50plus LIFE Cumberland County October 2018

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Complimentary | Cumberland County Edition

October 2018 • Vol. 19 No. 10

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A Fighting Chance page 6

special section: 50plus expo page 13

special focus: create a great funeral day page 26

Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

Is Your Collection Like the Rockefellers’?

Lori Verderame

artistry, or value of any of the nearly 2,000 items.

Certainly, there were fine paintings by Cezanne, Seurat, and Gris, to name only a few. On the auction block was a highly sought-after Pablo Picasso painting, once owned by Gertrude Stein, of a girl holding a basket of flowers; various pieces of antique English furniture; and a Sèvres porcelain service The popular dish of baked oysters with a green commissioned by Napoleon sauce and melted cheese was named after himself. family patriarch John D. Rockefeller (1839Yet the variety of objects in John D. Rockefeller 1937), founder of the Standard Oil Company this highly publicized, oncewith grandson David and a major philanthropist. The dish was in-a-lifetime auction was not Rockefeller. associated with Rockefeller because it was what stuck with me when I deemed “an oyster dish as rich as Rockefeller.” read — in newspapers, trade publications, magazines, and online — all about the Rockefellers’ collection and their prearranged donations to museums, foundations, and universities. accepting applications!

In fact, what I remember about the reports of the Rockefeller auction was the comment that the couple’s youngest child, Eileen Rockefeller Growald, made when an interviewer asked her if she would attend the auction of her parents’ belongings. Her answer was no.

“It feels like selling pieces of my parents, and I just can’t watch,” she explained.

Right there is why you, your children, and your grandchildren are probably One- and a lot more like the Rockefellers than you might think. two-bedroom While most of us don’t have the collections of note or the resources that the Rockefellers had to amass such a collection over generations, most of us do apartments have objects that mean something special to our friends and family. for seniors Rockefeller Growald’s comment moved me because so many people tell me 62+ that their children don’t want their stuff, that their family wouldn’t care about

Recently, one of the most important and diverse fineart and antiques collections amassed from all parts of the world went up for sale on the auction block at Christie’s in New York. The collection belonged to David and Peggy Rockefeller.

David Rockefeller died at 101 and was head of Chase Manhattan Bank, a philanthropist, and a grandson of John D. Rockefeller.

What struck me most about the Rockefeller collection and their welladvertised art and antiques auction had very little to do with the exceptional beauty,

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this collectible or that piece of furniture.

I know that isn’t true. I think it is often a mechanism for people to take the easy road: the road far away from being hurt if a daughter rejects a family china dinnerware set from Austria, where your grandmother was born; or if a son doesn’t covet the violin that he took lessons on, which once belonged to his great-grandfather from Italy.

It is easier to contend that a family member doesn’t want a work of art, antique, or collectible instead of putting in the time, effort, and emotional resources to deal with it as it moves onto another person’s collection.

Perhaps your collection is not like the Rockefellers’ in size, scope, or value.

But in your home there are works of art, antiques, and even small, collectible objects or souvenirs from your travels that your children and grandchildren associate with you and your values. Perhaps many of them wouldn’t want to

watch your items go by the wayside either.

So, before you downsize, liquidate, or dispose of your heirlooms, have a chat with your kids and your grandkids, and think about your friends and others who would like a memento. Of course, value is important, but their feelings are more important.

When it comes to your children’s attitude about your antiques, you may be just like the Rockefellers.

Dr. Lori Verderame is the author, Ph.D. antiques appraiser, and award-winning TV personality on History channel’s The Curse of Oak Island. Dr. Lori provides expert appraisals and consulting services for art/antiques. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.

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 Funeral Directors Cocklin Funeral Home, Inc. 30 N. Chestnut St., Dillsburg (717) 432-5312 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 Arthritis Foundation (717) 763-0900 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 PACE (800) 225-7223 www.50plusLifePA.com

Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274 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 Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 Capital Blue (888) 989-9015 (TTY: 711) Medicare (800) 633-4227

Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900 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 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 Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110 Toll-Free Numbers Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555 Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233 Drug Information (800) 729-6686 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 Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833 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 Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681 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.

Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228 50plus LIFE ›

October 2018

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Cover Story

A Fighting Chance 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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Vice President and Managing Editor Christianne Rupp Editor, 50plus Publications Megan Joyce

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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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October 2018

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By Melinda M. Williams/ The Williams Group When someone you love is struck with a neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, life can undoubtedly become a trial for both the caregiver and the patient. Because of the slow but steady progression of these diseases, maintaining morale can also be a challenge.

But recently, some new advances with exercise have proven helpful to Parkinson’s patients. Rock Steady Boxing is a new concept in the ongoing fight against a Goliath.

Susan “Sue” Ludwig was born to help people. As a fitness coordinator and personal trainer, she knew she could make a difference in people’s lives through exercise.

Her belief was confirmed when she saw a news outlet run a story on Rock Steady Boxing.

“I was working with people with Parkinson’s, and Rock Steady Boxing was all over the news as a great therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease. I wanted to give my fighters the most cutting-edge and effective tools available, so getting certified in Rock Steady Boxing was a nobrainer,” said Ludwig.

A central Pennsylvania native, Ludwig is now head coach/owner/founder of NeuroSci Fit and two Rock Steady Boxing locations in Lancaster County. RSB is in the process of adding two more locations, in Hershey and in the Reading area.

The Mayo Clinic explains Parkinson’s disease as a nervous system disorder that worsens over time. The initial symptoms, such as tremors, are barely noticeable at the disease’s onset.

Although there is no cure, medications do prove helpful, with surgery being an occasional option to regulate regions of the brain.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Rock Steady Boxing “gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope by improving their quality of life through a non-contact, boxing-based fitness curriculum,” according to RSB’s website.

The program’s mission “is to empower people with Parkinson’s disease to fight back.”

Rock Steady Boxing is member of the Parkinson’s Circle of Care Alliance, which is “a nonprofit created to help provide resources — such as educational materials, lists of neurologists and movement-disorder specialists in our area, information about local support groups, etc. — to people living in central Pennsylvania who have Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers,” Ludwig said.

It is through a series of exercises that RSB succeeds, Ludwig explained.

“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that requires constant maintenance through medication and exercise, and just like any exercise program, you need to keep doing it to reap the benefits,” she said.

Each RSB class generally starts with a light cardio warm-up and stretching, Ludwig said, followed by www.50plusLifePA.com

a circuit of exercises that includes some combination of Parkinson’s-specific strength training, range-of-motion work, core strengthening, and boxing, as well as exercises to strengthen cognition and agility.

“Each exercise we do is designed to make improvements in areas that we know can become impaired by Parkinson’s,” Ludwig said.

Clients receive an initial evaluation to determine at which level of the program he or she can begin.

“In Parkinson’s, the part of the brain that is mostly affected is called the substantia nigra,” Ludwig explained. “It is responsible for smooth, coordinated movement. Having Parkinson’s disease is like having bad or broken-down connections or neural pathways in the brain.

“Neuroplasticity is why [RSB] works. When we get our heart rate up to around 80-85 percent of max, our brains become able to repair and to create new neural pathways more quickly,” Ludwig continued.

