50plus Senior News - Lancaster County July 2011

Lancaster County Edition

July 2011

Vol. 17 No. 7

Filled to Overflowing 2011 PA State Senior Idol Winner Performs to ‘Keep Her Bucket Full’

By Megan Joyce Two days after her PA STATE SENIOR IDOL win, Peggy Kurtz Keller was still being inundated with flowers—flowers at home, flowers at work, flowers and phone calls from acquaintances she hadn’t heard from in years.

“It’s really nice being recognized by your peers,” she admitted.

Keller, of Ephrata, was recognized by more than 400 of her peers on June 6, taking home the title of 2011 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL at the conclusion of the finals competition at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster. She impressed both the audience and the judges, first with her rendition of “Summertime” from Porgy & Bess, followed by her finalist performance of “Cabaret” from the famous musical.

After “Summertime,” Keller felt confident.

“I thought, ‘I did the best I could and whatever will be, will be,’” she remembered. “The reason why I did the competition is not so much for the competition and certainly not about winning; it’s about being able to perform. It gives me one more chance to perform at the Dutch Apple, on stage, with the lights, and have the audience receive what I’m giving.”

And what she gives, according to SENIOR IDOL judge and WGAL news anchor Janelle Stelson, “is joy, and that’s such a gift.”

This was Keller’s fourth consecutive year as a semifinalist in the annual competition, produced by On-Line Publishers, Inc., publishers of 50plus please see FILLED page 24 2011 PA

SENIOR IDOL Peggy Keller earned the win during her fourth consecutive year as a semifinalist.

STATE

Inside:

PA STATE SENIOR IDOL

Highlights page 14

How to Stop Junk Mail page 23

Landisville, PA Permit No. 3

PAID PRSRT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being.

Appraisals Steinmetz Coins & Currency (717) 299-1211 (800) 334-3903 Assisted Living/Personal Care Harrison Senior Living – Coatesville (610) 384-6310 Diabetic Shoes

Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020

Hospice Providers Compassionate Care Hospice (717) 944-4466

American Cancer Society (717) 397-3744

Hospice of Lancaster County (717) 295-3900

American Diabetes Association (888) DIABETES American Heart Association (717) 393-0725

Wellness Life Systems (800) 718-1608

American Lung Association (717) 397-5203/(800) LungUSA

Emergency Numbers Central PA Poison Center (800) 521-6110

American Red Cross (717) 299-5561

Office of Aging (717) 299-7979/(800) 801-3070 Employment Lancaster County Office of Aging (717) 299-7979 Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre (800) 638-6833 Financial Services Internal Revenue Service (717) 898-1900

Groff Funeral Services (717) 397-8255

Independent Living The Long Community (855) 407-9240

Arthritis Foundation (717) 397-6271 Consumer Information (888) 878-3256

Medical Services Health Network Labs (717) 560-8891

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228 Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233 Flu or Influenza (888) 232-3228

Neurosurgery & Physiatry Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates (717) 569-5331 (800) 628-2080 Nursing Homes/Rehab

Alliance Home Health (717) 283-1444

Gundel Funeral Home (717) 393-1776

Central Penn Nursing Care, Inc. (717) 361-9777 (717) 569-0451

Richard H. Heisey Funeral Home (717) 626-2464

Visiting Angels (717) 393-3450

Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. (717) 393-9661/(717) 872-5041 (717) 627-8668

Home Improvement DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen (717) 367-9753

Real Estate Prudential Homesale Services Group Rochelle Welkowitz (717) 393-0100

Fiorentino’s (717) 569-6732/(717) 295-4964 Old Country Buffet (717) 390-8800 Symposium Mediterranean Restaurant (717) 391-7656 Retirement Communities Country Meadows of Lancaster (717) 392-4100 The Long Community (855) 407-9240

Conestoga View Nursing & Rehabilitation (717) 299-7850

Luther Acres (717) 626-1171

Harrison Senior Living – Christiana (610) 593-6901

St. John’s Herr Estate (717) 684-0678

Orthotics & Prosthetics The Center for Advanced Orthotics & Prosthetics (717) 393-0511 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Physicians — OB/GYN May•Grant Obstetrics & Gynecology (717) 397-8177

