50plus LIFE Cumberland County March 2019

Complimentary | Cumberland County Edition

March 2019 • Vol. 20 No. 3

jack of all trades, master of many page 4

Russia: Cruising the Waterways of the Tsars page 10

special section: living your best retirement

page 11

March Used to Be the First Month of the Year Before the ancient Roman calendar was updated to include the winter months of January and February, the year started with March.

Named for Mars, the Roman god of war, March was the time of year in ancient Rome when military campaigns could begin anew as the inclement days of winter were past.

Here are a few other tidbits about March you might find interesting: It’s all about the weather. The phrase “in like a lion and out like a lamb” is often used to refer to this month.

The snow and bone-chilling cold weather at the beginning of March will often give way to warmer temperatures that allow for the first buds of the year to come forth by the time April rolls around.

However, there are times when the weather at the end of March makes one doubt that warmer days are ahead. According to folklore, “borrowing days” occur when it rains during the last three days of the month because March has borrowed the weather from traditionally rainy April.

By comparison, the first three days of month are referred to as “blind days,” during which time farmers should avoid sowing their crops. Rainfall during blind days is considered an omen for a poor harvest later in the year.

You must believe in spring, at some point.

Regardless of the weather, a change is on the horizon, and it has a lot to do with the sun.

The hours of day and night are nearly the same when the vernal equinox arrives, heralding the first day of spring for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere.

In places such as Australia, New Zealand, most of South America, a portion of Africa, and a bunch of tiny island nations in the South Pacific, this is the beginning of autumn.

In bloom. The daffodil is considered the flower of March, and if you planted bulbs last fall, you should enjoy blooms this month.

The daffodil is believed to symbolize deep love or regard. To give a gift of daffodils shows your unequivocal regard for the recipient.

In stone. The modern birthstone for March is aquamarine, but ancient Arabic, Hebrew, and Hindu practices associate the bloodstone with this month.

Tibetan mystics consider jade to be March’s birthstone.

A month of madness. The overwhelming insanity that rules this time of year has little to do with brackets and college basketball.

The phrase “mad as a March hare” references the aggressive behaviors the male of this species exhibits during mating season.

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March 2019

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Dr. Danette Nulph, Au.D. Dr. Kristen A. Duncan, Au.D. Dr. Michelle Tewell, Au.D.

717-766-1500

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Improve Your Hearing, Improve Your Life 5020 Ritter Road, Suite 106 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (Off Rt. 15 Rossmoyne Business Park)

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Residents Receive New Year’s Pampering Two stylists from Moxy, a Beauty Retreat recently treated four residents of Susquehanna View Apartments in Camp Hill to New Year’s makeovers.

The makeover recipients, all women in their 80s and 90s, received hair styling and makeup applications as part of the annual event.

March 26, 2019

May 30, 2019

Wyndham Hotel York 2000 Loucks Road York

Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel 1741 Papermill Road Wyomissing

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Standing, from left, Moxy stylists Darlene Nailor and Courtney Evans.

Seated, from left, Betty Cassatt, Clara Ross, Mae Jenkins, and Gladys Baldwin after their New Year’s makeovers.

Stylist Courtney Evans applies mascara to Betty Cassatt, 81.

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

This event is 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.

Coffee Still in Demand We sure like our coffee.

The U.S. National Coffee Association’s 2018 National Coffee Drinking Trends report says that the number of Americans who drank coffee in the past day is the highest it’s been in six years.

According to the report, based on a study of more than 2,700 adults 18 or older, 64 percent said they drank coffee within the past day, the highest amount since 2012.

This is higher than the growth from 57 percent in 2016 to 62 percent in 2017.

The study also found that pastday consumption of traditional coffee, defined as “regular coffee” brewed from “gourmet-quality” beans, held steady over the previous years, at 16 percent.

Similarly, consumption of espressobased drinks held steady from 2017, at 24 percent.

At the Expo

Veterans Benefits & Services Medical/Nonmedical Resources Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services

At the Job Fair

Employers Job Counseling Workshops Employment Seminars Resume Writing Assistance

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March 2019

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Cover Story

Jack of All Trades, Master of Many

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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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50plus LIFE is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature.

Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

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March 2019

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By Jason J. Tabor

Island as an officer on a destroyer escort ship, a small vessel with a small staff that was tasked with patrolling waters in the Caribbean.

Visitors to historic Cornwall Iron Furnace in Freeland was in charge of the communications Lebanon have the opportunity to learn all about division of the operations the Revolutionary-War-era department (while also forge from local history serving as tactical signals buff-turned-tour guide Pat officer, cryptosecurity officer, Freeland. communications officer, “The furnace opened postal officer, Protestant lay in 1742 and has a lot of leader, and legal officer. historical significance.

After his stint in the Cannonballs and cannons military ended, Freeland used by the Navy during returned to the area and the Revolutionary War were began his career in education made here, but not a lot of as a sixth-grade English people know about it,” he teacher — a job he enjoyed says. for 17 years, first in Maryland Freeland, now retired As a Navy officer during the Vietnam War and then in Massachusetts from a wide-ranging, eclectic era, Freeland spent three years based in after moving there to career, lives with his wife Rhode Island on a destroyer escort. pursue a master’s degree in of 40 years, Vicki, close to educational administration where he grew up in Lebanon at Northeastern and Boston County. A fan of all things universities. historical, Freeland’s own Along the way, he and personal history could fill a Vicki married in 1978 book or two. and soon had a son and a “I never knew exactly what daughter.

I wanted to do with my life While in Massachusetts, when I was young, and I still a co-worker at his school don’t think I’ve figured it introduced Freeland to flying out,” he laughs. small single-engine planes, After graduating from and he soon received his own Cornwall High School, he pilot’s license. attended Lafayette College “My friend took me flying to earn a bachelor’s degree in a few times, and as usual, psychology, with the vague I wanted to know how all notion that he may one day The furnace’s “Great Wheel” weighs of those dials, levers, and become a school principal.

4 tons and measures 24 feet in diameter. instruments worked, and I He attributes his interest ended up becoming a pilot in education with his passion myself,” he remembers. for language, including a Tragedy was narrowly “passing familiarity with averted on one of Freeland’s French, Latin, German, and first solo flights when the Pennsylvania Dutch.” plane’s engine sputtered to a Shortly after his college stop shortly after takeoff. graduation, however, “I was relatively Freeland’s career plans were inexperienced, so instead put on hold when war broke of letting the plane spiral out in Vietnam and many downward and reduce speed, young men in the U.S. faced Cannonballs were cast in Cornwall for I just wanted to get back military conscription or the American Revolution. Pictured down on the ground as soon enlistment. here are “12-pounders.” as possible,” he laughs.