“Boxing, along with other therapies we provide, is a really fun way to improve balance, coordination, speed of movement, and flexibility, as well as non-motor symptoms.”

Ludwig smiled with pride as she related the story of Bill, one of the program’s many success stories.

“He was not able to walk to his mailbox because he was so fatigued and weak; his wife even retired so she could take care of him. After just a few months in class, he was able to go on vacation to the Cayman Islands and even walked 5 miles a day on the beach!”

To Ludwig, unlocking the mystery of this debilitative neurological disease was a personal challenge.

“My grandmother had Parkinson’s; she was diagnosed in her 40s. She was told to go home and rest, not exert herself, and that exercise would make it worse. Although that was the belief at the time, it was the worst possible advice,” Ludwig said.

“Then, about 10 years after she passed away, I had a client who had Parkinson’s. His physical therapist encouraged me to get certified in the Parkinson Wellness Recovery [exercise] program. I fell in love with the program because it was so effective and quickly knew this was my purpose in life!”

The March 2012 newsletter from Harvard Medical School (Harvard Health Publishing) addressed exercise as it relates to Parkinson’s.

The newsletter described several studies that followed tens of thousands of Parkinson’s sufferers. Results showed a reduction in the risk of developing Parkinson’s if exercise is performed decades before the disease’s onset, such as

in one’s 30s and 40s.

The studies also noted that the results could show a possible “reverse causation”: Exercise may not prevent Parkinson’s, but very early, presymptomatic forms of the disease may make people less willing to exercise.

Ludwig tries to keep her classes at a manageable level for each student, with each Rock Steady class running 90 minutes.

“We offer classes five days a week and encourage our members to participate in as many classes as possible,” she said.

Seniors make up the majority of Ludwig’s client base, with most being over age 65. The focus on Parkinson’s patients currently accounts for about 90 percent of her business.

“I’m beginning to feel a need to branch out into Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis as well,” she said.

For more information on Rock Steady Boxing, contact Sue Ludwig at (717) 271-3067 or check out www.rocksteadyboxing.org.

A 20-year veteran of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Melinda Williams is the managing partner of The Williams Group, a public relations and photography firm in Sadsburyville, Pa. Along with her photojournalist husband, Robert O. Williams, she wrote the book Wildwood’s Neon Nights & Motel Memories. www.thewilliamsgroup. info, melinda@thewilliamsgroup.info On the cover: Rock Steady Boxing participant Gerry Walters boxes with owner Sue Ludwig.

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October 2018

5

Social Security News

Medicare, Explained

By John Johnston

Social Security and Medicare have a few things in common. Both programs help safeguard millions of Americans as well as improve the quality of life for our family and friends.

Although both programs are household names, many people may not be familiar with the details of Medicare.

Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. The program helps with the cost of healthcare, but it doesn’t cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.

You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage.

If you choose to have original Medicare coverage, you can buy a Medicare supplement policy (called Medigap) from a private insurance company to cover some of the costs that Medicare does not.

Medicare has four parts:

and other healthcare providers, outpatient care, home healthcare, durable medical equipment, and some preventive services.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) includes all benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B. Some plans include Medicare prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D) and other extra benefits and services.

Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage) helps cover the cost of prescription drugs.

Some people with limited resources and income may also be able to get Extra Help with the costs — monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription coMedicare Annual Open Enrollment payments — related to a Medicare prescription drug plan.

The Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,900 Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2018 per year. You must meet the resources and income requirement.

Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay).

Medicare’s different parts are further explained in our publication at www.

Part A also pays for some home healthcare and hospice care. socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdf.

If you can’t afford to pay your Medicare premiums and other medical costs, Medicare Part B (medical insurance) helps pay for services from doctors you may be able to get help from your state. States offer programs for people eligible for or entitled to Medicare who have low income.

Some programs may pay for Medicare premiums, and some pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. To qualify, you must have Medicare Part A and have limited income and resources.

You can learn more about Medicare, including how to apply for Medicare and get a replacement Medicare card, at www.socialsecurity.gov/benefits/ medicare.

John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.

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October 2018

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How the Greats Got Their Starts Great writers have to start somewhere. Some of the most creative poets and novelists toiled in distinctly non-creative jobs before hitting it big.

Here are a few of them: Langston Hughes. The famous poet worked as a busboy in Washington, D.C.’s Wardman Park hotel. When another poet, Vachel Lindsay, took a seat at a table, the young Hughes offered her some of his poems, and Lindsay was struck by his skill, leading to his eventual success.

Kurt Vonnegut. The author of Slaughterhouse-5 and other novels owned and managed a Saab dealership

before a stint in the U.S. Army during World War II. J.D. Salinger. The reclusive writer, best known for his novel The Catcher in the Rye, once served as entertainment director aboard a Swedish luxury cruise ship, the H.M.S. Kungsholm.

Mary Higgins Clark. The awardwinning mystery writer held a wide variety of jobs before turning to fulltime writing at 47 — secretary, business machines manager, catalog copywriter, model, and flight attendant for Pan American Airlines. www.50plusLifePA.com

Top ‘Second Act’ Jobs that Interest Older Workers As more baby boomers approach retirement, growing numbers are passing it up in favor of “second act” jobs: work during their retirementage years, whether full or part time.

As this avalanche of Americans approaches retirement age, “second act” jobseekers will also reshape the labor market.

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65 without a disability is participating in the labor force, a rate that has been rising steadily for the past decade, although it has been relatively flat since 2015.

New Indeed research pinpoints the top “second act” jobs clicked on disproportionately by Americans nearing retirement — those 62 years or older, the earliest age to qualify for Social Security.

These jobs include a number of construction and transportation positions, as well as assorted superintendent roles and a few less common jobs, such as pastor and boat captain.

The top “second act” job is piping designer. This occupation often uses computer-aided design (CAD) to assist oil and gas companies. Similar job titles, such as senior lead designer and electrical designer, are in the top 20.

Other common “second act” jobs are construction positions, such as construction superintendent and senior construction superintendent, and transportation jobs, including courier driver, shuttle driver, and parts driver. Some variation of the “superintendent” role was found six times in the top 20 second-act jobs.

However, this focus on overall clicks misses a crucial distinction older jobseekers make: full time versus part time.

The part-time jobs that older Americans click on disproportionately include a number of driving roles, such as parts driver, shuttle driver, professional driver, van driver, and similar positions. Older workers flock to driving jobs for good reasons: It’s easily part time, not physically demanding, and, other than driving know-how itself, has few skill requirements.

The list also has several part-time medical positions — telemedicine physician being No. 1. In addition, medical director, physician, and dentist are in the top 20. Perhaps many medical professionals nearing retirement want to continue working, but only part time.

A multitude of factors is driving baby boomers toward longer careers, notably rising life expectancy and the need for greater retirement savings, especially in the wake of the Great Recession. As these boomers work later into life, they search for jobs compatible with their skills and lifestyle.

Reprinted with permission from SeniorLiving.org.

Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others?

Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus LIFE’s Volunteer Spotlight!

Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged.

Email preferred to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus LIFE, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.

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Thursday, October 25th 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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October 2018

7

Expo & Job Fair Resources Bridge Military and Civilian Life

By Megan Joyce “I’ve been looking for a long time.”

