive resources.

More recently, in discussing the use of writing in education, neurologist Judy Willis, M.D., noted that writing can “enhance the brain’s intake, processing, retaining, and retrieving of information … it promotes the brain’s attentive focus … boosts long-term memory, illuminates patterns, gives the brain time for reflection, and when well guided, is a source of conceptual development and stimulus of the brain’s highest cognition.”

In other words, writing can transform an individual’s brain and memory.

Whether you or someone you know is impacted by a memory deficit, or you are simply looking for a way to tell your own story for yourself and your family, here are five simple strategies for preserving and sharing your memories in writing.

1: Choose a writing aid.

Today’s technology offers a variety of writing platforms to help you organize your thoughts and store them in one place. There are personal blogs, journaling applications, memoir-writing software, and reminiscing platforms that offer predefined topics to help trigger memories.

Many of these solutions are free and can give you the structure you need to both simplify and encourage the process.

2: Use prompts.

When people sit down to write for the first time, they often don’t know where to begin.

A prompt like, “Who was your childhood best friend?” or “What was the first pet you owned?” can provide direction as well as get the memory juices flowing. The same thing can be accomplished by using prompts like objects or photos.

3: Don’t worry about chronology.

Recording your memories doesn’t always have to follow a chronological order. Sometimes attempting to follow a timeline can prevent you from writing about what you’re feeling or affect what you’re inspired to share.

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Maybe it’s your first car or your first kiss. Your favorite pets or favorite trips.

Family holidays or family problems. Write what you want, when you want, and break it up into pieces to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the size of the project.

4: Find your writing sweet spot.

Some people write better after their first cup of coffee. Others are more productive midday or at night. Start by recognizing what works best for you.

Ask yourself when your words seem to flow best. Is it as soon as a memory pops into your head? Is it when you wake up each morning, or before you go to sleep each night? Try different approaches until you find the one that clicks.

5: Invite others to contribute.

Several years ago, my family began reminiscing via a group email.

We wrote about an old bar in Boston that my grandfather owned, which prompted an engrossing series of stories from my dad and uncles about the barmaids, the keys to the liquor cabinet, and some incidents involving local law enforcement that many of us had never heard.

The more we wrote, the more everyone wanted to share and chime in, and the more we learned.

This kind of collaboration, made easy by today’s online environment, helps unearth details you may not remember or may not have known. With or without memory loss, it enriches the experience of taking a trip down memory lane.

Beth N. Carvin is CEO and co-founder of JamBios (jambios.com), a collaborative writing application and social platform for reminiscing, sharing, and preserving memories.

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away. adult day care Life Time Adult Day Care 3 Crossgate Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 975-9762 Emergency Numbers American Red Cross (717) 845-2751 Central Pennsylvania Poison Center (800) 521-6110 Cumberland County Assistance (800) 269-0173 Energy Assistance Cumberland County Board of Assistance (800) 269-0173 Eye care services Kilmore Eye Associates 890 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 697-1414 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Cumberland County (800) 720-8221 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 Arthritis Foundation (717) 763-0900

Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531 Healthcare Information Pa. HealthCare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Duncan Nulph Hearing Associates 5020 Ritter Road, Suite 10G Mechanicsburg (717) 766-1500 Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home care Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Cumberland County (717) 221-7892 Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Cumberland County (717) 221-7890 Housing Assistance Cumberland County Housing Authority 114 N. Hanover St., Carlisle (717) 249-1315 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 Salvation Army (717) 249-1411

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400

Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067

The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007

Capital Blue (888) 989-9015 (TTY: 711)

PACE (800) 225-7223

Medicare (800) 633-4227

Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274 www.50plusLifePA.com

Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900

Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228

Nutrition Meals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707 Mechanicsburg (717) 697-5011 Newville (717) 776-5251 Shippensburg (717) 532-4904 West Shore (717) 737-3942

Drug Information (800) 729-6686

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233

Flu or Influenza (888) 232-3228 Health and Human Services Discrimination (800) 368-1019 Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040 Liberty Program (866) 542-3788

Orthopedics OSS Health 856 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 747-8315 Personal Care Homes Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046 Passport Information (877) 487-2778 (V); (888) 874-7793 (TTY) Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0217 Social Security Office (800) 772-1213 Veterans Services American Legion (717) 730-9100

Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110

Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681

Toll-Free Numbers Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555 Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237

Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833

Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Veterans Affairs (717) 240-6178 or (717) 697-0371

Consumer Information (888) 878-3256

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February 2019

3

Cover Story

Ukes on the Rise

Corporate Office

3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

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February 2019

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By Megan Joyce In America, the ukulele has struggled to attain a cachet of legitimacy since folk musician Tiny Tim employed the petite, stringed instrument to score his kitschy pop single, “Tiptoe through the Tulips,” more than 50 years ago.

Members of Ukulele Uprising!, a community ukulele orchestra based in Lancaster, love that the uke is a simple — but not simplistic — instrument, and know that much of its charm lies in its relative ease of play.

Dana Edsall, a retired postal employee from Washington Boro and integral member of UU!, first picked up a ukulele more than a decade ago while visiting Hawaii. He found the fingering to be similar to that of a traditional guitar, which Edsall had played — “albeit poorly,” he said — for a number of years.

“The uke is easy to learn,” Edsall said.

“It only has four strings, and these are generally made of nylon, which is easier on the fingers than guitar strings. That ease of playing and the sweetness of sound are what attract so many people.”

Fellow Lancastrian Steve Patterson founded Ukulele Uprising! in 2012, and since its inception, the group has grown from just four attendees at the group’s first weekly meeting to now more than 75, about 20 of whom are “regulars.”

UU! is open to anyone interested, and membership is free. Novices can learn on loaner ukuleles, funded through the group’s collaboration with Music for Everyone, a nonprofit charitable organization that raises awareness and resources to strengthen the role music plays in local schools and communities, according to its website (musicforeveryone. org).

UU! players’ skill levels range from complete beginner to intermediate; membership age also spans a wide range.

“Right now, our youngest regular is 14, and on any given week, at least a couple of Medicare-eligible players are there,” Edsall said. “We also have one family represented by three generations: a father, daughter, and granddaughter.”

The club’s weekly strum sessions feature a variety of musical genres, from folk, standards, and Hawaiian and Latin songs

Photo credit: Eric Max

Dana Edsall, right, with wife Sherry Getz at the 2017 Ukulele Harmonic Convergence.

Uke players of all ages and skill levels are welcome to attend the group’s Tuesday-evening practices in the lobby of VisionCorps in downtown Lancaster.

Photo credit: Eric Max

Members of Ukulele Uprising! perform on stage during the 2018 Ukulele Harmonic Convergence held at Tellus360 in Lancaster.

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to Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and the Beatles. as performances at Barnstormers games, the Ware “Rock ’n’ roll is well represented,” Edsall said.

Center, and the Red Rose Run. “We’ve added a ukulele version of Guns N’ Roses’ Summertime is usually busiest, when the demand ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ that’s really pretty. A couple of for luau-themed parties is higher. our members become ‘Axlettes’ in the chorus on that “Our favorite venue, though, is playing on the one.” street for one of MFE’s Music Fridays,” Edsall said.

Edsall said the group is eager to expand the “Those are vibrant evenings in downtown Lancaster, diversity of its members; Music for Everyone has with lots of people wandering around and lots of undertaken targeted outreach programs to connect energy in the air. We play for others those nights, but with the rich cultural diversity in Lancaster city. we play for ourselves, too.”

“Every new member brings their own tastes, The group will also be participating in its fourth expressed through song,” he said. “Expanding our annual Ukulele Harmonic Convergence on March cultural base would help us grow and improve as 2 from noon to 6 p.m. at Tellus360 in Lancaster. musicians and people.”

UU! co-hosts the event with Hummelstown’s Central Bringing authentic culture to Ukulele Uprising Pennsylvania Ukulele Club and the Philadelphia is Hawaiian native Mika Cox McDougall, now a Main Line Ukulele Group. longtime UU! member who adds hula dancing to “Everyone is welcome, it’s free, and you’ll hear over some of the group’s performances.

100 ukuleles from across Pennsylvania and nearby McDougall, now of Peach Bottom, moved to states playing together,” Edsall said.

Philadelphia in 1997 and then to Lancaster in 2002.