“It was 1966 and the draft He guided the plane back down to a rough had begun. I figured my best option would be to go landing on a dirt runway at 120 miles per hour, ahead and enlist in the Navy,” he recalls.

Freeland spent the next three years based in Rhode stopping just short of a stone wall bordering a www.50plusLifePA.com

he worked with a crew of volunteers to build and restore homes for needy cemetery at the edge of the airport. families in Lebanon.

“I lost a couple teeth that day, but kept flying for years afterwards,” he remembers.

But in 2016, Freeland was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel and liver cancer and After almost two decades in public education, Freeland would make the first told by his doctor that he may have only six months to live. Doctors advised him to discontinue the home renovations due to the possible infections that of many about-faces in his career.

“The best part of teaching could result. was dealing with the kids each “I started chemotherapy day. I loved teaching the kids, immediately, and within a few but ultimately I just got tired months the lab results showed of dealing with the parents day that the cancer had gone into in and day out,” he laughs. remission. I’m really lucky, but After teaching, Freeland I’m still here tickin’.” dabbled in real estate sales, Cancer may have slowed but ultimately found his niche him down a little bit, but at 75 doing home renovation and Freeland remains busy. maintenance, founding a “We see our grandkids company that would perform every day, and when I’m not these services for realtors before puttering around the house homes went on the market. or yard, working, I’m at the Forty-two cannon were cast at the furnace; 41 were taken by wagon to Revolution-era ships “I’ve always enjoyed furnace giving tours or doing in Philadelphia. This one may not have proved tinkering, problem-solving, maintenance work,” he says. structurally sound. and being handy, so this was a In the casting house, the molten “One of the biggest lessons iron was tapped twice daily.

Each much more natural fit for me I’ve learned through all of my tap was 2,800 pounds at 3,000 than sales,” he says. experiences is the importance of treating everyone you meet with respect. Every degrees.

Two years later, he would one of us has a story to tell, and we can learn a lot if we take the time to listen.” jump into a completely Visit the Cornwall Iron Furnace website at cornwallironfurnace.org or call different career field by chance, when his neighbor offered him a job in (717) 272-9711. computer software programming — a field in which Freeland had no formal training.

On the cover: “It was the late ’80s, and software companies were getting huge and needing Installed around 1841, this 20-horsepower, single-cylinder steam engine powered the furnace’s blowing equipment. to increase their staffing. I just dove into coding; I really loved it. There is something about problem-solving combined with creating something new that has always appealed to me,” he says.

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC” Freeland contributed coding to what would become one of the world’s most popular business email and calendar programs, Lotus Notes, and would go on to co-author a Lotus Notes for Dummies book and other tech-related publications.

After retiring from the tech industry in 2002, he and Vicki moved back to the Cornwall area to be closer to family, including their five grandchildren.

While living in Massachusetts, Freeland spent his free time volunteering as a tour guide at WGBH Boston, a PBS television and radio affiliate.

He also served as a guide aboard sightseeing ships in 1992 during the visit of the tall ships to celebrate the 1492 voyage of Columbus, “narrating the arrival of the ships and describing anything I could think of about Boston, its history, Attention: RETIREMENT HOMES, and its sights.”

Those experiences, and his interest in teaching local history, led him to CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS. volunteer at Cornwall Iron Furnace in 2003, where he has been ever since.

A unique survivor of the early American iron industry originally built by Looking for entertainment?

Peter Grubb in 1742, Cornwall Iron Furnace underwent extensive renovations Now booking our Christmas, variety, and specialty shows for 2019. in 1856-57 under its subsequent owners, the Coleman family, and closed in We have many variety shows featuring the music from the 1930s to the 60s.

1883, according to its website (cornwallironfurnace.org).

Songs by legendary artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, It is this mid-19th century ironmaking complex — furnace, blast equipment, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, and the Mills Brothers. and related buildings — that survives today as a National Historic Landmark.

Specialty shows include …

“I continue to do tours at the furnace and can supply lots of information Songs from the WWII Years • The Post WWII Years: 1945 – 1955 about its history and the processes involved in the production of iron,” Freeland AMERICA: From Sea to Shining Sea says.

Salute to the Rat Pack (or if you prefer, just Sinatra) “Recently I created a PowerPoint ‘Virtual Tour of the Cornwall Iron Elvis & Patsy • Classic Country Furnace’ for people who could not manage the 90-plus steps in the furnace building. We hope to present it in the future to retirement homes around this Please contact Memory Music to book your next event! area.”

After Freeland returned to Central Pennsylvania he had also put his jack-ofall-trades skillset to use renovating homes with Habitat for Humanity, where Phone: (717) 846-6126 E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE ›

March 2019

5

Grief Relief

7 Ways to Grieve Mindfully Victor M. Parachin

Mounting scientific evidence from scores of universities strongly suggests that mindfulness not only reduces stress, but also gently builds an inner strength so that future stressors have less impact on our happiness and physical well-being.

Simply stated, mindfulness is the natural human ability to be paying attention and aware of what is happening around us, to us, and within us. When we are mindful, we are more able to respond rather than react to issues, events, and people.

Mindfulness is an important quality to bring into the bereavement process. Here are seven ways to grieve mindfully.

1. Mindful breathing. Grief produces stress, and when you are stressed, there are physical changes, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure.

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The shortest route to reducing this stress is to breathe deeply and slowly. When you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax.

Here is a simple breath exercise to do when feeling stressed called CPR. It’s done with three inhales and exhales. First, inhale slowly and say, “I am,” and then exhale slowly and say, “calm.”

Second, inhale slowly and say, “I am,” and then exhale slowly and say, “peaceful.”

Third, inhale slowly and say, “I am,” and then exhale slowly and say, “relaxed.”

Do this for several minutes until you feel more calm, peaceful, and relaxed.

2. Mindful thoughts. When grieving, it’s easy to let the mind gravitate toward negative, catastrophic thinking.

However, it doesn’t need to be that way. Rather than having your mind manage you and your feelings, flip the switch and manage your mind, training it to think positively and optimistically.

Whenever negative thoughts emerge, replace them with positive ones. Move from “I can’t” and “I’m not able” toward “I can” and “I am able.”

3. Mindful words. Pay attention to the way you speak. Is your vocabulary positive and uplifting, or does it tend to focus on the negative and pessimistic?

Use words, phrases, and sentences that build up, encourage, inspire, and applaud yourself and all those you come in contact with.

4. Mindful action. Take steps necessary to educate and inform yourself about the grief process. Read books and magazine articles, take workshops, join a grief support group.