Air Force veteran Sambo Wong had recently relocated to Mechanicsburg from New York City to be closer to family. Wong attended the event hoping to find a job to support his family, which includes three children under 6.

“I’ve been applying on the web and on base, and it seems like it’s harder to get an interview on base than in the private sector,” Wong said.

Wong had his eye on a position that would use his technical skills as well as his hands, “like assembly jobs, because I was injured in the military, and it’s been a long battle from there,” he said.

Wong’s story was likely a familiar one among the hundreds of transitioning military personnel and veterans who attended the recent Capital Area’s Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg.

The day was a two-for-one event presented by OLP Events; admission was free to the public.

The Veterans’ Expo connected active and retired military members with the benefits and resources available to them through local businesses and organizations.

Outside the event, the U.S. Pennsylvania Department of Military & Veterans Affairs stationed its Veterans Outreach Van, a mobile resource offering veterans and their families information on benefits.

Jo Garvin and Laurie Williamson, from the Quilts of Valor Foundation, presented Quilts of Valor to two local veterans: James Allen Ferguson and Frances John Rowe.

The quilt is a lifetime award bestowed upon deserving veterans and active service members for their service to the nation.

“We are honored to speak to you

8

October 2018

and humbled to stand before you who have served our country and performed your duties,” Garvin said.

A Michigan native who now lives in Hershey, Ferguson served 14 months in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, from 1970-71. Ferguson, a retired CPA, is active in the Hershey chapter of Disabled American Veterans and in Chapter 542 of Vietnam Veterans of America.

Originally from Hawley, Pennsylvania, Francis John Rowe served in the Army from 1958-78.

From 1968-70, he served as adviser to the South Vietnam army’s 21st Division of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Team 51.

For his service, Rowe received a Bronze Star, 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Commendation Medal; Air Medal; National Defense Service Medal; and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Retired IT specialist and Army veteran Ron Nocket, of Hershey, was not at the event seeking employment or benefits. He simply came to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow vets and those interested in their welfare.

“It’s nice to see so many employers out here,” Nocket said. “It’s been very enriching.

Everybody’s very friendly.”

In 2016, Pennsylvania ranked the eighth highest state in number of veterans, at 345,906, according to a December 2017 report from the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis.

At 4.9 percent, Pennsylvania ranked 34th lowest in its unemployment rate for veterans.

During the Job Fair, company representatives were able to discuss job openings with transitioning military and veterans. Positions included roles in sales, labor, management, tech, medical services, transportation, clerical, manufacturing, engineering, construction, retail, financial services, and other fields.

Also at the Job Fair, a Resource

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Capital Area veterans seeking civilian work had face-to-face access to nearly 50 employers at the recent Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair in Camp Hill.

From left, Quilts of Valor representative Jo Garvin drapes a quilt over the shoulders of Frances John Rowe, Vietnam veteran, while quilter Laurie Williamson and quilt recipient James Allen Ferguson look on.

Center provided helpful information for translating careers to civilian opportunities.

Justin Leader, vice president of business development with Benefit Design Specialists, offered veterans the opportunity to hone their interpersonal and presentation skills during mock interviews.

“Veterans are always a good [hiring] option,” Berlin Smith, human resources manager for Harristown and Harrisburg Property Services, said.

“Our security department is run by veterans, so they like to hire them, and they always seem to be good employees.”

The Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair will return to Lancaster County Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster.

For more information, call (717) 285-1350 or visit www.veteransexpo. com.

Hosted by:

Sponsored by:

Disabled American Veterans

Pennsylvania State Headquarters VFW Vibra Health Plan

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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 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 Oct. 1, 4-5 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Messiah Lifeways Meetinghouse 1155 Walnut Bottom Road Carlisle (717) 243-0447 Oct. 2, 6 p.m.

CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd.

Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786

Oct. 2, 6-7 p.m.

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

Caregivers Support Group Cumberland County Office of Aging 1100 Claremont Road, Carlisle (717) 240-6110 Oct. 4, 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 Oct. 4, 6:30 p.m.

Too Sweet: Diabetes Support Group Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road Camp Hill (717) 557-9041 Oct. 8, 1:30-3 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road, Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806

Senior Center Activities Oct. 8, 6 p.m.

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

Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville Tuesdays and Thursda ys, 9:30 a.m. – Walk with Ease Program at Newville Trailhead Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m. – Deb Cleveland’s Trip to Cuba Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m. – M indMatters Program: Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure

Oct. 9, 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

Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg

Oct. 10, 1:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624 Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Support Group Cumberland Crossings 1 Longsdorf Way, Carlisle (717) 243-0113 Oct. 18, 1 p.m.

Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880 Oct. 23, 6 p.m.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd.

Mechanicsburg (717) 486-3596 apcoulson@comcast.net

Library Programs Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 Oct. 20, 1-2:30 p.m. – Celebrate the Book Week: Author William Kent Krueger Oct. 21, 2-3:30 p.m. – Celebrate the Book Week: Author Jeff Shaara Oct. 25, noon–1 p.m. – Booked for Lunch Program: Ghosts & Grub with Mark Podvia Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 Oct. 9, 7 p.m. – Golden Oldies and Motown Concert with the Craig Satchell Trio Oct. 18, 9:30–1 p.m. – Blood Pressure Screenings Oct. 30, 7 p.m. – Estate Planning Implementation New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820 Oct. 4, 10:15 a.m.–noon – Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group: Murder on the Light Side Oct. 14, 3-4 p.m. – Cultural Program: Quakers and the Underground Railroad Oct. 24, 6-9 p.m. – Pennwriters Writing Group

www.50plusLifePA.com

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.

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 Oct. 10, 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.

Oct. 13, 5 p.m.

New Cumberland Town Band Performance West Shore Stadium Annual Band Competition Cedar Cliff Drive, New Cumberland www.nctownband.org Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Cumberland County 50plus EXPO Carlisle Expo Center 100 K St., Carlisle (717) 285-1350 www.50plusexpopa.com If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

50plus LIFE ›

October 2018

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Soldier Stories

Adventures of a Tunnel Rat Robert Naeye

Imagine crawling into a dark, narrow underground tunnel, not knowing if there are enemy soldiers waiting to slit your throat or shoot you without even a moment’s notice.

This was the everyday experience of Douglas Graybill Jr., an American “tunnel rat” in the Vietnam War. Graybill grew up in West Lawn, Pennsylvania, and quit school in 10th grade. After being rejected by the U.S. Army at age 16, he met a Marine recruiter, who told him, “Let’s go.”

His father signed the official paperwork on Graybill’s 17th birthday, and then he was sent to Parris Island in South Carolina for training.

“It was nothing like what the recruiter told me,” Graybill recalls.

Graybill was trained in demolition, landmines, and booby traps. He

Doug and Elizabeth Graybill’s Veterans Making a Difference group meets at the Paul R. Gordon Veteran Social Center in Reading.

learned to carry satchel charges, mortars, and various forms of ammunition. Training was like brainwashing; they were told to kill or be killed.

Graybill was then sent to Vietnam

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in 1970, two months before his 18th birthday.

“My job was to crawl through tunnels and then blow them up,” says Graybill. “I wasn’t afraid to go into the tunnel. That was my job; somebody had to do it. That’s what I was trained for.”