Ukulele Uprising! meets at 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday “When I moved … I was missing home, and going in the lobby of VisionCorps at 244 N. Queen St., back to hula dance and Hawaiian music really kind Lancaster. The group pays VisionCorps a lease of $1 Photo credit: Eric Max of helped me with my homesickness and made me per year and, in return, teaches ukulele classes to kids Native Hawaiian Mika Cox McDougall adds hula dancing to some of the feel more in touch with back home,” McDougall, a who are part of the VisionCorps community. group’s performances.

Hawaiian hula dance instructor and mother of two “You can’t help smiling when you play a ukulele,” daughters, said.

Edsall said. “Being around so many people, singing, Although the instrument originated on the playing, and smiling together is just wonderful.” islands, its appeal has extended beyond Hawaiian music, McDougall said, For more information on Ukulele Uprising!, email uke.rise@gmail.com, call with many millennials being drawn to the “bright, happy instrument.” Each (717) 872-7991, or visit sites.google.com/site/ukeuplanc or www.facebook.com/ year, McDougall teaches a master class on the ukulele at Franklin & Marshall ukuleleuprising.

College.

“Of course, [people] don’t take it seriously; they think it’s a toy,” she said of the ukulele. “But it has a really rich history to the islands, and it’s really changed Hawaiian music through the years.”

McDougall joined Ukulele Uprising! several years ago, bringing not only her cultural heritage, but also her musical chops to the burgeoning group of uke players. In addition to playing her six ukuleles of varying shapes and sizes, McDougall has played the violin since childhood.

“I’m able to easily play music [on the ukulele] without being such a trained musician like you kind of have to do on the violin,” she said. “It’s just more casual and inviting.”

A welcome side effect of the group’s visibility is the increased interest and “legitimization” of the ukulele in the local community.

Read it online, in print, and UU! contributes to a summer arts program run by the YWCA, and they on mobile/tablet devices. have “started getting requests for ukuleles in schools,” McDougall said. “Even onlinepub.com some of our members — a lot are elementary school music teachers — now teach the ukulele to their students.”

Ukulele Uprising!’s performance schedule is busy and includes regular gigs at parties, fundraisers, senior centers, retirement homes, and weddings, as well

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February 2019

5

Tinseltown Talks

Living with Rodney Dangerfield Nick Thomas

The Christmas season may be over, but last Despite their clearly different backgrounds — December held special significance for Joan Joan was raised in a Utah Mormon family — the Dangerfield, who married comedian Rodney two hit it off immediately.

Dangerfield 25 years ago on Dec. 26.

“I felt like the luckiest person in the world,” The pair had dated for 10 years following a she said. “To have your own personal comedian chance meeting in 1983 when Dangerfield strolled constantly surprising you, I couldn’t wait to wake passed Joan’s Santa Monica flower shop. up each day.”

“Being a diehard fan, I recognized Rodney Joan remembers Dangerfield working hard at his immediately,” Joan recalled from her West craft, writing his own standup material and often Hollywood home. taking months to perfect a joke. He would dash off “I was 16 when I first saw him on The Tonight to local comedy clubs in the evenings, sometimes Show, and suddenly there he was, 14 years later, two or three a night, to try out a new joke and walking towards me, the funniest man in the experiment with its delivery and placement within a world. routine.

“For me, it was love at first sight, the holy grail Although Dangerfield experienced an unhappy of encounters. He was fascinating and had those childhood, Joan says he used humor to tackle Photo provided by Aaron Stipkovich at Stipko.com. soulful, azure-blue eyes, the color of the sky on a depression.

Rodney and Joan Dangerfield. clear day. I couldn’t look at him without smiling.”

“If you can lift everyone’s spirits around you, you The bug-eyed, tie-fidgeting comedian who can feel a bit better too.” cracked up audiences for decades with his often self-deprecating, “no respect” Toward the end of their two-decade marriage, Dangerfield’s physical health style of rapid-fire one-liners began dropping by each morning to watch Joan declined, requiring multiple aneurysm, brain, and heart surgeries and long arrange flowers. periods of recovery with Joan by his side throughout.

“He joked that, at his age, all the phone numbers in his little black book advertisement were doctors,” she said. “It was certainly true and brought out my nurturing side. I did everything I could to comfort him.”

Dangerfield died in 2004, aged 82, and Joan has since worked to keep her husband’s memory alive. His website (rodney.com) has been revamped, and the Rodney Dangerfield Institute for the Study of Comedy is now housed at Los Angeles City College and offers classes including standup, improvisational If you want a funeral with an expensive casket comedy, and joke writing. and embalming, go to a funeral home!

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Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 700 magazines and newspapers.

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CCRCs/ Life Plan Communities Designed with their residents’ changing needs in mind, CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities)/Life Plan Communities offer a tiered approach to the aging process.

Healthy adults entering these communities can live independently. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can transition to personal care, assisted living, rehabilitation, or nursing care facilities.

Some CCRCs/Life Plan Communities have designated dementia areas that address the progressing needs of people who have any form of dementia. In addition, some communities have sought out and earned accreditation from CARF International, signifying they have met CARF’s stringent set of quality standards. CCRCs/Life Plan Communities enable older adults to remain in one care system for the duration of their lives, with much of their future care already figured out—creating both comfort and peace of mind.

The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.

Bethany Village

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325 Wesley Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Stephanie Lightfoot Director of Sales & Marketing (717) 766-0279 www.bethanyvillage.org

544 North Penryn Road Manheim, PA 17545 Amanda Hall Sales & Marketing Manager (717) 664-6207 ahall@pleasantviewrc.org www.pleasantviewrc.org

1 Boyd Street, P.O. Box 125 Cornwall, PA 17016 Jennifer Margut Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations (717) 274-8092 info@cornwallmanor.org www.cornwallmanor.org

1901 North Fifth Street Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 Barry S. Ramper II, N.H.A. President/CEO (717) 221-7902 www.homelandcenter.org

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If you would like your CCRC/Life Plan Community to be featured on this page, please contact your marketing consultant or call (717) 770-0140.

The CCRCs listed are sponsoring this message. This is not an all-inclusive list.

The Beauty in Nature

Woodchucks and Gray Squirrels Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Woodchucks and gray squirrels are common, daytime rodents in farmland in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Chucks inhabit some hay fields, while the grays live in woods, parks, and older suburban areas with their many tall trees. And both these mammals live among the trees, shrubbery, and weeds of hedgerows between fields and along woodland edges in cropland.

Chucks dig deep, insulating burrows in the www.50plusLifePA.com

ground, where each one lives alone, except mothers with their dependent young. Gray squirrels either dwell in tree cavities or make nests of dead twigs and leaves among twigs in tall trees.

Again, each creature lives alone, except mothers and their offspring. Obviously, chucks and squirrels can live in the same habitats without competition for shelters.

Woodchucks mostly eat grass, clover, and other Woodchuck

Gray squirrel

please see NATURE page 8

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February 2019

7

Dear Pharmacist

Can You Eat Dark Chocolate with a Milk Allergy?

Suzy Cohen

Dark chocolate is a staple in my house. What are you supposed to do if you’re allergic to milk and want to eat dark chocolate?

It’s a good question.

Milk is actually allowed as an ingredient in “dark” chocolate, but sometimes it produces a harmful allergy in dairy-sensitive individuals.

The reality is that most chocolates contain some milk, and it’s undisclosed.

The FDA actually tested 100 different brands of dark chocolate bars, and they specifically tested it for the presence of milk. Of these 100 bars, only six of them listed milk as an ingredient!

The other 88 bars did not disclose milk as an ingredient, yet 51 of them contained milk.

Dairy-tainted chocolates are among the most frequently reported allergic reactions.

It’s unfortunate but true that milk can get into a dark-chocolate product even when it’s not directly added. The problem happens because dark chocolate is often produced on the same equipment that makes milkchocolate bars, and traces of milk often inadvertently wind up in the darkchocolate batter. It’s essentially a problem of cross-contamination.

My best suggestion to you is to completely avoid dark chocolate (if you’re allergic to milk or dairy) unless the brand you’re buying is made on equipment dedicated to dark-chocolate bars only. This is hard to find, but possible.