Some of the many benefits of being in a self-help group include: • Emotional, psychological, and spiritual support in a safe and nonjudgmental environment • Sympathy and understanding from others who have experienced a similar loss • The opportunity to accelerate the healing process through sharing your own story and hearing the stories of other grievers

Convenient print edition plus extensive online, searchable directory.

Discover support and services available to meet challenges you may encounter as a senior, as someone who is caring for an older loved one, or as a person with a disability.

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March 2019

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• Coping skills to help you through the most difficult days of your grief journey • New friendships with people who “get it” and understand firsthand what you’re going through • In a grief support group, you will meet people who are adjusting and adapting to their loss; these women and men can become inspiring role models for you www.50plusLifePA.com

• Permission to grieve and permission to live a happy, productive life 5. Mindful eating. Grief disrupts appetite. Some grievers eat too little, while others overeat.

Practice mindfulness at meals. Be sure to mindfully eat fresh, healthy foods to keep your body strong during your grief journey.

If preparing meals for just yourself is uninspiring, use this as a reason to invite company over for a meal or try a new restaurant with a friend.

6. Mindful exercise. To offset the shock and sadness of grief, engage in regular exercise most days of the week. Studies reveal that exercise can be just as effective for reducing depression as anti-depressant drugs.

Even if you feel you can’t possibly drag yourself out of bed, get up and get moving. Think carefully about an activity that appeals to you — hiking, biking, swimming, yoga, group fitness classes, dancing, kayaking — and do it.

7. Mindful possibilities. As grief eases and days become lighter and brighter, begin to be mindful about your future. One chapter of your life has concluded, and now is the time to begin writing a new chapter.

Be mindful about your ability to tap into inner strength, move forward, and reinvent yourself.

Victor M. Parachin, M.Div., is a grief counselor, bereavement educator, and author of several books, including Healing Grief.

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

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

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March 2019

7

Dear Pharmacist

6 Startling Reasons to Be Less Nice This Year Suzy Cohen

Do you currently strive to be superhuman — always loving, kind, and generous? Do you demand this of yourself, in all of your relationships? Inside you may feel resentful, burnt out, and unappreciated.

Depending on how nice you are, you might experience insomnia, depression, minor compulsions or phobias, resentment, nagging aches and pains, autoimmune problems, or chronic infections.

I propose that in 2019, you be less nice.

“Nice” often includes the following: • Don’t interrupt a person, even if they’re boring.

• A lways compliment; don’t tell the truth.

• Text back within 15 minutes.

• Like everyone’s Facebook post, even if you don’t.

• Let the neighbor’s dog urinate on and kill your lawn.

• Don’t say a word about her drinking.

• Don’t scold your son, even if he’s obnoxious and deserves it.

• Let your co-worker pile more on your desk and take credit for the work.

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March 2019

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• Just say yes. Say yes to everything!

You’re nice, right? Saying no, or calling someone out, is not nice.

I submit to you that I am not a nice person. I propose that in 2019, you be less nice as a method of improving your health and mental well-being.

Let’s go over the six startling benefits of not being nice: 1. You have more time. When you stop saying yes to doing things and going places that don’t bring you enjoyment, you regain precious time in your own schedule.

Remember, people’s agendas are most important to them, but as they try to claim your time, once that time is spent by you, it’s literally gone forever.

2. You will have more energy. Not being nice is liberating sometimes, especially when you disconnect from a situation, person, job, or relationship that has been weighing on you for years.

On the days when you feel overly tired or spent, as yourself, “Whom am I meeting with today or what is on my agenda that is weighing me down?”

3. You will feel empowered. Have you ever wished your time was spent doing something different, but it was too late?

You have the power to say yes or no, as well as the power to decide what to do with your time. It’s not infinite, so spend it wisely.

When you say no to someone else’s plan for you, you are simultaneously saying yes to your own plan.

4. You’ll feel less anxiety and sleep better. When you spend months in frustration mode, or ruminate, you figuratively chew something in your mind over and over.

Every thought you have squirts out a chemical that locks you into “sympathetic alarm.” This blunts your parasympathetic nervous system, the one that allows you to rest and digest.

5. You’ll develop stronger relationships. You’ll lose toxic friends; you might become estranged from needy siblings. People don’t like to be cut off from their source of help, their battering board, or their support system.

Being less nice will ultimately translate to stronger relationships, as people will like you for who you are.

6. Your schedule becomes more reliable. Nice people have erratic schedules because they jump to it when others are in need.

When you become “not nice” and stop agreeing to someone’s sudden whim for you or perceived emergency, your schedule suddenly becomes more consistent, decluttered, and efficient.

So, at this point, let me ask you: Can you be less nice this year?

Being warm, enthusiastic, upbeat, affirming, and kind is important. I used to be a saint, but full disclosure … I’ve put down my crown! It’s exhausting.

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

www.50plusLifePA.com

The Bookworm Sez

Terri Schlichenmeyer

If You Ask Me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt

What should you do?

When relationships break down, what then? Or you lose your job and your bank account is depleted, your home is in foreclosure, you’re a victim of discrimination — what do you do?

You ask yourself “What next?” and then you reach for help, and with the new book If You Ask Me by Eleanor Roosevelt, edited by Mary Jo Binker, the advice you get might be decades old.

Arguments on immigration, world issues, patriotism, and messy politics. Minority issues, equal pay, family problems, and constitutional matters.

Though these things may seem to be problems strictly of the modern age, from 1921 until 1962, Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of our 32nd president, also tackled these same topics in her books and magazine articles. In those 41 years, she ultimately penned more than 600 pieces.

If You Ask Me: Essential Advice People from every walk of life consulted Roosevelt for from Eleanor Roosevelt advice: politicians asked her and women sought her out.

By Eleanor Roosevelt, Men looked toward her wisdom and, says Binker, she had a edited by Mary Jo Binker particular affection for teenagers (and vice versa). c. 1946, 1974, 2018, Atria Books 245 pages Though she wrote the words in this book generations ago, her advice is still relevant, even when contemporary viewpoints are taken into consideration.

“She genuinely cared about people and their problems,” says Binker, consulting editor for the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project and editor of this book.

Roosevelt’s words were comforting, but she did not suffer fools.

In 1944, she wrote that she believed women should receive equal pay for doing “men’s jobs.” She was a big proponent of organized labor, as she stated later that same year, and she was famously, vociferously pro-racial equality and against anti-Semitism.

Politically, Roosevelt used her experiences as first lady to back up her beliefs on democracy, the office of president, eliminating the Electoral College, and on dealing with political rifts within families.

She hoped that national healthcare would become a reality. She called for calm in times of trouble. She firmly favored birth control and believed that the future would turn out all right.