From years of fighting the French and Americans, the Vietnamese became experts at digging tunnels.

Many North Vietnamese soldiers literally lived and fought underground.

Some tunnels were small and simple, meaning Graybill would have to crawl through them on his hands and knees. But others were large and complex, with supply depots, surgical rooms, headquarters rooms, and sleeping quarters.

Graybill entered these tunnels alone and would often use candles to find his way around in the darkness, never spending more than 20 minutes in any tunnel. Graybill admits that once he was in a tunnel, he was gripped with fear, especially when he heard Vietnamese talking.

“I was scared all the time — I mean all the time,” he recalls.

But Graybill had one major advantage: The Vietnamese usually did not know he was there. He became an expert at hiding in the dark. Sometimes enemy soldiers would crawl so close that he could literally smell their breath.

“I was shaking so bad I could feel my heart beating, but they still didn’t hear me.”

He shot several enemy soldiers with his 45-calibre pistol. To this day, he regrets killing two elderly Vietnamese women in a cooking area.

“It was an accident. I could have killed my own guys if they had been there,” he says. “I’d rather come home in handcuffs than in a coffin.”

And humans weren’t the only enemy. Graybill had to contend with booby traps and false walls. And the tunnels were rife with snakes, spiders, and biting centipedes.

Graybill used 20 pounds of C-4 plastic explosives to blow up tunnels, usually after bringing out supplies.

But he generally used more explosives than he needed. He once dragged a maggot-infested dead Vietnamese soldier out of a tunnel so he could get some R&R. Graybill says that exiting a tunnel was just as scary as entering one, since he didn’t know where he’d be coming out.

“I was worried about being shot by my own men,” he says.

Vietnam was a war without frontlines. The military brass emphasized body counts, not the taking and holding of territory.

Marines were told that their enemies were subhuman.

“You weren’t killing a person; you were killing a gook,” says Graybill.

“That made it a lot easier. That was our job.”

Vietnam left deep emotional scars that have never fully healed. After experiencing 16 months of violence, Graybill struggled to readjust to civilian life.

“I was in trouble all the time. I hated God, I hated everyone, I hated myself,” he says.

His troubles included arrests for assault and battery, flunking out of Ohio State University, finding and losing job after job, periods of homelessness, and two divorces. He www.50plusLifePA.com

would even doing simple beg policemen tasks, such to shoot him. as eating in “For almost restaurants.

10 years I Graybill is couldn’t even still haunted walk on a by his inner sidewalk. demons, but There was he has found always a his calling by sniper aiming helping fellow at me when I veterans in need.

From left, Rich Burton, president of the was walking Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Roundtable, He has opened down a street a privately and Doug Graybill, who spoke at the organization’s recent meeting. in daylight,” funded center he says. in Reading that He would keep pistols in his provides food, shelter, and clothing for bedroom and five locks on his bedroom veterans with and without homes. door.

“It’s a place where veterans can “Then I realized it was all in my come and socialize,” he explains. head,” he says.

“Their financial status doesn’t matter: Graybill eventually reenlisted in the Loneliness is loneliness.”

Marines. He was stationed in Beirut, To learn more about Graybill’s Lebanon, three times and participated veteran social center, visit the Veterans in the 1983 invasion of Grenada. He Making a Difference Facebook page or later served in both the Army and go to www2.readingeagle.com/article.

Marine reserves, but continually got aspx?id=328668. into trouble.

In 2006 he married an Army veteran Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist named Elizabeth, whom he credits with living in Derry Township. He is the former editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope saving his life. She encouraged him to magazine. start attending veterans’ meetings and

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!

www.50plusLifePA.com

Please, join us!

This combined event is FREE for veterans of all ages, active military, and their families.

Nov. 1, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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At the Job Fair

Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Principal Sponsor:

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Senators Co-Sponsor Bill to Lift Social Security Restrictions on Widows, Widowers In late September, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act (S. 3457).

To help Americans achieve financial security in retirement, the SWIFT Act would fix outdated and arbitrary restrictions that prevent many Social Security recipients, particularly women, from maximizing their benefits.

The bill would also enhance outreach and education about when and how to claim Social Security.

“Due to outdated laws, those who rely on Social Security the most are having their income cut by unfair rules,” Casey said. “These arbitrary restrictions disproportionately affect women.”

12 October 2018 50plus LIFE ›

The SWIFT Act would: • A llow widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses with disabilities to receive 100 percent of the survivor benefit they are entitled to regardless of their age • Give widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses the ability to increase the value of their survivor benefits beyond current arbitrary caps • Enable widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses caring for children to receive child-in-care benefits until their children are age 18 or 19 if still in school • Require the federal government to proactively provide information to widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses about benefits they are eligible for, claiming options, and important deadlines

The Social Security Administration estimates that the SWIFT Act would not accelerate the depletion year of the Social Security trust funds.

Poverty rates for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses, the majority of whom are women, are higher than poverty rates for other Social Security recipients. Those living with a disability or caring for children are even more likely to live in poverty.

Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Patty Murray (D-WA) are co-sponsors of the bill.

The bill is also endorsed by more than a dozen organizations, including the Alliance for Retired Americans, Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, and the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement. www.50plusLifePA.com

EXPO

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Traveltizers

Savannah: Stately Old and Proudly New

By Andrea Gross

Historic buildings are a given in Savannah. After all, it’s the oldest city in Georgia. It was the Colonial capital when the area was ruled by Britain, and it was the first capital when the colony became a state.

Therefore, when we visit Savannah, we fully expect to see a lot of stately, shuttered homes. We are not disappointed.

But we’re also interested in learning what the city is like today, 285 years after its founding. It doesn’t take us Aspiring as well as established long to realize that throughout the artists participate in Savannah’s frequent art fairs. famed historic district, this town of 150,000 people is filled with classy galleries, good music, and eclectic restaurants.

Culinary Identity In order to bridge the centuries, we begin by looking at the city’s cuisine.

In Savannah, as in most places, favored foods reflect the traditions of the

people who settled the area, but unlike parts of the United States that were primarily colonized by people from one area (think New England, which was mostly established by Europeans), Savannah’s early residents came from many parts of the world.

The first group of Colonists arrived from England in the early 1700s. They brought indentured servants from Ireland and Scotland as well as slaves from the Caribbean and West Africa.

Native Americans introduced the City Market is home to many of European setters to corn, and other Savannah’s top galleries.

Northeasterners decided that rather than eating their tomatoes green, they’d bring them south so they could ripen during the longer growing season.

But the Southerners didn’t care about letting the tomatoes ripen in the field; they preferred to fry them and eat them green. Thus, a Northern problem became a Southern staple.

During the next several days my husband and I munch our way though

We Cover What MEDICARE Does Not At last! Affordable coverage1 for the important health services2 that Medicare does not cover.

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VISION: Our plan helps with exams, lenses, frames, contacts, fittings & more!

HEARING: Hearing exam and hearing aids up to $500 annually as part of your policy-year maximum benefit.