The food industry doesn’t mean to make people sick, but these oversights can lead to pain and suffering for some of you. As a result, you see warnings on the label that serve as a wink of sorts: This product “may contain dairy” or “may contain traces of milk,” or this one: “manufactured in a facility that uses milk.”

There are others, but if you’re my best friend, I would tell you to replace the word “may” with “probably”!

The take-home message is you should not assume that your dark chocolate is free of milk, and you should not consume it if you have serious allergic reactions to milk, regardless of the label.

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I have a checklist of 14 alias names for milkderived ingredients that may be hidden in your food. My list will help you find undisclosed milk in your candy bars and chocolates.

Visit my website (suzycohen.com) for more information.

I’ll also tell you why some chocolate bars aren’t good for vegans. Here’s a fun fact: White chocolate doesn’t contain any cacao whatsoever.

It’s just a combination of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, but it contains no cocoa solids, like dark and milk chocolate have. It’s definitely something to avoid if you’re dairy intolerant or allergic to milk.

In closing, when it comes to dark chocolate, the dairy-free claims and statements on the label are best completely disregarded if the manufacturer fails to use dedicated machinery and equipment to avoid cross-contamination.

This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com

NATURE from page 7 green plants. Gray squirrels, however, feast on nuts and seeds for the most part. These rodents don’t compete for food, either.

Both these handsome, interesting mammals are part of food chains in their shared habitats. Several predators prey on some of them, including coyotes, red foxes, bald eagles, and red-tailed hawks. Young chucks are caught and consumed more often than adults are.

However, chucks and squirrels have dens to retreat into, and they are camouflaged. Chucks are brown to blend in with soil, and the squirrels are gray like the tree trunks they circle to escape enemies.

Certain kinds of mammals live and give birth in abandoned chuck holes, including foxes, skunks, opossums, mink, and other species. I have seen red foxes and mink using deserted chuck holes as nurseries.

Chucks and gray squirrels prepare for winter in different ways. Chucks put on layers of fat in fall and sleep down in their burrows in winter.

Squirrels stash nuts and seeds in tree hollows or bury them in the ground.

Squirrels are active all winter, finding the food they stored.

Woodchucks and gray squirrels mate in February. Male chucks do emerge from their dens during that month. Each female chuck has one litter of about four young.

Gray squirrels, however, breed a second time and have about four young in each litter.

Try to enjoy the adaptable and prolific woodchucks and gray squirrels. They are interesting and entertaining around farmland woodlots and hedgerows, and elsewhere.

There, both species have shelters and food without competing with each other for them. And like many other creatures, they help bring a bit of the wild close to home. www.50plusLifePA.com

Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

Pets for the Presidents Lori Verderame

With Presidents Day upon us, there is an interest in the Kennedy a 6-month-old white, mixed-breed dog named ways that our presidents relax and enjoy family time.

Pushinka (“Fluffy”), as noted on the dog’s Russian passport.

Eisenhower played golf and painted landscapes, Reagan Pushinka had gone into space on Sputnik 2. rode horses, and Obama played basketball. But, many of our The Clintons had a dog and a cat. President Obama had past presidents also enjoyed downtime with a first family two large Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny. In 2009, pet.

Bo was a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who helped Obama During the first decades of the 1900s, the White House keep a promise to his young daughters that if he won the was full of pets. President William McKinley owned an 2008 election, they would get a puppy. exotic Mexican yellow-headed parrot.

When it comes to pet names, President Johnson had two President Teddy Roosevelt, a Rough Rider and bigbeagles whose names were hard to forget. The pair were game hunter who decorated the State Dining Room with national celebrities, the focus of press photos and magazine his taxidermy hunting trophies, brought pets to the White articles, lived in a newly redesigned doghouse, and had the House. run of the Johnson White House.

The Roosevelts kept owls, lizards, roosters, badgers, The beagles were named simply “Him” and “Her.” Millie’s Book (Barbara Bush) guinea pigs, snakes, raccoons, hyenas, ponies, and a macaw Happy Presidents Day! named Eli Yale at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Presidents Day: Dr. Lori Verderame is an author and award-winning TV William Taft brought the last cow, the most common Monday, Feb. 18 personality who appears on History channel and Fox Business U.S. presidential pet at the time, to the White House.

Network. With a Ph.D. from Penn State University and President Wilson let sheep graze on the White House lawn, experience appraising 20,000 antiques every year from audiences nationwide, Dr. Lori along with a tobacco-chewing ram named Old Ike. presents antique appraisal events. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.

Not to be outdone, President Calvin Coolidge maintained a mini-zoo at the White House with many breeds of dog and various canaries, geese, and mockingbirds. Foreign dignitaries brought exotic pets to the White House as gifts, such as a wallaby, pigmy hippo, bear, and lion cubs.

The Roosevelts, the Coolidges, and the Kennedys had a great many — nearly 25 — pets.

Some of the most interesting presidential pets at the White House since the middle of the 1900s followed in the paw-steps of President Franklin Delano 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Roosevelt’s faithful companion named Fala, a black Scottish terrier.

Shady Maple Conference Center Fala traveled with Roosevelt on trips abroad and was often photographed by Smorgasbord Building the press. He did tricks and entertained the president, diplomats, and others 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl LANCASTER COUNTY during the period before and during World War II. Fala resembled Miss Beazley, another Scottish terrier that arrived at the White House in January 2005 during George W. Bush’s time in office. Miss Beazley was a birthday present for first lady Laura Bush.

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Like her daughter-in-law, first lady Barbara Bush also had a dog in the Hershey Lodge White House, a springer spaniel named Millie. In 1992, Millie “penned” a 325 University Drive New York Times nonfiction bestseller entitled Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Hershey DAUPHIN COUNTY Barbara Bush, describing presidential life.

In terms of animal vigor, Teddy Roosevelt’s pony Algonquin not only took a ride in a White House elevator, but also rivaled Caroline Kennedy’s pony named Macaroni, a gift from Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Macaroni was 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. one of many pet gifts that the Kennedy children received during their father’s Church Farm School term.

1001 East Lincoln Highway In 1960, Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union gave Caroline Exton

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February 2019

9

Cumberland County

Calendar of Events

Support Groups Free and open to the public Sundays, 7:15 p.m.

Outreach Al-Anon Family Group Meeting Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org Mondays, 7 p.m.

Hope on Simpson Al-Anon Family Group Meeting First United Methodist Church 135 W. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org Tuesdays, noon Anchor Al-Anon Family Group Meeting The Harbor 55 W. King St., Shippensburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org Feb. 4, 4-5 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Messiah Lifeways Meetinghouse 1155 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle (717) 243-0447 Feb. 5, 6-7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Helpers 3806 Market St., Suite 3, Camp Hill (717) 920-0707 Feb. 5, 6 p.m.

CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786 Feb. 6, 1:30 p.m.

The Bridges Support Group for the Alzheimer’s Association The Bridges at Bent Creek 2100 Bent Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 795-1100 Feb. 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Cumberland County Office of Aging 1100 Claremont Road, Carlisle (717) 240-6110 Feb. 7, 5:30-7 p.m.

Better Breathers Chronic Lung Disease Support Group Ortenzio Heart Clinic at Geisinger Holy Spirit

503 N. 21st St., Camp Hill (717) 763-2775 Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m.

Too Sweet: Diabetes Support Group Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 557-9041 Feb. 11, 1:30-3 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road, Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806 Feb. 11, 6-7 p.m.

A Touch of Sugar: Diabetes Support Group Wegmans 6416 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg (717) 763-2466 events.geisinger.org Feb. 12, 6:30-8 p.m.

Carlisle Area Men’s Cancer Support Group The Live Well Center 3 Alexandria Court, Carlisle (717) 877-7561 sirbrady12@gmail.com Feb. 13, 1:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West – Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624 Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Support Group Cumberland Crossings 1 Longsdorf Way, Carlisle (717) 243-0113 Feb. 21, 1 p.m.

Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880 Feb. 26, 6 p.m.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 486-3596 apcoulson@comcast.net

Community Programs

Free and open to the public

Mondays and Wednesdays, noon SilverSneakers Exercise Class Susquehanna View Apartments Community Room 208 Senate Ave., Camp Hill (717) 439-4070 jesseswoyer.com@gmail.com

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Feb. 13, 11:30 a.m.

NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465 VFW Post 7530 4545 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 774-4031 www.narfe1465.org Visitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.

Senior Center Activities Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville Feb. 14, 11:30 a.m. – Valentine’s Potluck Luncheon Feb. 20, 9:30 a.m. – What is Ghost Ranch?

Feb. 27, 9:30 a.m. – MindMatters Program: Preparing Together for Emergencies Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg Carlisle Senior Action Center – (717) 249-5007 20 E. Pomfret St., Carlisle Mary Schaner Senior Citizens Center (717) 732-3915 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola Mechanicsburg Place – (717) 697-5947 97 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg West Shore Senior Citizens Center (717) 774-0409 122 Geary St., New Cumberland Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub.com.

Library Programs Amelia Givin Library, 114 N. Baltimore Ave., Mt. Holly Springs, (717) 486-3688 Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Upstairs Stitchers, Downstairs Feb. 1, 7 p.m. – Music at Bosler Feb. 9, 2 p.m. – Truth North Theatre Company Presents: An Iliad Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 Feb. 5, 7 p.m. – The Radical Rosa Parks Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m. – Keating Jazz Orchestra’s Two-Beat Dames Feb. 19, 7 p.m. – Gardening with Nature Series East Pennsboro Branch Library, 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola, (717) 732-4274 John Graham Public Library, 9 Parsonage St., Newville, (717) 776-5900 Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, 16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-0171 New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820 Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m. – Zentangle a Plate: Crafting for Adults Fe b. 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Book Review: President George Washington: His Journey to Becoming a Traitor Feb. 16, 2-4 p.m. – Children’s Book Writers Critique Group Shippensburg Public Library, 73 W. King St., Shippensburg, (717) 532-4508

www.50plusLifePA.com

Older But Not Wiser

Does This Heart Monitor Make Me Look Fat? Sy Rosen

I now have a cardiologist. Saying I have a him, I blurted out, “Am I dying?!” cardiologist makes my heart race and makes me “Not today,” he chuckled. want to go see my cardiologist.

“Tomorrow?” I chuckled back. Yeah, there was Without going into too much detail, my regular way too much chuckling going on. doctor heard an irregular heartbeat and sent me to a The doctor explained that my heart rate was a little specialist, who had a heart monitor attached to my fast, and while I had the monitor on he just wanted February is American Heart Month chest. to prescribe some medication to see how I reacted.

When I got home the first question I asked my “If it were serious, I would have talked to you wife was, “Does this heart monitor make me look fat?” directly on the phone.”

She assured me it wasn’t the heart monitor that was causing “So not talking to me directly was a good thing?” I asked. this impression.

“Absolutely.”

I don’t know if any of you have ever worn a heart monitor, but it’s very “Well, I hope you never talk to me directly again,” I said. annoying. It’s tough to sleep with it on. And if I did fall asleep, it would And of course we both chuckled. sometimes beep in the middle of the night, saying I needed to change batteries.

I left the doctor’s office ecstatic and knew I had to do something to celebrate.

Why was it always in the middle of the night?

I thought of all the things I wrote on my list and decided that tonight Wanda This machine was insidious. And it was very painful every time I had to and I were going to the movies. remove the stickers attached to my chest, tearing away whatever little hair I had left.

Sy Rosen has written for many TV shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, But if you’re wearing a heart monitor, the one thing you really don’t want is a M.A.S.H., Maude, The Jeffersons, Rhoda, Frasier, Northern Exposure, and The Wonder call from the cardiologist’s secretary saying he needs to see you first thing in the Years. He now spends much of his time telling jokes to his grandkids and trying to convince his wife that he’s funny. morning.

“My appointment isn’t for two weeks. What’s wrong?” I asked.

“The doctor wants to talk to you personally,” she replied.

“OK, but let me ask you one question, am I dying?”

The secretary chuckled and said, “I really don’t think so.”

“I really don’t like the word think,” I replied.

That night I was very worried and started listing all the things I still wanted to do with my life (besides not dying). Right now, a big night on the town is going to the movies with my wife, Wanda.

Anyway, here’s what I came up with: 1. I want to make 30 new friends — not Facebook friends, real friends I can count on to come to my funeral.

2. I want to run for political office. If you think I’m too old, look at some of the politicians in Washington.

3. I want to go snowboarding, cliff diving, skateboarding, skydiving, and, of course, play a heated game of dodgeball (because I loved it in elementary school).

4. I want to go to plays, and concerts, and art galleries, and the opera (OK, forget the opera).

5. I want to be on the Supreme Court (I may have to go to law school).

6. I want to spend a week rhyming everything I say. Although it may annoy, for some reason it brings me great joy. It makes me elated, as previously stated.

7. Wanda and I should spend a year living in France. And wear no underpants.

OK, I’ve got to stop rhyming.

8. I want to find a cure for a disease. Hopefully the disease I am suffering from.

9. I want to do something completely frivolous, like buying a $4,000 bottle of wine, drinking it, and pretending I like it. Make it a $200 bottle of wine — I may be dying, but I’m not crazy.

The next day I got to the doctor’s office an hour early, and as soon as I saw www.50plusLifePA.com

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February 2019

11

— Tours and Trips — How to Get Started Traveling Post-Retirement

By Joan K. Lacy Maybe you’re one of those people who worked hard all your life and didn’t take — or have! — the time to travel and see this wonderful world of ours.

And now, in retirement, you find yourself with lots of time and itching to travel, but you don’t know where to get started.

The good news is that travel is so easy today.

There are many, many options available now to suit whatever you envision for your next travel experience.

Whether you enjoy wine tasting or want to try bungee jumping, those options are available to you.

You can choose anything from local events to aroundthe-world cruises. You might want to experience whitewater rafting, hiking, spelunking — if you like exploring underground.

There is a world of adventure just waiting for you!

My early interest in travel and languages led me to take an opportunity to live and study in Europe for a year — best year ever! I loved meeting people in other countries and learning at least a few words of their languages.

I’m older now, and the love of traveling around our own United States and revisiting locations, friends, and acquaintances, both here and abroad, still holds its charm for me.

If you haven’t had the chance to experience the fun of travel until now, a whole new world of experiences is waiting for you! Here are five easy tips to keep in mind if you are a new traveler: 1. Take advantage of your scheduling flexibility and travel during nonpeak

periods. Costs are usually less for everything from flights and accommodations, to entrance fees and attractions. And, there are fewer crowds.

2. Use any discounts you qualify for. One of the perks of being a senior citizen is the wide range of travel discounts that are now available to you.

3. Go for longer visits.

Spend more time at your destination. Plan to see just one city, or one country, and experience it thoroughly. That’s the best way to soak in the local flavor.

4. Let someone else do the booking. Many travelers appreciate someone else making the arrangements, and group travel provides security for solo travelers or those not confident in planning all the details on their own. Group travel eliminates worries about finding transportation, missing an important site, or not speaking the language.

5. Day tours are your friend! If you prefer to go it alone and have any concerns about getting around or being able to visit popular sites, look for day tours with reliable companies, especially those offering frontof-the-line access or other methods for avoiding the crowds.

Seek out new experiences. Wherever you go, you will make new friends and create a storehouse of happy memories.

Travel and living abroad, coupled with Joan Lacy’s interests in archaeology, science, myths, and legends, inspired her to write the novel A Shadow Away, the first book in the Alex Cort Adventures series. For more information, visit joanklacy.com.

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Since 1984, Krouse Travel has helped individuals create and plan their dream vacations. We are your vacation experts who work hard to provide each client with the personal attention they deserve.

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L & L Tours and Travel We’re going places and we’d love to have you join us! Many day trips already scheduled and a few multi-day excursions as well. Theatres, historic tours, the beach, national museums, and more.

Check out our website at www.lltourstravel.com for more information or call (717) 486-7061 for a 2019 travel booklet.

www.50plusLifePA.com

— Tours and Trips — Top Considerations for Retirees Purchasing Travel Insurance There are several key points retirees should consider in regard to travel insurance before they hit the road in the coming year.

“While travel can be complicated at any age, retirees are faced with additional considerations, especially when it comes to medical coverage,” said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com.

“There are not only ways to save on your next travel insurance policy, but also things to keep in mind to ensure you are taken care of under unforeseen circumstances.”