The surprise inside If You Ask Me is twofold: In reading the words that editor Mary Jo Binker collected, one is reminded by their shiny relevance that everything old is new again.

Seventy-five years have passed, and the same old issues have returned like sharks to chum, giving readers a dreadful, treading-water feeling. So what’s changed?

In a word, us. In the other half of the surprise is a quaint, sweetly amusing look at a time when good girls weren’t “necking,” businesswomen in “taverns” was worrisome, and the first lady believed that “rock ’n’ roll” was a “fad [that] will probably pass” and that parents “needn’t take it too seriously.”

The amusement also comes from Roosevelt’s wit and her ladylike rebukes that could be delivered on razor blades.

Yes, she “cared about people”… but she could cut, too.

This book is obviously perfect for historians, but anyone can enjoy what’s inside these mostly-still-applicable words. It’s easy to browse and fun, too, so read If You Ask Me. That’s what you should do.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 14,000 books.

Your guide to choosing the right living and care options for you or a loved one.

Read it online, in print, and on mobile/tablet devices. onlinepub.com

23rd annual edition

Call today for your free copy!

(717) 285-1350 www.50plusLifePA.com

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March 2019

9

Traveltizers

Russia: Cruising the Waterways of the Tsars Andrea Gross

“Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” said Winston Churchill in a 1939 radio broadcast.

Things haven’t changed much in the intervening years. The world’s largest country is still a land of gilded domes and golden spires as well as grand art, great music, and blue waterways.

But it’s also a land that has been St. Petersburg is filled with magnificent ruled by those who domed cathedrals. win revolutions as well as by those who win elections; is sometimes officially communistic and other times casually capitalistic; and whose relationship with the United States has ranged from

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March 2019

50plus LIFE ›

somewhat cooperative to outright confrontational.

An enigma indeed — which is, of course, exactly why my husband and I wanted to go there.

The first thing we learn is that Russia isn’t a particularly easy place for American tourists.

Most find the language unintelligible, the alphabet indecipherable, and the regulations innumerable.

Cathedrals abound in the small towns For example, between St. Petersburg and Moscow. individual travelers need an “invitation” from an authorized Russian travel agency verifying exactly where they’ll be staying each night during their visit. Spontaneity is not allowed.

Thus we opt for a riverboat cruise specifically designed for English-speaking passengers, which will let us travel in comfort and security.

Our first stop is St. Petersburg, the cultural gem of Russia. It’s here that I see my first onion-domed cathedral, proudly presiding over a watery maze that splinters the city into 100 islands connected by nearly 400 canals and bridges.

We spend three days amongst spectacular palaces, world-renowned museums, and magnificent gardens. We thrill to the performance of Swan Lake, which was first presented to the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg in 1895; tap our feet in rhythm to the rollicking music of the Cossacks; and are overwhelmed by the art of the Hermitage Museum, which has prehistoric artifacts as well as Greek sculptures and Impressionist paintings.

Experts say that if a person were to spend one minute per exhibit, it would take him 11 years to see it all.

Finally we visit a kommunalka, a communal home owned by several unrelated families. Each family has its own small room for living and dining, but they all share a common bathroom and small cooking area, which, in this case, consists of two stoves, a mini-refrigerator, and a few overloaded shelves.

I don’t want to leave St. Petersburg. It has an air of restrained elegance — historically important, regally proud, and visually stunning. But it’s time for the Viking Akun, our 200-passenger ship, to head south to Moscow.

For the next five days we cruise down the Svir and Volga rivers, stopping at a variety of small and midsize towns.

A guide introduces us to a woman who’s making matryoshka dolls, those small sets of figures that decrease in size so that they nest one inside another.

Traditionally these dolls were painted in intricate designs; today many have more contemporary, and sometimes controversial, motifs.

One set, for example, depicts the largest doll as Putin and the smaller ones as former leaders of the Soviet Union, from Lenin to Yeltsin. Other sets are in the reverse, with Lenin outsizing Putin.

We opt for one that features the Disney characters Anna and Elsa. All things please see RUSSIA page 23

www.50plusLifePA.com

Living Your Best Retirement

Navigating the 3 Financial Stages of Retirement People often view retirement as just one more stage of life.

But that’s not exactly the case. Retirement isn’t just one stage; it’s at least three — although all three do share something in common.

“Every stage of retirement requires planning,” says Jack Teboda, president of Teboda & Associates, a financial services firm in Illinois.

“Otherwise, you could end up running out of money, or your health might take a turn for the worse and negatively impact your retirement savings because you hadn’t planned for it in those early years of retirement.”

It’s not easy to put exact ages on each of the three stages of retirement. That likely will vary from person to person, depending on their finances, health, and family situation.

But here’s what to look for in each stage: please see STAGES page 12

www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE ›

March 2019

11

Please join us for these FREE events!

Living Your Best Retirement

20th Annual

April 30, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

LANCASTER COUNTY

Shady Maple Conference Center Smorgasbord Building 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl

20th Annual

May 28, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

DAUPHIN COUNTY

Hershey Lodge 325 University Drive Hershey

16th Annual

June 5, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

CHESTER COUNTY

Church Farm School 1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton

23rd Annual

Sept. 18, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

LANCASTER COUNTY

Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

17th Annual

Sept. 25, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

YORK COUNTY

York Expo Center Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Ave., York

20th Annual

Oct. 16, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street Carlisle

Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars Demonstrations • Entertainment • Door Prizes

STAGES from page 11 Stage One: Adjust to a new lifestyle. Many new retirees brim with excitement when retirement begins. They can golf, visit museums, play with their grandchildren, travel, or catch up on their reading.

Not everyone adjusts well, though. It’s not easy to flip the switch overnight after you’ve spent several decades reporting to work every day.

Also, if your retirement income is largely dependent on your savings, you’ll want to be careful that you don’t spend too much in those initial years.

“Your adviser should be able to help you come up with a plan that will give you income for life so you don’t have to worry about running out of money,” Teboda says.

Stage Two: Staying socially connected. As the years pass, many retirees move closer to their children or move into a retirement community because it makes them feel more socially connected.

“Sometimes at this point, especially if they haven’t planned well, people may start to have even more worries that they will outlive their money,” Teboda says.

“One way to address that is to cut back on expenses.

Some people even decide to get a part-time job to bring in extra money, and working becomes another way to stay connected.”

Stage Three: Realizing you may need assistance. More than 70 percent of Americans older than 65 will need some form of long-term care at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“When people map out their retirement,” Teboda says, “they need to plan for that possibility because the cost of long-term care can be devastating to your finances.”