Get more information at:

www.WeCoverDVH.com/50plus 1. Policy provisions and benefits may vary from state to state. Some benefits may not be available in all states. 2. Dental and Vision plans may be purchased individually. Hearing plan available as part of a Dental/Vision package.

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www.50plusLifePA.com

Savannah’s past. We feast on shrimp, grits, and fried green tomatoes; snack on British pies; and drink Scottish ale.

And, for good measure, we have a pork-belly slider on a glazed doughnut with onion-bacon jam because the chef tells us that pork, especially bacon, is used extensively in the South.

It seems that pigs, which often ran wild in northern climes, came south on their own to find warm weather and watery environs.

Unfortunately for the porkers, Southerners turned them into barbeque and bacon.

We decide that Savannah’s culinary, and therefore cultural, identity can best be summed up in two words: “Savannah Fusion.”

Art Smart Endeavors Meanwhile, we visit galleries, lots of galleries.

Galleries and shops along River Street Some belong to people who feature goods from many countries. have made Savannah their home for years; others showcase the work of folks who came to the city to attend the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the top design schools in the Southeast. Many of these people fell in love with the city’s mix of Southern charm and creative opportunity and stayed on postgraduation, thus bringing new energy to a city that was in danger of becoming stodgy.

We walk to City Market, where warehouses that once were filled with fish and produce have been repurposed into studios and galleries.

We see brightly colored canvases that portray the Gullah people, who live in the nearby coastal areas; paintings that celebrate the artist’s Caribbean homeland; baskets crafted by a woman whose work has been displayed at the Smithsonian … The list goes on.

Savannah also has two top-tier museums dedicated to contemporary art. The SCAD Museum features works by international stars such as Salvador Dali, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Andy Warhol, as well as one of the United States’ most significant collections of African-American art.

The Jepson Museum showcases work by equally well-known artists, including abstract expressionist Jasper Johns, pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, and portrait photographer Richard Avedon.

Musical Rhythms Even on a regular night, Savannah is alive with bars and night clubs, helped no doubt by the city’s open-container laws. But during the 29-year-old

Savannah Music Festival, which is Georgia’s largest musical arts event, music is everywhere.

The 17-day extravaganza celebrates a multitude of cultures, represents a variety of musical styles, and features performances by established artists as well as by talented beginners.

We don’t have time to attend a well-reviewed presentation by a chamber orchestra, but that evening we go to a bluegrass concert, and the following day we catch a show by two wonderful guitarists.

Then, alas, we have to go home. But first, we stop at Leopold’s, Savannah’s legendary ice cream shop. My husband opts for Tutti Frutti (rum ice cream with fruit and nuts) because it’s been a bestseller since the store opened nearly a century ago.

I, on the other hand, chose the Savannah Socialite (a blend of Visitors who want a glimpse of vanilla and chocolate ice cream Savannah’s past can visit the laden with Georgia pecans, Owen-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. swirled with bourbon, and infused with caramel). The ice cream server tells me that “it’s like today’s Savannah — rich, boozy, nutty, and the life of the party.”

How perfect is that?

For more on Georgia, go to www.traveltizers.com and see the Featured Special titled “Georgia’s Civil Rights Trail.”

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

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”

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

We are currently booking our 2018 Christmas Show for holiday parties.

We are also booking our 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 • Christmas Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!

Phone: (717) 846-6126 www.50plusLifePA.com

E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com

50plus LIFE ›

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Create a Great Funeral Day

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October 30th is

How to Prepare for Life’s Inevitabilities conversations that can be cherished for years to come.

FAMIC’s checklist can be a resource for things to consider when preplanning a funeral and to help facilitate conversations with loved ones. It offers questions such as:

One inevitable life milestone that requires organization, consideration, and planning but often gets overlooked is the end of life, both for one’s self and loved ones.

It is important to have conversations with loved ones, sooner rather than later, to learn about family history, reaffirm how much they mean to you, and gain an understanding of how family members want to be memorialized.

To help families have important conversations about the things that matter and how a person’s life story can be meaningfully remembered and honored, the Funeral and Memorial Information Council created the “Have the Talk of a Lifetime” initiative, which offers families the resources to facilitate these

• W here would you like your service to be held?

• Will there be a ceremony? If so, religious or non-religious?

• How would you like to be remembered?

• Do you have a specific charity you would like to honor?

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Code CUSN

By answering these questions and more, families can create a log of loved Photo courtesy of Getty Images ones’ preferences for how they want to be memorialized.

Completing the checklist can take place anytime, not just when a family member is nearing the end of life. Answering these questions can also prompt larger conversations about defining experiences and relationships in a loved one’s life.

Take notes and record your responses as you go through the checklist. Save the checklist in a safe place for when it is needed and to share with future generations.

To take your conversations one step further, meet with a local, trusted funeral professional and share those thoughts and ideas with someone who can help you put a plan in place that eases the burden on your loved ones.

Regardless of when it becomes necessary to refer to the preferences and memories recorded in the checklist, you can be grateful you took the time to have meaningful conversations with those most important to you.

For more information and to download the checklist, visit talkofalifetime. org.

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www.facebook.com/50plusLIFEPA “Like” us on Facebook to receive a free 6-month subscription!

Plus, you’ll receive event updates, story links, and more! www.50plusLifePA.com

Create a Great Funeral Day

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Such is Life

After I Kick the Bucket Saralee Perel

Last week my friend, Marilee, and I met for lunch for the purpose of me giving her a list of things to do when I’m dead.

She ordered a salad and I ordered a turkey wrap.

I said, “Would you say my eulogy?”

“Let me hear it first.”

I read, “Saralee was the first old Jewish woman to take a spacewalk from the International Space Station, where she established the first orbiting satellite Kosher deli.”

Marilee was wide-eyed.

“Saralee won her 10th Pulitzer Prize for her bestselling book, I Found My Cell Phone in My Casket. In later life, she was honored at the Kennedy Center, where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award for The Greatest Humanitarian in the Entire Universe — and Elsewhere.”

Marilee sat back, shook her head, and said, “I refuse to say any of that.”

“Well, would you put my obituary in the paper?”

“I’ll need to hear that first too.”

“Saralee’s funeral will be at the bus station tomorrow at noon. No early birds, please! It will be catered by Burger King. BYOB.” I told Marilee, “Make sure nobody gets any crumbs on my outfit. I want to be buried in my clown suit. It’s the red one hanging in my closet. Definitely not the black one or the yellow one or the green one. Oh, can you post the obit on Twitter?”

She said, “No.” I went on: “Saralee’s rented 14-karat-gold casket will be surrounded by a one-day-only yard sale with all of her stuff. Everything must go! Items include: vintage, original, black-and-white photos of Saralee at summer camp when she was elected Miss Wohelo for winning their famous beauty and talent contest.

“There will also be leftover pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream in a freezer. And so much more! All sales are final, since there’s nowhere to return anything anyway.” www.50plusLifePA.com

I finished my turkey wrap, and then continued, “Proceeds will go to the Red Cross, which was founded by Saralee and Clara Barton, who was so overwhelmed with charitable odds and ends that she asked Saralee to do the field work of helping millions of people.”

Marilee agreed to helping with the pets and other sane things on my list, but she thought my eulogy and obit were warped.