Here are five things retirees should consider when purchasing travel insurance: Medicare doesn’t provide coverage outside the United States. Healthcare received outside the U.S. is generally not covered under standard Medicare plans.

Travel insurance can provide emergency travel medical coverage with limits that can reach $250,000 per person or more.

For extreme situations where an overseas hospital can’t handle the emergency, most travel insurance plans offer emergency evacuation coverage with limits up to $1 million per person.

Retirees planning to travel overseas multiple times a year should consider purchasing Medicare supplement insurance or a Medigap plan.

However, since Medigap plans can have deductibles, lifetime coverage limits up to $50,000, and limits on the length of trip, most retiree travelers may find single-trip travel insurance a better option.

Purchase travel insurance early to qualify for a preexisting condition waiver. Most travel insurance plans will exclude coverage for losses that stem from a preexisting condition.

However, many plans offer a preexisting condition exclusion waiver (meaning preexisting conditions will be covered).

To qualify, one must meet certain requirements, the most important being to purchase the travel insurance plan within a strict time window — usually 7-21 days — from when the initial payment was made.

Also, travelers typically need to insure 100 percent of their prepaid and nonrefundable trip costs.

For travelers with preexisting conditions, this is one of the most important considerations in purchasing a plan, as prior injuries, illnesses, diseases, or other types of medical conditions in which any treatment or care was sought in the six- to 12-month period prior to the policy-effective date all fall into this category. www.50plusLifePA.com

If you’re traveling with a group, you can save money with group travel plans. Some group travel plans do not factor in traveler ages when pricing the cost of travel insurance, which can make plans more affordable to older travelers.

Typically, to qualify for this coverage, the group must include at least 10 individuals all traveling on the same itinerary on similar dates.

Group plans are also designed for easy administration by a group leader who can manage sign-ups and changes on behalf of each individual.

Travelers should speak to a licensed agent to see if they qualify for a preexisting condition waiver or read full coverage details prior to buying.

Trip cancellation provides greater flexibility for those who need it. Unlike Medigap coverage, travel insurance can offer trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

This coverage can cover the reimbursement of trip please see INSURANCE page 14

ESCORTED MOTORCOACH TRIPS February

20 Tony award Best Musical 2018 – “The Bands Visit” $140pp

March

4,5,6,7,8 Philadelphia Flower Show $89pp 23 Springtime in NYC $65pp 25 Hunterdon Hills – “Take Me Away” $115pp 28 Dutch Apple – “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat” $89pp 31–Apr. 2 Foxwoods Casino $299pp Dble $399pp Sngle

April

Museum of the Bible $65pp Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival $55pp The Odyssey & Arlington Cemetery $135pp Saints & Sinners of the Great Smokey Mountains $1999pp Dble $2599pp Sngle 26 Two New Gardens and a Native Plant Haven $149pp 27 Alexandria Home and Garden Tour and George Washington’s Mt. Vernon $169pp 3 13 16 21-26

May

2 Chanticleer in Spring and Lancaster County Greenhouses $99pp 6 Mansions of Fairmont Park $135pp 9 Flight 93, Fallingwater & Kentuck Knob $131pp 13-18 Charleston & Savannah $999pp Dble $1299pp Sngle 21 Blue Angels Experience $115pp

June

15 Cape May a Day on Own $75pp 23-30 Great Gardens of the Midwest $1999pp Dble $2699pp Sngle 29 Annapolis – A Day On Own $65pp

July

13 Fingerlakes Wine Fest $99pp 20 NYC a Day on Own $40pp 26-28 Garden Walk Buffalo’s 25th Anniversary $539pp Dble

August 10 22

Ocean City MD a Day on Own $75pp Dutch Apple – “Finding Neverland” $89pp

September 3-6

15-19

Maine Coastal Escape $699pp Dble $899pp Sngle Horses and History – Louisville, KY $ 850pp Dble $1160pp Sngle

October 17 22

Fall Foliage in the Poconos $149pp Fall in Bucks County $179pp

November 28

Macy’s Day Parade – NYC $ 75pp

December 2-8

Blue Christmas – Elvis in Memphis $1299pp Dble $1799pp Sngle

Book online at www.lowees.com Call or email ckelly@lowees.com to register

Since 1984

717-657-9658

PUC # A-00116038

50plus LIFE ›

February 2019

13

— Tours and Trips — 5 Tips to Keep in Mind before Booking Your Next Cruise

By Matthew Phillips Baby boomers make up a large portion of American cruisers; in fact, 30 percent of boomers indicate one or more of their international trips will be via a cruise ship, according to the 2019 Boomer Travel Trends report by AARP. This audience is looking for a variety of options, from river cruises through Europe to more traditional ships for family vacations and multigenerational travel.

Although planning your cruise may seem daunting, here are five tips to keep in mind before booking your next cruise, whether it’s with the entire family, a solo adventure, or your first time taking a cruise vacation.

1. Determine your cruise personality: Before planning any trip, I ask myself, “What am I looking to experience?” This question helps me to decide whether I want to travel through an Alaskan glacier or relax in a beach villa.

I always like to remind people who are thinking of cruising that there are now so many types of cruises. In addition to the large mega-ships that offer a plethora of options, there are smaller ships that go where the big ships cannot, both in the U.S. as well as the Caribbean and overseas, which provide incredible experiences.

Also, consider whether you want the abundance of options that the large ships offer or if you prefer a smaller, more intimate sailing experience. I encourage people to then think about their personal needs and wants to determine their cruise personality.

2. Decide where to set sail: For those looking for a warmer climate to escape the winter, my vote is for a cruise that stops at Grand Cayman Island, but there are plenty of nontraditional options as well.

If you’re looking to dive into history and explore different cultures overseas, I suggest river cruises in Europe or Asia. On cruises through Italy, guests will visit popular sites in Rome, such as the Colosseum; float through Venice; and experience several other famous Italian cities.

For any nature lover or adventure seeker, Alaska is the perfect destination and a popular option from May through September. On your way, you’ll be surrounded by whales; then, off the boat, you can break out your hiking boots and explore the glaciers.

3. Take advantage of savings: When booking your cruise, make sure to take advantage of all the cruise sales and savings available to you. From January through March, many cruise providers are offering limited-time deals, as this is a popular season for consumers to book cruises.

Many cruise lines offer onboard credits to be used for extras, such as shore excursions, spa visits, and bar service. Anywhere you can save in the planning process gives you extra pocket change for excursions and souvenirs!

4. Tips for first-time cruisers: I suggest finding a trusted travel agent, especially if it’s your first cruise experience, as this can save you from some major headaches.

Travel agents are full of knowledge and can help you navigate your best options for not only getting to and from your destination, but also for getting value by suggesting itinerary ideas that you may never have considered on your own.

5. For packing, start with the essentials: Sometimes the simplest items are the ones overlooked, such as a pen and paper or cash. I also find making lists incredibly useful to avoid forgetting essentials.

If possible, think through the clothing you’ll need during the day and evenings so you don’t overpack. Most standard cruise cabins don’t offer an abundance of storage space, and you’ll want to leave room in your luggage for anything purchased on shore excursions.

Once I have the essentials, I consider any helpful gadgets or apps. On trips to foreign countries, I find Google Translate to be my best friend. I highly suggest downloading it prior to your trip to be able to effortlessly navigate language barriers.

Other travel essentials for your cruise include sunglasses, travel-size toiletries, and insurance plans.

Following these tips will help simplify the planning process for your next cruise vacation and put your mind at ease so that, once on board, all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. Happy sailing!

Matthew Phillips is the director of travel for AARP Services, Inc. AARP Member Benefits is a resource for AARP Members but is free for anyone to check out, with a variety of savings across many categories, including travel. Visit AARPBenefits.com for more information.

INSURANCE from page 13 costs due to a range of unexpected circumstances, from last-minute illnesses to severe weather and natural disasters.

For the most flexibility, travelers may consider purchasing a plan with a “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade, which provides reimbursement for up to 75 percent of the total trip costs for a cancellation for any reason, as long as the cancellation occurs more than 48 hours prior to the trip departure date.

This benefit is usually only available if the policy is purchased within seven to 21 days of the initial trip payment and 100 percent of prepaid and nonrefundable trip costs are insured.