Kearney A. Snyder Funeral Home (717) 394-4097

Plumbing/Heating Neffsville Plumbing & Heating Services (717) 625-1000

Restaurants Insurance Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833

Home Care Services Funeral Directors

Housing Eastwood Village Homes, LLC (717) 397-3138

Planned Charitable Giving Lancaster County Community Foundation (717) 397-1629

Senior Move Management TLC Ladies (717) 228-8764 Transition Solutions for Seniors Rochelle Welkowitz (717) 615-6507 Travel Passport Information (877) 487-2778

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

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July 2011

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Humane League Pet of the Month The

in her eyes is the reason

Pita Yep, her face is one of a kind. People stop in their tracks, call to their friends: “Look at this dog!” Two-year-old Pita is a perfect blend of beagle and pit bull. On walks, Pita’s head bobs up and down, side to side, to and fro. Sure thing—that’s a hound.

Pita recently had puppies, but she came to the shelter alone. She’s soft and sweet, a little unsure in her kennel, but just fine when you take her out. Our behavior evaluators have determined that Pita should be the only dog in the home. She’s not dog aggressive, but she gets powerfully annoyed when other dogs are in her face. No dog parks for Pita but perhaps a long walk next to other dogs.

She knows several commands, such as sit and shake.

Now that she’s spayed and free from mommy duties, Pita can focus on other things … like you! Pita ID #13107877 For more information, please contact the Humane League of Lancaster County at (717) 393-6551.

sparkle

we’re here

Spacious, serene surroundings. Family-centered programs. Friendly, dedicated staff. Our residents look to us for the care they need, and the respect they deserve. Harrison Senior Living offers all of the above. But it’s the sparkle in our residents’ eyes that tells us that we’re more than a topnotch facility. We’re home.

A LOVING ENVIRONMENT, A CARING COMMUNITY

PERSONAL CARE & SENIOR APARTMENTS 300 Strode Avenue • Coatesville, PA 19320 • (610) 384-6310 SKILLED NURSING & REHABILITATION 41 Newport Avenue • Christiana, PA 17509 • (610) 593-6901

www.harrisonseniorliving.com

Thank You, Dr. Pallen for 34 years of excellence in the practice of world-class eye care.

Your superior knowledge, skill, compassion, charming personality, and high standards of care have continued to keep Eye Associates of Lancaster, Ltd. the #1 Practice in Lancaster County.

We wish you the best in your retirement.

And We Welcome Dr. Wenxin Wei as a New Associate.

Wenxin Thomas Wei, M.D.

Dr. Wei grew up in Broomall, a suburb of Philadelphia, and graduated cum laude from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster. He received his medical education from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Daniel Pallen, M.D. College of Medicine and completed a medical internship at the Albert Einstein Medical Center. He received his ophthalmology training at the Penn State Hershey Eye Center, and served as a chief resident his final year. Dr. Wei most recently completed a cornea and refractive surgery fellowship at the University of California at Irvine under Dr. Roger Steinert, an internationally renowned expert in corneal transplants and refractive surgery. During fellowship, Dr. Wei was very active in research relating to femtosecond laser-assisted corneal transplants and using LASIK to improve vision in cornea transplant patients. Since the completion of fellowship, Dr. Wei has been committed to the delivery of outstanding eye care to his patients and is excited to be back in Lancaster. He will base his practice in comprehensive ophthalmology, laser surgery, cataract surgery, refractive surgery, and holds a subspecialty in treating corneal diseases and performing advanced corneal transplants.

Eye Associates of Lancaster participates in most insurance plans and welcomes new patients.

1254 Lititz Pike, Lancaster • 717-397-4724 LGH Suburban Outpatient Pavilion, 2106 Harrisburg Pike, Suite 309 • 717-290-6879 John W. Sharp, Jr., M.D. Patrick T. Tiedeken, M.D.

Pierre K. Palandjian, D.O. Wenxin Thomas Wei, M.D.

Armanae A. Mancha, 0.D. Elizabeth O. Lewis, C.O.

www.EyeAssociatesLancaster.com www.SeniorNewsPA.com

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July 2011

3

My 22 Cents’ Worth Corporate Office:

Getting Older but Not Old

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

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Christianne Rupp EDITOR, 50PLUS PUBLICATIONS Megan Joyce

ART DEPARTMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR Renee Geller PRODUCTION ARTIST Janys Cuffe

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie McComsey Susan Miller Ranee Shaub Miller SALES COORDINATOR Eileen Culp

CIRCULATION PROJECT COORDINATOR Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Duvall

Member of

Walt Sonneville t the age of 70, one has a mindset essentially unchanged from the age of 50 or 60. If one enjoys reasonably good health at 60 or 70, old age may be thought to be further down the road of life.