We walked arm and arm to our cars. Overwhelmed with loving gratitude, I took her in my arms, hugged her to me tightly, and whispered in her ear, “If you want to cremate me, I could live with that. Just make sure I’m dead first.”

Award-winning nationally syndicated columnist Saralee Perel can be reached at sperel@saraleeperel.com or via her website: www.SaraleePerel.com.

The ultimate resource for boomer and senior living and care options

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Home Care Services & Hospice Providers Listings with a screened background have additional information about their services in a display advertisement in this edition.

All Hands Home Care

Landis at Home

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Year Est.: 2014 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, York RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

(717) 509-5800 www.landisathome.org Other Certifications and Services: We provide trained caregivers for in-home care for personal, respite, hospice, 24-hour, live-in, and companionship-care services to seniors and individuals of all ages in the Central Pennsylvania region.

Our company is fully insured and bonded. Call now for a free in-home consultation!

Comfort Keepers

(717) 299-4007 www.lancaster-402.comfortkeepers.com Year Est.: 2001 Counties Served: Lancaster RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Other Certifications and Services: We provide compassionate, in-home care that helps seniors live safe, happy, and independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. Companion care, light housekeeping, personal care, in-home safety solutions, incidental transportation, dementia/Alzheimer’s care, ongoing staff training. Member: Home Care Association of America

Homeland at Home

Homeland HomeCare: (717) 221-7892 Year Est.: 2016 Homeland HomeHealth: (717) 412-0166 Year Est.: 2017 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland*, Dauphin*, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon*, Northumberland, Perry*, Schuylkill, Snyder, York* *Homeland HomeHealth currently serves five of 13 counties.

RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs/Home Aides: Yes Direct Care Workers: Yes PT/OT/Speech Therapists: Yes Social Workers: Yes Spiritual Counselors: Yes

Other Certifications and Services: A licensed home-care agency, offering a variety of services to persons in their homes within 15 miles of the Landis Homes campus. Services, provided by carefully screened and qualified caregivers with oversight from RNs, may be used for a short visit or up to 24 hours a day. Call for a free, in-home consultation. A home-care service of Landis Communities.

MediQuest Staffing & Homecare (717) 560-5160 www.mediqueststaffing.net Year Est.: 2002 Counties Served: Lancaster RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Other Certifications and Services: Our experienced caregivers will provide the level of care for your specific needs, including memory care, transportation to and from appointments, outpatient procedures, personal care, respite, and more. Services are provided wherever you reside. All caregivers are comprehensively screened, bonded, and insured. Call for a free RN assessment. Member: Pennsylvania Homecare Association.

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www.homelandathome.org Homeland Hospice: (717) 221-7890 Year Est.: 2008

Year Est.: 2007 Counties Served: Lancaster RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

(717) 632-5552 www.penncares.org Other Certifications and Services: Homeland at Home is a community outreach of Homeland Center, a non-profit CCRC that has served our region with excellent and benevolent care since 1867.

Our expert team is dedicated to providing a continuum of At Home services—from non-medical personal assistance to skilled nursing and compassionate hospice and palliative care. We are privileged to care for you and your loved ones … any place you call “home.”

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Year Est.: 1968 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster, York RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: No Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Other Certifications and Services: Private pay and waiver-based participants.

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Year Est.: 2007 Counties Served: Lancaster, Lebanon RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Year Est.: 2001 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

(717) 664-6646 www.pleasantviewrc.org/care-at-home Other Certifications and Services: Caring and professional staff provide supportive services to help maintain independence within the comfortable setting of home.

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(800) 365-4189 www.visitingangels.com Other Certifications and Services: Visiting Angels provides seniors and adults with the needed assistance to continue living at home. Flexible hours up to 24 hours per day. Companionship, personal hygiene, meal prep, and more. Our caregivers are thoroughly screened, bonded, and insured. Call today for a complimentary and informational meeting.

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Dear Pharmacist

How Watercress Slows Down Cancer Growth Suzy Cohen

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so hours. Their blood evaluations found rather significant today I’d like to share with you some little-known levels of a plant compound called phenylethyl facts about one vegetable and its impact on breast isothiocyanate, or PEITC for short. This PEITC health. starves the cancer cells.

It’s watercress, and even though most doctors will PEITC inhibits a protein called HIF (hypoxia argue that the more chemotherapeutic drugs (antiinducible factor), which is responsible for signaling cancer drugs), the better, I still feel strongly that we normal tissue around the tumor to send oxygen and can make dietary changes that improve outcomes, nutrients to the tumor cells. HIF is not playing nice; whether or not you take chemo. it’s making your own cells boost cancer growth.

They may pooh-pooh this thinking, but I still feel Am I saying watercress cures cancer? Of course not, that eating specific foods can have a positive impact. but eating certain foods like watercress can’t hurt you.

Research is clear and shows that a great deal of It can only help you, and more than anything, it puts people give up on chemotherapy and fail to adhere you in a proactive position, which is empowering. to conventional medical treatments. Many stop Let’s face it, hearing the word “cancer” is heartaltogether, or they begin to integrate various holistic stopping. Having something you can do that is so October is Breast Cancer remedies and dietary changes — which makes me simple is crucial. think of watercress.

The researchers in the study actually validated the Awareness Month Watercress belongs to the cruciferous vegetables, effects of the watercress compound PEITC — they same as broccoli and cauliflower, but it’s not as popular weren’t guessing. They physically measured blood levels as those. of that HIF in their bloodstream and saw it declining progressively after eating Still, I want to give it some love and attention because it has some powerful watercress. That is just so amazing! tumor-fighting compounds in it. Plus, we already know from empirical evidence Another study back in 2004 evaluated how PEITC impacts the speed that 30-40 percent of all cancers somehow benefit or respond from proper at which cancer cells grow (proliferation) and the formation of tumors nutrition. (tumorigenesis). The scientists were able to confirm that watercress inhibits Researchers have investigated how watercress can be beneficial in breast cancer cell growth and not just that it makes cancer cells commit suicide, a cancer and other cancers. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, process called apoptosis. a group of breast cancer survivors went through a phase of fasting, before It means the party’s over for the cancer cells. consuming a bowlful of watercress about the size of a cereal bowl (approximately This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more 80 grams of watercress). information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com They took some blood samples from the women at intervals over the next 24 www.50plusLifePA.com

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October 2018

29

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘People Got to Be Free’ Randal Hill

The Young Rascals signed with Atlantic Records. The band’s debut 45, the oddly titled “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” came and went quickly, but their ••• When the Rascals’ “People Got to Be Free” held down second effort of “Good Lovin’” (a hard-driving cover of the top Billboard spot for five weeks in the fall of 1968, it a minor hit nearly a year earlier by L.A. soul folks the gained fame as a tribute to both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Olympics) reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart, as did “Groovin’” a year later. and Bobby Kennedy.

After the release of “It’s Wonderful” at the end of 1967, King had been murdered that April, and the future the quartet became simply the Rascals. classic was recorded afterward but before Kennedy’s Group members Felix Cavaliere (vocals, keyboards) and assassination that June.