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You can buy travel insurance for your activities, too. Just because travelers are retired doesn’t mean they aren’t adventurous.

For the active or adventure traveler, check out plans that offer hazardous or adventure sports coverage, which provide coverage for higher-risk activities, such as heli-skiing, off-trail snowboarding, bungee jumping, rock climbing, or SCUBA diving below a certain depth.

If travel entails any of those activities, travelers will need travel insurance plans that offer coverage for those specific activities.

For more information, visit TravelInsurance.com.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Tech Talk

Mark Rinaudo

Internet Not Working?

Here’s How to Troubleshoot

Question: What steps should I take to troubleshoot when my internet isn’t working before calling my internet service provider?

We’ve all been there. At the most inopportune time when you need your internet to be working, it’s either completely off or it’s cutting in and out.

Internet access is another utility almost as important as electricity.

If you’re without it, you’re stuck disconnected from the outside world. As more internet service providers are offering other products to piggyback on your internet access, such as phone service, these outages are causing more of a disconnect for their customers.

There are a few simple steps you can perform at home that may help bring your service back without having to call your internet service provider.

If you find that your computer or smartphone is not connecting to the internet, the first step is to look at your modem/router. If this device is not lit up, that can definitely indicate a problem on your end.

Power cycling the modem, which means unplugging its power and then plugging it back in after 30 seconds, is usually the first step given by internet service providers’ support staff.

Service interruptions are commonly caused by work being performed in the area, and a simple power cycle of your modem can restore the service. The modem would eventually perform a reset after a certain amount of time, but manually power cycling the modem speeds up the process and restores your service sooner.

If you find that your modem is lit up, everything looks like normal, and a power cycle does not fix the issue, then you may have a problem somewhere else on your system. If you only have a computer that’s using your internet service, then you may have an issue with the computer itself.

The first step I usually recommend to customers when something is acting awry on a computer is to reboot it. The beauty of rebooting a computer is that it’s like starting over new and fresh, leaving behind whatever bugs have crept in and possibly caused the issue.

If after rebooting you still have no internet access, the next thing to check is whether you have connectivity to your modem. Your computer may be connected via wired connection or a wireless connection.

If your computer is connected via a wire, you can always trace from the modem back to your computer to ensure both ends of the cable are plugged in.

Sometimes hardware can lock up, and simply unplugging the cable and plugging it back in can reset the hardware. Find the place on your modem where the cable from your computer is plugged in. Unplug from there and then simply plug it back in.

Most modems have a set of status lights on the front that give a good indication of whether your service is up or if it’s experiencing an issue. If power cycling does not change the status lights on your modem, then it’s most likely an issue on your service provider’s end. www.50plusLifePA.com

All service providers have a way for their customers to check if any outages are occurring on their network by visiting their website.

This, however, does you no good when your internet is down.

But if you have a smartphone with a data plan, you can simply turn off your WiFi connection on your phone and then you’ll be able to use your carrier’s data network to visit your service provider’s website to see if they are indeed having trouble.

With a little troubleshooting, it’s quite possible that you can restore your internet service on your own when you need it the most.

Mark Rinaudo has worked in IT in Shreveport, La., for more than 20 years. He is the owner and operator of Preferred Data Solutions. Email mark@preferreddatasolutions. com to submit a question for this column.

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”

Attention: RETIREMENT HOMES, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS. Looking for entertainment?

Now booking our Christmas, variety, and specialty shows for 2019.

We have many variety shows featuring the music from the 1930s to the 60s.

Songs by legendary artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, and the Mills Brothers.

Specialty shows include …

Songs from the WWII Years • The Post WWII Years: 1945 – 1955 AMERICA: From Sea to Shining Sea Salute to the Rat Pack (or if you prefer, just Sinatra) Elvis & Patsy • Classic Country Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!

Phone: (717) 846-6126

E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com

50plus LIFE ›

February 2019

15

Soldier Stories

Robert Naeye

Vietnam Medevac Pilot Faces His Toughest Challenge

John Travers was once a larger-than-life character. This Vietnam War hero was a star basketball player, prolific prankster, and an outgoing husband and father who was admired by almost everybody who came in contact with him.

Yet today, this Harrisburg native is living in a California healthcare facility due to exposure to Agent Orange, a defoliant widely deployed

by American aircraft during the war. This toxic chemical has caused physical ailments and brain damage that limit his activities, speech, and quality of life.

Travers’s story is one of resilience and hope in the face of daunting odds. And it’s a story powerfully documented in the new film All Were Forgotten and Then Came John.

Travers was born in Harrisburg in 1948.

His father, John Sr., was a B-17 bomber pilot in World War II. “Big John,” as he was known to family and friends, later became a highly regarded sports writer and editor for Harrisburg’s two major daily newspapers: The Patriot-News and The Evening News.

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Photo credit: Anwar Saeed

John Travers holding a photo of a challenge coin created in his honor.

Big John’s love of sports filtered down to his son.

The father recommended that John Jr. focus all of his energy and attention on one sport. Travers decided on basketball. He chose well, leading an undersized Bishop McDevitt High School squad to the Pennsylvania state championship game in 1966, his senior year.

During his high school years, he befriended his fellow student Kathleen Torchia. Travers would frequently walk her home from school. They went to the senior prom together but lost touch after high school and would not see each other for 36 years.

“I had a huge crush on him; a lot of girls did,” recalls Torchia.

Photo credit: Calvin Ligh Penn State and Notre Dame offered Travers an After more than athletic scholarship. He chose to stay close to home.

30 years, Kathleen His parents had raised him as a strict Catholic and did Torchia and John not allow him to date in high school. That all changed Travers reconnected at a high school reunion when he got to State College.

“They turned me loose on a campus with 20,000 committee meeting. females and all this alcohol and then expect that I was They married in 2005. going to have some kind of bodily control,” Travers said years ago.

Travers neglected his classes and became academically ineligible after his freshman year. He and Penn State agreed to part ways. Shortly thereafter, Travers received a draft notice in the mail.

“I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to get drafted,’” he recalled. After speaking to an Army recruiter, he signed up to be an Army helicopter pilot.

Travers became a Dustoff pilot, flying medevac missions into active combat zones. Travers’s chopper frequently took hits from enemy fire. But he flew these incredibly dangerous missions 10 hours a day, six days a week.

He estimates that he evacuated more than 2,100 patients during the war.

Time was of the essence because 99 percent of wounded Americans who survived the first 24 hours after their injuries would live.

One of Travers’s fellow Dustoff pilots, Bernie Goldensweig, said of him, “John had a reputation as an excellent Dustoff pilot. He was very competent and fearless. Like all of us, he would accept any mission and would do whatever was necessary to help the wounded soldiers on the ground.”

“You’re talking about a real, true American hero,” adds retired Sgt. Joseph Novak Sr., president of Vietnam Veterans Association Chapter 542, to which Travers belongs.

Travers’s exemplary service did not end when he returned to Harrisburg.

During 1972’s Hurricane Agnes, Travers was based at Fort Indiantown Gap while serving in the National Guard. He flew helicopter missions to rescue people from their roofs. During one mission, he flew his chopper under a bridge to save people trapped in the Susquehanna River.

Travers returned to Penn State. This time, he earned a master’s degree in European history, graduating summa cum laude.

Travers had married and had a daughter before going off to war, but he received a “Dear John” letter while serving in Vietnam. He remarried and had another daughter after his return, but this marriage did not last, although he still maintains a very close relationship with his daughter.

Then, in 2002, Travers attended a high school reunion committee meeting. It www.50plusLifePA.com

was there that he laid eyes on Kathleen Torchia for the first time since 1966.

She had returned to Harrisburg from California to stay with her father, who was living alone.

“I walked in the door and there was John Travers,” she recalls.

They talked for two hours. Torchia found him very interesting and intelligent and a man with strong moral values. The two became best friends.

Travers asked Torchia if she would consider dating him, but she was turned off by the smoking and drinking he used to cope with his war memories.

Eventually, he agreed to refrain from smoking and drinking in her presence.

After an 18-month courtship, they married in September 2005.

“We were so happy. We were best friends and we had a beautiful, beautiful marriage, and I just couldn’t have been happier,” says Torchia.

During this period, Travers was deeply active in veterans’ affairs.