He says people need to consider a number of factors — taxes, longevity, and market risks, among others — to improve the odds of a joyful retirement.

This is one reason Teboda says his firm takes a team approach to advising, using financial professionals with different areas of expertise. For example, one team member is an associate financial adviser and another is an attorney specializing in estate planning.

“In each stage of retirement,” Teboda says, “it’s important to confer regularly with your adviser and to be ready to adjust your financial plans if necessary.”

Jack Teboda, president and founder of Teboda & Associates (teboda.com), has more than 35 years’ experience helping people pursue financial independence through personalized investment strategies. An investment adviser representative, Teboda’s firm takes a team approach to advising clients on retirement concerns and other financial-planning issues.

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

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(717) 285-1350 (717) 770-0140 (610) 675-6240

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March 2019

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50plus LIFE ›

March 2019

13

Savvy Senior

Deciding What to Do in Retirement

Living Your Best Retirement

Jim Miller

14

Dear Savvy Senior, I just turned 62 and am financially prepared for retirement, but I’m less certain about how to spend my time after leaving work. Can you recommend some resources or tools that can help me with this?

– Feeling Lost Dear Lost, This is a great question! Many people, when asked what they want to do when they retire, will say they want a mix of travel, play, and meaningful work. Specifics, however, tend to be few and far between.

But planning how to fill your time in retirement is just as important as the financialplanning aspect. Here are some resources that can help.

Online Tools A good starting point to figuring out what you want to do in retirement is at Life Reimagined (lifereimagined.aarp.org).

This is an AARP website (you don’t have to be a member to use it) that can help you rediscover what truly matters to you and focus on what you really want to do. It offers a variety of online exercises and programs that will hopefully spark some ideas and give you inspiration.

Encore.org is another good resource that helps people who are seeking work that matters in the second half of life. Click on “Resources” on the menu bar and download their free Encore guide, and consider purchasing a copy of their Encore Career Handbook by Marci Alboher, which is excellent.

Also check out the free e-book called The Age for Change, which can help answer the question: “What now?” You can download this from Coming of Age (comingofage.org).

And if you’ve never taken a personality test before, this too can be a good tool to help you figure out what type of activities or work you’d like to do. A good option for this is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, which you can take online at mbticomplete. com.

Personalized Guidance If you want personalized help, you can also get one-on-one guidance from a retirement or life planning coach.

Some resources that can help you here include Life Planning for You (lifeplanningforyou.com), which has a free exercise called EVOKE to help identify a path that might suit you best in later life and provides a directory to registered life planners to help guide you.

Also see Retirement Options (retirementoptions.com), which will connect you with a retirement coach who will give you an assessment to help reveal your attitudes and opinions about work, family life, relationship, leisure time, and more.

March 2019

50plus LIFE ›

And check out the Life Planning Network (lifeplanningnetwork. org), a group of professionals and organizations that help people navigate the second half of life.

You can also find life and retirement coaching at the International Coach Federation (coachfederation.org).

Coaching sessions typically range from $75 to $300 or more and usually require four to six sessions to get the most out of the process.

Other Resources If you’re primarily interested in volunteering, finding a retirement job, or even starting a business when you retire, there are lots of resources that can help here too.

For volunteering, Points of Light (pointsoflife.weebly.com), VolunteerMatch (volunteermatch.org), and Senior Corps (seniorcorps. gov) can help you search for opportunities or even create one on your own.

To look for job ideas, sites like RetirementJobs.com, Workforce50. com, and Retired Brains (retiredbrains.com) list thousands of jobs nationwide from companies that are actively seeking older workers.

FlexJobs (flexjobs.com) can help you find good work-at-home jobs.

CoolWorks (coolworks.com) and Backdoorjobs.com are great for locating seasonal or summer jobs in terrific places.

Or to search for freelance opportunities in a wide variety of areas, there’s Upwork (upwork.com) and Guru (guru.com).

And if you’re interested in starting a new business, the U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov/content/50-entrepreneurs) offers tips, tools, and free online courses to entrepreneurs who are 50 and older, as does the nonprofit association Score (score.org).

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

www.50plusLifePA.com

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Life at Wellington at Hershey’s Mill offers a wide range of activities to residents, including wellness programming to nourish mind, body and spirit.

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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 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 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 pa-al-anon.org March 4, 4-5 p.m.

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

CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786 March 5, 6-7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Helpers 3806 Market St., Suite 3, Camp Hill (717) 920-0707 March 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 March 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

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

Smoking Cessation Support Group Ortenzio Heart Clinic at Geisinger Holy Spirit 503 N. 21st St., Camp Hill (717) 763-2775 March 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 March 11, 1:30-3 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road, Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806 March 12, 6-7 p.m.

A Touch of Sugar: Diabetes Support Group Wegmans, 6416 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg (717) 763-2466 events.geisinger.org

Senior Center Activities March 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 March 13, 1:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624 March 13, 6:30 p.m.

Amputee Support Team Meeting HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 834-5705 astamputees.com March 19, 1 p.m.

Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880 March 19, 6:30 p.m.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Support Group Cumberland Crossings 1 Longsdorf Way, Carlisle (717) 243-0113 March 26, 6 p.m.

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

If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

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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March 2019

50plus LIFE ›

March 13, 11:30 a.m.

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

Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville March 13, 9:30 a.m. – W ITF’s MindMatters: Quilts: Crafting an American Icon March 14, 6:30 p.m. – Effects of Medication on Elderly Skin and Nail Care March 19, 10:15-11:30 a.m. – Back Pain and Sciatica Workshop 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 March 6, 5 p.m. – Understanding Alzheimer’s March 15, 6 p.m. – Addiction and Recovery Workshop March 19, 7 p.m. – We Should All Be Feminists 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 Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 March 8, 4-7:30 p.m. – Blood Drive with Central Pennsylvania Food Bank March 16, 1:30 p.m. – A Celtic Concert with Seasons March 23, 3 p.m. – One Book, One Community Book Discussion New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820 March 10, 3-4 p.m. – Native American Culture: Lower Susquehanna Valley March 13 and 27, 10:30 a.m . to 12:30 p.m. – Great Books Discussion Group March 27, 6-9 p.m. – PennWriters Writing Group Shippensburg Public Library, 73 W. King St., Shippensburg, (717) 532-4508

www.50plusLifePA.com

The Beauty in Nature

Hazelnuts and Alders Clyde McMillan-Gamber

American hazelnuts and speckled alders are wild shrubs native to northeastern North America. Both species have beautiful, intriguing parts early in spring that make them interesting.

Both bushes are fairly common, each in its sun-filled habitat.