“People Got to Be Free” wasn’t released until after Eddie Brigati (vocals, bass) co-wrote most of the songs and switched off lead vocals on the band’s 13 Top 40 RFK’s death, but the timing of the song — with the twin winners. “People Got to Be Free” became the band’s third tragedies still fresh in the public’s mind — allowed the chart-topping 45, and their biggest hit ever, on its way to rousing anthem to become a widely embraced plea for “People Got to Be Free” becoming an iconic civil rights tune. humanitarianism.

The Rascals The original genesis of “People Got to Be Free,” however, Cavaliere once said of the aggressive, horn-punctuated October 1968 was something entirely unrelated. entreaty for altruism, “That [song] was a conscious effort to get a point across that was burning inside of me. I ••• collaborated with Eddie on that, but on that one the majority of the lyric is Formed in 1965 as a white rock quartet in Garfield, New Jersey, the Young mine.”

Rascals began as a “blue-eyed” soul outfit. Dressed like a group of English schoolboys to appropriate the then-trendy “British Invasion” look, they spent Cavaliere fittingly ends the song by half-singing, half-proclaiming that “The train of freedom is about to arrive any minute now,” and that “It’s been long, weekends playing at Garfield’s Choo Choo Club. long overdue.”

Before “People Got to Be Free” was issued, Atlantic balked at the idea of “I was amazed! the Rascals releasing such an overtly political work. The musicians persevered, Sounds I hadn’t though, and in the end they enjoyed a hit that sold more than 4 million copies. heard in years The Rascals then adopted two policies unique in the world of rock music: came back to me!”

They refused to tour on segregated bills, and they insisted that at least one of — Don W., Sherman, TX their supporting acts be black. $ An odd situation had inspired “People Got to Be Free” a while earlier.

For Less Than The song was conceived — but not developed at the time — after an ugly How can a hearing aid that costs less than $200 encounter when the Rascals’ tour bus broke down in Fort Pierce, Florida, and be every bit as good as one that sells for $2,250 or more? rowdy locals hassled the musicians over their long hair!

The answer: Although tremendous strides have been made in All the world over, so easy to see People everywhere just want to be free

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

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October 2018

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Booming Voice

100 Years Too Early Bill Levine

guest-of-honor seat. At 81, this speech was probably as My paternal grandparents’ Jan. 18 anniversary was a big deal in our family and elsewhere. robust in lauding her veteran friends as her 97th birthday th th My parents gave Grandma and Grandpa 40 and 50 speech was 16 years later. th anniversary parties in 1958 and 1968, respectively. For the 50 Recently, while working on a family tree of my paternal in 1968, my dad rented out a function room at our country grandfather’s (Harry’s) family, I had deduced that I could club. A golden anniversary demanded such a posh venue, I find my great-grandmother Levine’s missing maiden name guess. on a copy of my paternal grandparents’ marriage certificate.

Being 16 at the 50th, I was able to appreciate the math When I perused the copy, I immediately got a bingo. th that said that my dad was 49 and 4 months old at this 50 There was my great-grandmother’s maiden name, Bessie anniversary.

Fivoshovitz. But more glaring than the “Fivoshovitz” It made me mostly believe that my grandparents got lucky discovery was the date of her son’s marriage to Minna — on their wedding night or shortly thereafter — and also lucky July 1, 1918! What about Jan. 18?

Harry and Minna. when my dad was born healthy on Sept. 2, 1918, five or six What I took away most from this marriage certificate was weeks premature. not a blight on the family tree for my dad’s not-quite-kosher conception. No, I Besides, as a callow 16-year-old, any other explanation besides prematurity saw the certificate as evidence of my of grandmother’s independent spirit. quickly evaporated via my image of 1918 as still Victorian, and, after all, it was First evidence of her independence was her gig as a teenage piano not in the anniversary spirit to question my dad’s conception date. accompanist in a silent movie theater, when the vast majority of girls and On or near Jan. 18, 1978, my grandmother, Minna, and grandfather, Harry, women worked as clerks or in factories. th took their 60 anniversary public via a testimonial dinner sponsored by the Then, at 20, she had disregarded society’s behavioral expectations by Jewish War Veterans for my grandparents’ 30 years of dedication — especially marrying while visibly pregnant. my grandmother, who served as past president of the Ladies Auxiliary.

Yet she was no true rebel. She forever made an effort not to observe I’m sure my grandmother gave a strong speech that night, rising from her please see TOO EARLY page 35

50plus LIFE just earned 3 awards!

The December issue of 50plus LIFE will include a special focus —

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Closing date for advertorial: Oct. 26, 2018 Closing date for ad copy: Nov. 2, 2018

Silver Award

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“American Bandstand: Still Hoppin’ after 60 Years” by Eddie Collins

“Get ‘Caught’ by Bluebirds”

by Megan Joyce

“Mastering the Arts — Martial Arts, That Is”

by Megan Joyce

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Let our readers know what their options are and to whom they can turn when they hurt.

Please contact your sales representative at 717.285.1350 or info@onlinepub.com today to reserve your space!

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October 2018

31

Fire Prevention and Preparedness Essential for Older Adults

By Kraig Herman Every year, most fire deaths occur in the home. As of September, Pennsylvania has experienced 104 civilian fire deaths in residential homes in 2018. Of these deaths, 55 have been older adults.

Today’s home fires burn faster than ever. Decades ago, homeowners had five to seven minutes to escape a house fire, but now that time is down to one to two minutes.

Please review the below points to prepare yourself in the event of a fire.

Home Fire-Escape Planning Home fire-escape planning and drills are an essential part of fire safety. A home fire-escape plan needs to be developed and practiced before a fire strikes.

A home-escape plan should include the following: • Two exits from every room in the home, usually a door and a window

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October 2018

that can catch fire away from your stovetop.

• Properly installed and working smoke alarms • A meeting place outside, in front of the home, where everyone will meet after they exit • A call to 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from a cellphone or a neighbor’s phone Smoke Alarms Smoke alarms detect and alert people to a fire in the early stages.

Smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death; working smoke alarms cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire.

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate

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sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.

Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.

Cooking Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home-fire injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.

If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home. Keep anything

Heating Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months. Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating-equipment fires.

All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from heating equipment. Have a 3-foot (1-meter) “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

Purchase and use only portable space heaters listed by a qualified testing laboratory.

Have a qualified professional install heating equipment, and maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional.

Kraig Herman is the public education specialist with the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 34 SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

At the Bookstore

Across 1. Title-holder 6. Percolate 10. Highway hauler 14. Eagle’s home 15. High point 16. Aid in crime 17. Billiards shot 18. Hoodlum 19. Sharpen 20. Distress letters 21. Mishmash 23. They can be magic 24. Kind of admiral 25. Billow

27. Casual attire 29. Court figures 34. Temperate 35. Shoestring 36. “... ___ he drove out of sight” 37. Capt.’s guess 38. Delighted 41. Panel truck 42. A Bobbsey twin 43. Pull down 44. Faction 45. Bier gardener?

49. Rub the wrong way

50. Stocking stuffers 51. St. Louis team 53. TV offering 56. As a result 57. Young newt 60. Kind of car 61. One of the Muppets 63. Pancho, for one 65. Lion’s pride 66. Low dam 67. Sink 68. Places 69. Diner sign 70. Foil relatives

Down 1. Street fleet 2. Achilles, e.g.