He helped breathe new life into the struggling Harrisburg chapter of the Vietnam Veterans Association, tripling its membership and expanding its activities while serving as president.

“John Travers got the Vietnam vets in south-central Pennsylvania organized; he got them out of their shells. He got them to take pride in the service they had provided to the country. And he gave them a unified voice,” says former Harrisburg mayor Stephen R. Reed.

Travers also lobbied the Army and Congress on behalf of the hundreds of Dustoff crews who served valiantly in Vietnam but who were never awarded their own Combat Medical Badge.

Inexplicably, this campaign has yet to bear fruit.

Just six months after their wedding, Torchia started noticing that her husband was behaving abnormally.

Travers was at first reluctant to visit a doctor, but finally he received a diagnosis of a rare form of lymphoma — the result of exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

“He had already seen so many of his comrades die from various cancers caused by Agent Orange. He thought now it was his turn. It was horrible,” says Torchia.

And this was just the start of Travers’s medical ordeals. His treatments for lymphoma were successful and have kept him alive to the present day.

But around the same time, his speech www.50plusLifePA.com

began to slur, and then he had trouble walking. A neurologist diagnosed him with a form of brain degeneration, also triggered by Agent Orange. The brain damage would eventually affect his speech, emotions, and impulse control.

Travers was bedridden for two years and was prone to outbursts of screaming.

“The PTSD was just raging at this point,” recalls Torchia, referring to posttraumatic stress disorder.

Travers spent time in a Veterans Administration hospital in California, but his conditioned worsened due to neglect. His situation started to improve after Torchia transferred him to another hospital, where he received more attention and medication.

Torchia later took him to the Brain Treatment Center in Newport Beach, California. There, he received experimental stem cell and regenerative medicine treatments. Miraculously, Travers’s physical and mental condition has improved dramatically in the past few years thanks to these treatments.

During these 12 years of ordeal and anguish, Torchia has patiently stood by her husband, constantly searching for the best possible care.

“Many others would not have had the courage, the stamina, the persistence, the devotion, the love to do such things.

But Kathy has,” says Reed. “Frankly, John Travers would probably not be around today if Kathleen had not stayed by his side.”

In a recent email, Torchia wrote, “John is currently the best he has been mentally, since the onset of his illness.”

She says he is present, sharp, and able to carry on conversations despite impaired speech. She describes his demeanor and attitude as “pleasant,” and says he smiles and laughs more.

These medications and treatments have given Travers and Torchia new hope.

“John is a fighter!” Torchia says.

“He has physical therapy three times a week, and he hopes and prays that he will walk again one day. I continue to encourage him in his hope of coming home and being a husband again.”

To learn more about Travers’s inspiring story and the documentary film All Were Forgotten and Then Came John, visit katalinafilmworks.com.

Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist living in Derry Township. He is the former editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope magazine.

March 26, 2019 May 30, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wyndham Hotel York 2000 Loucks Road York

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel 1741 Papermill Road Wyomissing

These events are FREE to attend.

Veterans (of all ages) and the military community and their families are invited to join us!

The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families.

The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.

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February 2019

17

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘Proud Mary’ Randal Hill

Creedence Clearwater Revival lead singer John Fogerty once recalled seeing a Will Rogers movie about old-time paddle-wheelers.

“I believe at one point they actually sing ‘Rolling on the river,’” Fogerty says. “I know that buried deep inside of me are all these little bits and pieces of Americana. It’s deep in my heart, deep in my soul.

As I learned in English 101, write about what you know.”

from three sources: Creedence from mutual pal Credence Newball, Clearwater from a TV beer commercial that promoted the brew as coming “from the land of sky-blue waters,” and Revival for the band members’ commitment to their reformation.

The group’s debut album — Creedence Clearwater Revival — featured the minor swamprock hit “Susie-Q,” a tune first recorded by Louisianan Dale Hawkins in 1957.

Music fans hailed CCR’s music as a refreshing breakthrough, and many were convinced — erroneously — that the band must have come from the South, so authentic was their sound.

•••

Starting in the late 1960s, Fogerty’s band brought images of rural America to the world with a unique musical style dubbed “swamp rock,” which featured Southern country music, gritty blues, and a heavy, “Proud Mary” ••• danceable beat.

Creedence Clearwater Revival CCR hailed from California, and none of its Fogerty had a small notebook in which he February 1969 members had ever been to the South before fame scribbled song-title ideas. came their way. The Bay Area quartet had started “My first entry was ‘Proud Mary,’” he says. as the Blue Velvets and then became the Golliwogs before military obligations “I didn’t know what those two words meant, but I liked how they sounded caused a temporary breakup. together.”

When the band members came together again, they gleaned a new name Fogerty took his guitar and began playing a song introduction he had been working on, the chord riff based on the opening to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

“I didn’t like how Beethoven had composed it. I preferred hitting the first chord hard for emphasis, not the fourth … When I added rhythm to the The April issue of 50plus LIFE will include chords, the song had the motion of a boat. I had always loved Mark Twain’s a special focus on foot health in recognition of writing and the music of Stephen Foster, so I wrote lyrics about a riverboat …

“I finished most of the song in two hours. Then I opened my notebook for a song title. There was ‘Proud Mary.’”

Not happy with the way the tune sounded when his band recorded it, Fogerty stayed behind that day and overdubbed all the background vocal parts himself after the other members had left the studio.

A longtime fan of black music, he sought a more authentic feel and claimed Many adults don’t give to channel rhythm-and-blues icons Wilson Pickett and Howlin’ Wolf for the their feet the attention rerecording. It was Wolf’s bluesy influence that led Fogerty to pronounce turnin’ as toinin’ and burnin’ as boinin’. they deserve!

National Foot Health Awareness Month.

•••

“Proud Mary” — a Billboard No. 2 chart hit — came from CCR’s second album, Bayou Country, a million-seller that fed the music-from-the-South rumor even more.

For Ike and Tina Turner, their sizzling 1971 remake became a million-seller — and their biggest single ever.

Reach up to 150,000+ monthly readers — let them know about the services and products you provide that can treat their foot conditions and improve their quality of life!

Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

Share your advertising message in 50plus LIFE’s special feature ­­—

National Foot Health Awareness Month Ask about promotional rates!

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Space Reservation Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Contact your account representative today, call (717) 285-1350, or email info@onlinepub.com

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50plus LIFE ›

February 2019

19

Savvy Senior

Jim Miller

Can You Deduct Medicare Costs on Your Income Taxes?

Dear Savvy Senior, Can I deduct my Medicare premiums, deductibles, and copayments on my income taxes? I had a knee replacement surgery last year and spent quite a bit on medical care out of pocket and would like to know what I can write off.

– Frugal Dave Dear Dave, The short answer is yes, you can deduct your Medicare costs, but only if you meet certain conditions required by the IRS. Here’s how it works.

As a taxpayer, you’re allowed to deduct many medical and dental expenses as well as your Medicare out-of-pocket costs. But you can deduct only those expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of your 2018 adjusted gross income (AGI), and you’ll also need to itemize your deductions.

Next year (2019 tax season), the threshold will rise to 10 percent.

Stories of ordinary men and women called to perform extraordinary military service.

From 1999–2016, writer and World War II veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox preserved the firsthand wartime experiences of more than 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— selected by Wilcox himself—are available to own in this soft-cover book.

Simply complete and mail this form with your payment to the address below to order Salute to Our Veterans.

On-Line Publishers • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Name_ _______________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State_ ____ Zip_ ______________ Phone_ _____________________ Email______________________________ Number of copies_ ______ (Please include $20.80 for each copy) Credit card #______________________________________ Exp. date________ Signature of cardholder_________________________________CVV #________

Or send a check made payable to On-Line Publishers, Inc. You can also order online at www.50plusLIFEpa.com!

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February 2019

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Here’s an example. Let’s say that your AGI in 2018 was $50,000. Of that, 7.5 percent is $3,750. If your total allowable medical expenses last year were $8,000, you’d be able to deduct $4,250 ($8,000 minus $3,750).

But, if your medical expenses were less than $3,750, you couldn’t claim any as a deduction.

You also need to understand that when taking a medical expense deduction, you don’t actually get back every dollar you claim.