And both are part of the beauty and intrigue of early spring in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Hazelnut shrubbery flourishes in sunny woodland clearings and edges and along hedgerows between fields.

Their wooded, multi-stemmed crowns grow up to 15 feet tall. And they have unique flowers in March.

Each hazelnut shrub has male and female flowers. The many obvious male blossoms are 3-inch-long, pendulant catkins that sway back and forth in the wind. These attractive male catkins are yellow with pollen that is blown by the wind to female flowers.

The beautiful female blooms are clusters of two to five tiny, red styles protruding from each of several little, bark “vases” near the tips of slender twigs. The job of the styles is to

Photo by Quadell, 14 February 2005.

Fruit cluster of an American hazelnut. Nuts are enclosed in leaflike bracts.

Cone cluster from female blossoms of a speckled alder.

receive pollen from male catkins and grow the nuts their shrubs are named for.

The nuts of American hazelnuts are lovely in and of themselves when ripe in September. They are warm brown and the diameter of dimes when mature. They developed in summer in green, leaf-like bracts that turn brown on their twig moorings toward autumn.

Several kinds of birds and mammals eat those pretty nuts during fall and winter, including

wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, blue jays, white-tailed deer, foxes, and various kinds of rodents. Jays and squirrels stash many hazelnuts in tree cavities and holes they dig in the ground to house the nuts until they are consumed in winter.

Speckled alders grow almost exclusively on the edges of streams and ponds, where they associate with crack willows and red-twigged dogwoods. Alders often grow thickets of themselves along water, shading and cooling it.

Their many woody stems provide shelter for wildlife. And some beavers chew them off to use their stems in their dams and lodges.

Each alder has male and female blooms. The many attractive male catkins are 1 inch long and deep purple in winter. In March they grow to 4 inches, are pendulous, and are yellow with pollen.

Female catkins on alders grow to a half inch. They are upright and dull red and receive pollen from male catkins. Little clusters of half-inch, woody cones grow where female blossoms were.

A tiny, golden-brown seed grows under each protective scale of each cone. When the seeds mature, the scales die, turn brown, and open to release their seeds into the wind.

Many seeds are eaten by mice and birds.

American hazelnuts and speckled alders benefit wildlife and have esthetic beauty to appreciate. But their greatest beauties are their unique flowers in March.

Free Tax Assistance Offered Through April 16, the AARP TaxAide program will offer free one-onone counseling as well as assistance on the telephone and internet to help individuals prepare basic tax forms, including the 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, and other standard documents.

The following are locations in your area. Please call for an appointment (unless otherwise noted) or visit aarp.org/money/taxaide for more information.

Bethany Towers 335 Wesley Drive, Mechanicsburg Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

(717) 766-7698 Big Spring Senior Center 91 Doubling Gap Road, Newville www.50plusLifePA.com

Fridays, 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

(717) 776-4478 Branch Creek Place 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg Wednesdays and Fridays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(717) 300-3563 Camp Hill United Methodist Church 417 S. 22nd St., Camp Hill Walk-ins welcome (717) 737-5631 Carlisle Baptist Church 701 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle Mondays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

(717) 249-5069

East Pennsboro Community Center 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(717) 732-3915

South Middleton Township Municipal Building 520 Park Drive, Boiling Springs Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(717) 258-5324

Mechanicsburg Place 97 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg Mondays and Fridays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(717) 697-5947

Trinity Lutheran Church 2000 Chestnut St., Camp Hill Fridays, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Walk-ins only (717) 737-8635

Mission Central 5 Pleasant View Drive, Mechanicsburg Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

(717) 766-1533

West Shore Senior Center 122 Geary Ave., New Cumberland Mondays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(717) 774-0409

50plus LIFE ›

March 2019

17

Melinda’s Garden

Houseplants 101 Melinda Myers

Lift your spirits and improve your indoor environment saucer. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry before by taking part in the indoor gardening movement. watering drought-tolerant plants like cactus.

An apartment or home filled with tropical, succulent, Water tropical and flowering plants that prefer moist and flowering plants can provide beauty, extend your conditions when the top few inches of soil are barely garden season, improve air quality, and create a peaceful moist, like a sponge that has been wrung out. environment in which to de-stress.

Reduce maintenance and improve plant health with Though some may find indoor gardening a bit gravel trays. Fill a tray or saucer with pebbles. Allow intimidating, don’t let past failures or the thought of excess water to collect in the tray. tending living greenery stop you from enjoying the The pebbles keep the pot elevated above the water to many benefits. Knowing some basics in care and making avoid root rot. As the water evaporates, it increases the needed adjustments to the growing environment can turn humidity around the plant. past failures into triumph.

When pest problems occur, consider an organic Water, humidity, and light are key to growing healthy approach safe for people, pets, and plants. plants. When you match these to a plant’s needs and the Manage fungus gnats — those tiny, fruit-fly-like growing media, you’re sure to experience success. insects found flitting around the house — with a Use a container with drainage holes to avoid naturally occurring bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis overwatering, which can lead to root rot and plant death. israelensis, found in Summit Mosquito Bits. Just sprinkle It should be no more than an inch or two larger in on the soil surface and repeat as needed until these pests diameter than the plant’s root ball. Growing in a larger disappear.

Photo credit MelindaMyersLLC pot results in the soil staying too wet, increasing the Mites, aphids, scale, and mealybugs can be controlled Succulents chance of root rot. with an organic horticulture oil like Summit Year-Round Select a quality potting mix that holds moisture but drains well. Cacti and Spray Oil. This product coats the pests and kills all stages, from egg to adult. succulents prefer a fast-draining mix, while tropicals and African violets prefer Repeat as needed to control any that were missed. Once the pests are a mix that stays moist, not soggy, yet drains well. managed, check the growing conditions and make needed adjustments to the Set your plant in a location that’s free from drafts of hot and cold air but in growing environment. the preferred light conditions. An east- or west-facing window usually provides The more plants you grow, the easier it becomes, and soon enough you may adequate light for most plants. find yourself immersed in a tropical or desert paradise inside the comfort of Keep cacti, succulents, and other plants requiring high light within two feet your own home. of an east- or west-facing window. Pothos, philodendron, Chinese evergreens, Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space and those that tolerate low light can be placed near a north-facing window or Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses’ How to Grow Anything DVD series and up to 6 feet back or off to the side of an east- or west-facing window.

Shears, awnings, and trees can impact the light reaching your plants. Adjust the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio program. www. melindamyers.com their location as needed.

Always water thoroughly and pour off the excess water that collects in the

Famous Authors’ Favorite Reads Have you ever wondered what some of today’s bestselling authors like to read? Wonder no more. Here is a sampling of writers and the books that have inspired them: Joan Didion. Before working on any of her novels, Didion reads Joseph Conrad’s Victory.