3. War god 4. Soccer star Hamm 5. Black tea 6. Type of play 7. Audio effect 8. Easily tamed bird 9. Dowel 10. 1943 Bogart film 11. Black, to poets 12. Repair 13. Residents (suffix) 22. Terhune novel, ___: A Dog

23. Walked into the water 24. Wine choice 25. Neptune’s realm 26. Story starter 27. Colossus 28. Spiral-horned antelope 30. Meat cut 31. At no time 32. Field’s partner 33. Dispatched 34. Waiter’s offering 38. Big name in Argentina 39. After curfew 40. Historic times 44. Close relative, briefly

46. Short compositions 47. Miscues 48. Maid’s cloth 52. Date place 53. Haunch 54. Isaac’s eldest 55. It’s overhead 56. Spew out 57. Dresden’s river 58. Skedaddle 59. Tiny bits 61. Female sheep 62. Grazing ground 64. Rascal

Your ad could be here on this popular page!

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October 2018

33

The Beauty in Nature

Chestnut Oaks and Black Birches Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Photo by John Phelan

Black birch

twigs and dead leaves high in the twigs of forest trees, including chestnut oaks on rugged ridges. Those squirrel homes block wind and rain and hide the furry occupants from hawks and owls.

Black birches are known for the pleasant, wintergreen smell and taste of their twigs when crushed or chewed.

Their simple, finely toothed leaves are about 3 inches long and turn yellow during October. Their bark is dark, shiny, and relatively thin and has that wintergreen fragrance.

Male catkins on black birches, and other birches, droop decoratively from the ends of twigs and sway in breezes in early spring. Those catkins dispense pollen on the wind to female flowers along the twigs. Female blossoms develop upright cones that

house the maturing seeds.

When the tiny seeds are ready, the cones disintegrate, releasing those winged seeds into the wind to be scattered about.

Several kinds of woodland critters feed on parts of black birches. Mice and small, seed-eating birds ingest many winged seeds. White-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits consume the young, tender bark of twigs and trunks. And ruffed grouse eat the buds of birch twigs.

Chestnut oaks and black birches are striking trees that feed a variety of wildlife. And they have intrigues that we enjoy, including colored leaves and the smell and taste of wintergreen twigs.

Puzzles shown on page 33

Puzzle Solutions

Chestnut oak and black birch trees together dominate dry, rocky slopes and ridge tops in southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as from southern Maine and Ontario to Ohio and Delaware, and along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and Alabama.

These two species help hold down the soil against erosion and provide food and shelter for a variety of woodland wildlife. And each kind has beauties and intrigues unique to itself.

Chestnut oaks have dark, vertical ridges of rough bark divided by deep furrows. Most oaks of this type have two to four main trunks that fork close to the ground. Their broad, simple leaves are about Photo by Jakec 7 inches long, each one with Chestnuk oak rounded “teeth” on its edges.

Chestnut oaks’ pretty, oblong acorns are an inch long and chestnut-brown. And their leaves turn red, yellow, and/or brown in October.

The acorns of chestnut oaks, and other kinds of oaks, feed a host of woodland creatures, including rodents such as deer mice; gray, red, and flying squirrels; and eastern chipmunks. Squirrels and chipmunks are well known for stashing nuts in tree cavities or burying them in the ground, where some forgotten ones sprout into seedlings.

White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and ruffed grouse feed heavily on acorns in autumn in preparation of the coming lean times in winter. Black bears gorge on acorns to put on enough fat to see them through their secluded winter’s rest.

Some individuals of the three local squirrel species build nests of broken

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October 2018

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TOO EARLY from page 31 her anniversary on the more compromising July 1 date.

Family lore has it that my grandparents eloped on Jan. 18, 1918, and went to Rhode Island to get married once my grandmother did not get the family blessing. The blessing was denied because my grandmother would be leapfrogging into marriage over her older sister.

The elopement, of course, would have been a characteristically feisty move by my grandmother. But I found no marriage of my grandparents recorded in Rhode Island, so maybe they claimed they eloped or just drove to Rhode Island to keep up the pretense.

Grandma Minna, in her late 40s, expanded her life from preparing gefilte fish to cooking up a volunteer career with veterans associations. Her innate leadership and intelligence propelled her to become national president of the Ladies Auxiliary of JVW in 1951 and then to start up an Amputee Veterans of America group.

With these voluntary leadership positions, she clearly expanded the ingrained roles of mother and housewife that were her generation’s expectation. Yet again, she didn’t transcend this role, although she had the capability and financial need to go after a decent-paying job.

But she never saw herself as more

than a housewife — where she was supposed to bake bread instead of earn it — until she was in her 70s. Perhaps influenced by feminism, she became a real estate agent, but she wasn’t very successful because, as with many women of her generation, she didn’t drive.

Sadly, I think Minna, my grandmother, got married 100 years too early. If she were 21 and pregnant now, and planning a July 1, 2018, wedding, I know she would be the kind of 21st-century woman who

Día de los Muertos Not a ‘Spanish Halloween’ The Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is often mistaken for a Spanish version of Halloween. It is actually a way for families to honor loved ones who are no longer living.

Scholars believe the tradition is rooted in ancient Aztec culture.

Thousands of years before Columbus ever set foot in the New World, Aztec people honored the lives of their deceased ancestors in celebrations that spanned what is now the month of August.

Indigenous populations throughout central and southern Mexico maintained these practices for centuries.

With the arrival of Spanish settlers in Mexico in the 16th century and the influence of Christianity that followed, the practice transformed into a three-day celebration paralleling the Allhallowtide of All Saint’s Eve, All Saint’s Day, and All Soul’s Day, taking place Oct. 31–Nov. 2.

In the 21st century, the observance of Día de los Muertos begins at midnight on Oct. 31, when it is believed that the souls of the dead are allowed to return to be with their loved ones. www.50plusLifePA.com

Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) or Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) falls on Nov. 1, when the souls of deceased children and infants are believed to return.

Día de los Muertos follows on Nov. 2, when the spirits of the ancestors are honored.

During this time, families will create altars in their homes or at the cemetery, where they tidy and decorate the graves of their loved ones.

Ofrendas (offerings) of food, sweets, toys, trinkets, marigolds, and beverages are left on these altars. Family and friends share stories of their loved ones, sing songs, offer prayers, and feast as a tribute to the departed.

To dance, especially at the gravesite, is a way to awaken the spirits and invite them to join the family once more. The parades and large festive gatherings in cemeteries are just another way to show respect and celebrate the lives of those who have passed on.

Día de los Muertos is observed throughout Mexico, most of North and South America, and around the world.

would post online an ultrasound photo of her in-utero boy together with details of her upcoming wedding.

At any rate, I was happy to commemorate the real 100th wedding anniversary of my grandparents on July 1, 2018. With 15 hours of sunlight, it is more enlightening than Jan. 18.

Bill Levine is a retired IT professional and active freelance writer. Bill aspires to be a humorist because it is easier to be pithy than funny.

E

October 6, 2018

omen’s Expo Lancaster County

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November 10, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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FREE advance guest registration online! ($5 at the door) Talk to us about sponsor and exhibitor opportunities.

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