While a tax credit reduces your taxes dollar-for-dollar, tax deductions simply reduce your taxable income, and your savings ultimately depend on the effective rate at which you’re taxed.

So, for example, if you qualify for a $4,250 deduction and your effective tax rate is 22 percent, you would get $935 in savings from that particular deduction.

To get this deduction you will need to file an itemized Schedule A (1040) tax return. You cannot claim medical expenses on Form 1040A or Form 1040EZ. Allowable Medical Expenses The list of allowable medical expenses, as defined by the IRS, is long and fairly flexible.

As a Medicare beneficiary, you can deduct your monthly premiums for Part B, Part C (Medicare Advantage plans), Part D drug plans, and any supplemental (Medigap) insurance you have.

If you have to pay a premium for Part A, that’s allowed too. You can also deduct the cost of all your deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments under Medicare.

In addition, you’re also allowed to deduct the cost of medical services not covered by Medicare, including dental treatment, vision care, prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids, and even long-term care.

They also allow transportation to and from medical treatment to count as an eligible medical expense. And if necessary, you may even be able to deduct home alterations and equipment — such as entrance ramps, grab bars, stair lifts, etc. — that can help you age in place.

Some things, however, you cannot deduct, such as vitamins and supplements, unless recommended by a physician to treat a specific medical condition.

You are also unable to deduct Medicare late penalties added to Part B or Part D premiums. Medicare beneficiaries who fail to sign up during their initial enrollment period are typically hit with a penalty that gets added to their monthly premiums, but these additional costs won’t count for tax purposes.

For more information, including a detailed rundown of allowable and unallowable medical expenses, see IRS Publication 502 Medical and Dental Expenses at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf or call the IRS at (800) 829-3676 and ask them to mail you a copy.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 22 SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

Sea Creatures

Across 1. Squabble 5. Invoice amount 8. Pennant 12. Fable writer 14. Falls behind 16. Ready for picking 17. Cousin of a loon 18. Fair-sized garden 19. Fairytale villain 20. Collar inserts 21. Like some lingerie 23. Part of H.R.H. 24. Tease 26. Railroad support 28. Mentor

31. It’s a wrap 33. Slight 34. In awe 35. Chums 37. Brusque 40. Eskimo knife 41. DiCaprio, to fans 42. Elderly 43. Type of mob 46. Summoned 48. Offshoot 49. Twosome 51. Barbell abbr.

52. Chip in 53. Scorched

56. Western Indians 58. Irritation 59. Rich tapestry 61. Indian state 65. Black, to poets 67. Shed 68. Medicinal plant 69. Adjoin 70. Monroe flick, ___ Like It Hot 71. Silas Marner author 72. Don’t believe it 73. Average 74. Healthful retreats

15. Mediums 22. It’s overhead 25. Kind of story 27. Seek damages 28. Celt 29. Hideous 30. Traffic circle 32. Perfect 36. Farmer 38. Open, as an envelope 39. Head start 44. Mongrel 45. Mother of Ares

47. Extreme suffix 48. Sword knots 50. Conditions 53. Coffee extra 54. Spouse, affectionately 55. Slump 57. Facilitate 60. Diva Gluck 62. Salon sound 63. Small buffalo 64. Gym equipment 66. Utmost degree

Down 1. Droops 2. Flippant 3. Between ports 4. Drinking mug 5. Photo equipment, once 6. Apiece 7. Everglades bird 8. To and ___ 9. Ecru 10. Spring month 11. Honkers 13. Cancún coin

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February 2019

21

Fresh Fare

Fight the Cold with Better-for-You Comfort Foods Few things go together quite like cold weather and comfort foods. However, those hearty dishes that are typically craved on blustery days are usually not classified as “healthy.”

With the right approach, though, you can put a better-for-you twist on some of your favorite dishes that can keep you cozy and satiated during the winter season.

For example, you can put a grown-up twist on grilled cheese and tomato soup with this recipe for Creamy Tomato and Roasted Pepper Soup with Cheddar Cracker Melts.

Pairing flavorful, seasonal dishes, such as soups and stews, with a wholesome snack cracker like gluten-free, non-GMO Crunchmaster Tuscan Peasant Crackers can help satisfy those comfortfood cravings while also contributing to a healthy lifestyle.

For other seasonal recipes, coupons, tips and nutritional information, visit crunchmaster.com.

Creamy Tomato and Roasted Pepper Soup with Cheddar Cracker Melts Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 Creamy Tomato and Roasted Pepper Soup: • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 can (28 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes • 1 cup chopped prepared roasted red peppers • 2 bay leaves • 1/3 cup 35 percent heavy cream • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, divided • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Cheddar Cracker Melts: • 24 Crunchmaster Tuscan Peasant Fire-Roasted Tomato Basil Crackers • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese In a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion, carrot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika, and chili flakes about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly softened.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and bay leaves; bring to boil. Reduce heat to mediumlow. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves. Let cool slightly.

Transfer to blender; puree in batches until smooth. Stir in cream, remaining salt, 1 tablespoon chives, and vinegar.

To make Cheddar Cracker Melts: Heat broiler to high and position rack in center of oven. Arrange crackers on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Divide soup among six bowls. Sprinkle with remaining chives and serve with Cheddar Cracker Melts.

Tip: Use mild, medium, or aged cheddar cheese. Smoked mozzarella can be substituted, if desired.

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped • 1 teaspoon salt, divided

Nutrition information per serving: 250 calories; 15 g fat; 7 g saturated fat; 30 mg cholesterol; 730 mg sodium; 22 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 6 g protein.

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper • 1/2 teaspoon paprika • 1 pinch chili flakes

Family Features

Puzzles shown on page 21

Puzzle Solutions

• 4 cups organic no-salt-added vegetable broth

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February 2019

50plus LIFE ›

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On Life and Love after 50

Senior Dating Guilt: Let It Go Tom Blake

It surprises me how many seniors contact me regarding their guilt over dating. Take Donna, for example.

A widow since 2011, Donna emailed, “My friend passed away from cancer two years ago. Her ex-husband is the man I am writing to ask you about. We live in two different eastern states, not too far from each other. We are both in our early 60s, and at the end of 2018, we retired.

“I didn’t know him at all. I have seen him three times in the past 30 years for about 10 minutes just to say hi.

My friend said she and he never got along during 25 years of marriage.

“My friend — rest her soul — was very opinionated, controlling, and bossy with her husband and the children, which I witnessed one of the three times I saw him. ​It got to a point that when my friend and I talked over the phone, we never talked about him.

“We talked three times​a year, but I was the one who would call, until​that one day she called me to tell me she had cancer. By this time, she and he had been separated 10 years.​Now she is gone … their​children are grown and on their own and are not close to him, because of her.

“He and I have been talking over the phone for two years. We have become​good friends and have a lot in common​. I would like to see him, but I have the guilt​that he was my friend’s​husband hanging​over my head.

“Now, we are just friends. ​But what I am feeling ​guilty​​about is: If we do start​seeing each other, how would his www.50plusLifePA.com

grown children feel about us being​ together?

“His marriage and family life were​ calmly dysfunctional​, if you can picture that. We are both reluctant, but I know we will see each other soon. We are not getting any younger.

“We are both​healthy​​and able to still have fun before we die​, so why not? But the guilt?”

My response to Donna: Your friend had been separated for 10 years. She had a miserable marriage. Why worry about his children?

You say he is not close to them. They probably won’t care if you two start dating.

If you enjoy each other, go for it, now!

Live in the present.

Have you been together in person at all? Do that. You might find you want to be together or you may find you don’t.

You and your friend weren’t that close, talking to each other only three times a year.

One concern: If the family is dysfunctional, do you want to get involved in that?

For people age 60 and older, it’s hard enough to meet potential mates.

You’ve met a man you have much in common with.

Ditch the guilt. Wait no longer.

Get together in person and see what happens.

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to www.

FindingLoveAfter50.com.

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February 2019

23

This is fighting cancer from the inside.

Tim can focus on the miles ahead because his own immune cells are focused on killing his cancer— thanks to CAR-T cell therapy, a leading-edge treatment option available in central Pennsylvania— only here at Penn State Cancer Institute.

This is how we’re continuing to innovate and invest in the people of Central PA. Because this is the health we need to live the way we want.

This is Penn State Health.

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