Gillian Flynn. The Gone Girl author says books such as And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer are her comfort food.

Tana French. One of the favorite reads of this mystery author concerns the fates of two families living on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota, as told

by Louise Erdrich in Love Medicine.

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March 2019

50plus LIFE ›

Stephen King. The master of horror cites Katherine Ann Porter’s Ship of Fools as an all-time favorite.

Erik Larson. This nonfiction author loves Dashiell Hammett’s fiction classic, The Maltese Falcon.

George R.R. Martin. It should come as no surprise that the Game of Thrones author was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

J.K. Rowling. Though she created a world of wizards with her Harry Potter series, Rowling’s favorite read is Emma, by Jane Austen.

Brian K. Vaughn. Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel, Invisible Man, ranks high on the list for this graphic novelist. www.50plusLifePA.com

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March 2019

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Fifties Flashback

The Cat with 10 Million Lives Randal C. Hill

“Write me a story that first-graders can’t put down.” the while balancing himself precariously upon a huge ball. To This was the challenge that William Spaulding, a director nobody’s surprise, the cat and all his accoutrements crash to the at Houghton Mifflin Publishers, offered to Theodor Geisel one floor in a heap. day in 1955 as he handed Geisel a list of vocabulary words for Undaunted, he then hauls in a huge box that contains two 6- and 7-year-olds. wild-haired, impish creatures called Thing One and Thing Two. At the time, Geisel was a little-known children’s author They proceed to run amok throughout the house, flying kites who wrote under the name Dr. Seuss. (Seuss was his mother’s and scattering things everywhere. maiden name.) His fortunes — and his life — would change When the children and the fish realize that Mother will be forever when he accepted Spaulding’s unconventional coming home soon, panic sets in. That’s when the irrepressible assignment. invader removes both Things, then zips about the house in an Geisel had scanned the list and decided that creating and ingenuous machine that quickly tidies up everything. illustrating such a book should be quite easy.

By the time Mother returns, the cat has slipped out, the “I figured I could knock it off in a week or so,” he admitted house is back in order, and Mother is none the wiser. later. “It took a year and a half.”

••• Cover of the book Geisel had underestimated just how hard it would be to Published in March 1957 and composed mostly of oneThe Cat in the Hat. write a truly compelling children’s tale that utilized a mere 200 syllable words, The Cat in the Hat sold 1 million copies by the words. decade’s end and, in the process, made Dr. Seuss a household name.

Determined to outdo the ubiquitous — and boring — Dick and Jane books Geisel later proclaimed, “I have great pride in taking Dick and Jane out of found throughout American elementary schools, Geisel decided to write a fun- most school libraries. That is my greatest satisfaction.” to-read story predicated on the first two rhyming words that appeared on his His delightful classic has now sold over 10 million books, and The Cat in list. the Hat has lived on through a 1971 animated TV special and a live-action They happened to be cat and hat.

2003 film. But when the movie was panned for its adult humor and innuendo, ••• Geisel’s widow, Audrey, disallowed any future films based on her husband’s Seuss’s clever creation tells of an outrageous anthropomorphic feline who works. wears an impossibly tall striped hat. One rainy day, this odd intruder drops by Theodor Geisel was childless by choice, but he always enjoyed telling others, to relieve the boredom of two housebound youngsters, a girl called Sally and “You have ’em, I’ll entertain ’em.” her unnamed brother, who narrates the story.

The cheerful cat sets about performing a bizarre trick that involves balancing Although Randal C. Hill’s heart lives in the past, the rest of him resides in Bandon, Ore. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com. plates, books, a cake, toys, a milk bottle, and even the family goldfish, all

Women’s History: France’s First Female University Graduate During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of women in America.

Yet we can also find inspiration in the achievements of women from anywhere in the world throughout the course of history. One such woman is Julie-Victoire Daubié.

Born in France in 1824 as one of eight children, Daubié’s father died when she was less than 2 years old. She studied Latin, Greek, German, history, and geography with help from her brother and grew to adulthood frustrated by the constraints limiting women’s roles in society.

By 1844, she received a teacher’s certificate and had studied zoology at the Museum of Natural History in Paris by renowned specialist Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.

Despite her education and lack of laws explicitly barring women from entering academia, Daubié was rejected from numerous French universities. She continued taking classes while working as a governess.

In 1859 she submitted her nearly 300-page essay, titled

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“The Poor Woman in the 19th Century: Female Conditions and Resources,” to an essay contest held by the Imperial Academy of Science and Fine Letters of Lyon.

Her work, which centered on the opportunities denied women during that Portrait of era, earned her first place in the contest Julie-Victoire and a spot in the academy’s baccalaureate Daubié program. In 1861, at age 37, Daubié became the first woman to graduate from March is a French university.

Women’s Julie-Victoire Daubié spent her adult History life engaged in activism and scholarship focused on gender equality. A recognized Month economic journalist, in 1871, she also became a literature graduate in Lyon, becoming the first female graduate in letters.

March 26 is the 195th anniversary of her birth.

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Protecting Your Vision Protects Your Independence

By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS

Eat to protect your sight. Several nutrients are known to support eye health and may even help protect eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. These include beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for your eyes as well as your overall health. That means eating plenty of dark, leafy greens; sweet potatoes; carrots; squash; berries; nuts and seeds; brown rice; citrus fruits; and melons.

Eye-friendly proteins include shrimp, crab, eggs, and cold-water fish, such as salmon, herring, and mackerel.

Just about every article on healthy aging will remind you to eat better, exercise more, get plenty of rest, and make sure you’re getting routine checkups with your dentist and doctor.

While I am passionate about all those things, this time, I’m focusing on taking care of your eyes.

It’s something I have a personal interest in.

As I get older, I’m noticing that my eyes are changing. And I’m paying more attention to keeping them healthy. Eye care may also need some seasonal adjustments. Winter’s dry air can bother eyes.

Think about how many times you depend on your eyes every day. From reading mail and paying bills to driving, your vision is massively important for your independence as you get older. Make sure you’re doing all you can for your eyes.

Here are some of my favorite tips: Tell your eye-care professional if family members have been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition. Some conditions are hereditary, which may put you at higher risk for developing them. Taking appropriate precautions and catching symptoms early may ultimately help preserve your vision.

You can continue to enjoy your independence as you age. When it comes to your eyes, it may just require making some adjustments here and there.

March is National Save Your Vision Month

Always be ready to soothe dry eyes. Winter’s dry, cold air can leave eyes feeling dry and uncomfortable.

Eye drops — a longtime, go-to remedy — are now available in an eye mist that eliminates dripping and mess. The user holds the dispenser 3-4 inches from his face, closes his eyes, sprays, and blinks.

Plant-based liposomes collect on the eyelashes and, with each blink, form a moisturizing film over the eye, keeping in moisture. This kind of eye drop can be used as often as needed, even by contact lens wearers.

Look away from the screen every 20 minutes. We don’t blink as often when we’re staring at the computer. If you’re not protecting your eyes, you may be increasing your risk for digital eye strain and dry eyes.

Also, every 20 minutes, it’s smart to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Another option is to wear special computer glasses that have a blue light filter in the lenses. (A third option is to just cut your screen time!)

Use protective eyewear when doing yard work. Blowing or raking leaves can send small pieces of plant matter flying into your eyes.

Because the lenses of most protective eyewear are made of strong polycarbonate, they may do a better job of protecting your eyes from flying debris than regular sunglasses or prescription glasses.

Ladies, smell your eye makeup. Experts recommend tossing your mascara, eyeshadows, and eyeliners every three months because they harbor germs that may cause eye infections.

If you don’t want to go to the expense of replacing makeup that frequently, smell it. If it’s stinky, it’s not worth the risk.

Keep rocking your sunglasses all year long. The sun’s rays can still damage your eyes even on cloudy, overcast days. Make sure your sunglasses block 90-100 percent of all UVA/UVB radiation. www.50plusLifePA.com

Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS, is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health and a bestselling author. He earned six certifications in personal training and fitness, has a master’s degree in psychology and a doctoral degree in holistic nutrition, and is board certified by the American College of Nutrition. similasanusa.com/dry-eye-easymist

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March 2019

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Interactive App Improves Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates Clinical Trial Included Those Most Likely to Although screening for colorectal cancer has Face Barriers to Screening been shown to decrease deaths from the disease, The U.S. Preventive Services Task only about two-thirds of Americans are up to date Force recommends screening for colorectal with screening. cancer for average-risk adults ages 50–75 with A 2018 study suggested that giving people a colonoscopy once every 10 years or a stool-based an easy way to order their own screening tests test every year. may help increase the number of people who get People with an abnormal stool test result (signs screened. of blood in the stool) are advised to undergo a In the NCI-funded study, people waiting to see colonoscopy to investigate the cause. their doctors for routine checkups were given a Many factors contribute to low screening rates in tablet computer loaded with an interactive app that the United States, including fear of the procedure provides information about the need for colorectal and/or the preparation; lack of awareness of the need cancer screening, helps patients make decisions for screening; and absent or inadequate doctor– about screening, and allows them to “self-order” their own screening test. patient discussions about screening. Screening rates are particularly low among people with less People who used the app, the study showed, education or low incomes. were twice as likely to be screened as those viewing Researchers have tested different approaches to a video that did not provide information about increasing colorectal cancer screening rates, such screening or the option to order a test. as small financial incentives and mailed invitation The “interesting and innovative” aspect of the letters and free testing kits, and found varying levels approach used in the new study is that “once March is Colorectal Cancer of success. patients made a choice about screening, they had Awareness Month In the study, David P. Miller Jr., M.D., of Wake the opportunity to order the test themselves,” said healthcare delivery researcher Caitlin Murphy, Forest School of Medicine, and his colleagues tested the Mobile Patient Technology for Health-CRC Ph.D., M.P.H., of the University of Texas (mPATH-CRC) app, which they designed for people with low health literacy Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the new study. and low computer literacy, at six community-based primary care practices in North Carolina.

The 450 study participants were 50–74 years old, scheduled to see a primary care provider, and due for colorectal cancer screening.

The mPATH-CRC app tells patients about the two tests most commonly used to screen for colorectal cancer in the United States — colonoscopy and fecal occult blood testing, which looks for hidden (occult) blood in patient stool samples — and helps them decide which test to use.

Patients were randomly assigned to use either the mPATH-CRC app or a control app that included a video about diet and exercise and did not give patients the option to self-order screening tests.

Primary care providers of patients who self-ordered a screening test with the app were notified and asked to approve or deny the test order. Patients who self-ordered a screening test received a series of automated follow-up email or text messages to help them follow through with the test.

App Improved Screening but Left Room for Improvement Of the participants assigned to the mPATH-CRC group, 30 percent completed a screening test within the study’s 24-week follow-up period, compared with 15 percent of people in the control group.

But the 30 percent screening rate “is still far from ideal,” Miller said.

Researchers did look at detection of colon polyps (precancerous growths) and cancers in both groups. They found 15 people with polyps and one with cancer among those who used the app, compared with only six people with polyps in the control group.

“That suggests that for every 22 people who use the app, we’ll find polyps in one extra person — and that’s potentially one person we will prevent from getting colon cancer,” Miller said.

The researchers were surprised to find that roughly half (53 percent) of patients in the mPATH-CRC group ordered a test for themselves via the app.

This was a higher number than expected, Miller said.

Source: National Cancer Institute

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RUSSIA from page 10 considered, it seems a safer choice than the one that portrays Putin and Trump.

We visit a school, eat lunch with a typical middle-class family, and tour churches filled with outstanding art. Before we leave I decide to be purified in a banya, which involves taking a steam bath and birch-broom massage before The Cossacks perform lively folk dances St. Petersburg is a city of islands plunging into the cold river. in a private performance for cruise connected by nearly 400 bridges and Back aboard the ship we sit passengers. canals. in the Panorama Bar and enjoy the river views as we listen to presentations on all things Russian, from the Volga to the vodka. Finally, sated with knowledge and food, the Viking Akun docks at Moscow.

Like St. Petersburg, Moscow is gilded with domes, but while St. Petersburg is magical, Moscow is muscular. The cars are flashier, the streets more crowded, the malls larger. There’s even a toy store that covers more than a block.

Matryoshka dolls, also called nesting or stacking We tour the Kremlin, where dolls, were first carved in Russia in 1890. we hear stories of Romanov tsars

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and Communist leaders; enjoy the festive ambience of Red Square; and lunch at the enormous GUM department store, where any thoughts of Russia as a country devoid of luxury goods are quickly dispelled.

But of course Moscow isn’t Russia. Nearly 80 percent of Russia’s people live west of the Ural Mountains, where traditions may be stronger but life may be harder.

“But in Moscow there are more billionaires than babushkas,” says our guide.

On the last night of our cruise a group of us reflects on our trip while we enjoy a Russian-inspired meal.

“Churchill was right,” says one man. “Russia is most definitely an enigma.”

For an expanded form of this story, see traveltizers.com.

Photos ©Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (andreagross.com).

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