Upon reaching 80, reality seizes the senses and one’s perspective undergoes serious recalibration.

For those who currently have reached the age of 75 or more, there should be a sense of gratitude for having been born at the right time.

The Depression of the 1930s was an era when the simple pleasures of life molded our character. The future could only get better and the technological marvels exhibited at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York forecast more and more comforts.

There was confidence in continuing progress. Life was getting better.

Patriotism during the Second World War unified Americans in a way we have not seen since, with the possible exception, briefly, of 9/11. Spending on houses and automobiles was suspended during WWII, creating a post-bellum posterity based on pent-up demand, accumulated savings, and expansion of consumer credit. Life was good.

Marriage, family formation, college attendance, and employment at living wages blossomed nationally until 1980, when the unemployment rate grew to 7.1 percent from 4.9 percent 10

A

years earlier. Lower- and middleincome Americans saw their share of the nation’s income drop from 66 percent in 1980 to 52 percent in 2008, with the balance going to the top 10 percent of households.

Evidence of global warming was a troubling phenomenon not recognized in our younger years.

Public debt reached levels unimaginable prior to the financial turmoil that began in October 2008.

Financial “bubbles” had given us a sense of economic prosperity until these fantasies burst. The American dream became out of reach as unemployment rose to 9.8 percent in November 2010. Life was much less bountiful.

How would you describe your “golden years”? Is it a time of greater calm, fewer unmet wants, and a greater satisfaction from a relaxing meal than from other corporeal pleasures? Or is it mostly a time of unpleasant memories, anxiety, precision budgeting, and dread of the coming years?

If your golden years lack luster, take cheer that, nevertheless, you probably are becoming wiser and more tolerant as you age into your 70s and 80s. That is a conclusion reached in various studies of septuagenarians and octogenarians by the National Academy of Science, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

This modern research reaffirms what the Bible had disclosed: “With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days, knowledge.”

You can witness that your generation is wiser than the young and middle-aged. The evidence is there: Men today wear earrings, women are tattooed, and both genders display body-pierced ornaments. These are tribal artifacts.

It is the younger generations that tend to be addle-minded. In our own youth and mid-life there wasn’t any need for how-to books entitled The Idiot’s Guide to … (fill in the blank and you will probably find a published title).

Comedian George Burns showed that popularity can surge as one approaches his or her centennial.

Burns observed: “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”

There is wisdom in that observation, as there is in this thought from Oliver Wendell Holmes: “To be 70 years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be 40 years old.”

Holmes spoke from experience. He resigned from the Supreme Court at the age of 91. He was our longestserving justice.

Walt Sonneville is a retired marketresearch analyst. He enjoys writing and reading non-partisan opinion essays.

Contact him at waltsonneville@earthlink.net.

Awards

No Fee to Apply for State Rebate Program

Winner

SeniorNews 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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July 2011

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is reminding senior citizens that there is no fee when applications are made to the commonwealth’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program.

Under the program, participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 on their rent or property taxes.

Pennsylvania residents who are age 65 years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18 years or older with

50plus SeniorNews •

disabilities are eligible for the program.

The Department of Revenue, which administers the program, is aware that the Senior Advisory Center, a California-based company, is contacting older Pennsylvanians by mail with an offer to prepare their application for a processing fee of $39.

The department says there appears to be nothing illegal about the offer but advises seniors they are

being charged for a service the government and other agencies provide for free.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate application forms and assistance are available at no cost from the Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and state legislators’ offices.

More information can be found at these locations and online at www.revenue.state.pa.us. www.SeniorNewsPA.com

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5

Salute to a Veteran

In His P-40, He Passed Out at 23,000 Feet Robert D. Wilcox obert Brocklehurst grew up in Michigan in the days when aircraft overhead were a rarity.

When one did fly by, people would call others to come and watch it. The biggest thrill in his life was when his uncle would take him to see the fliers in the Michigan National Guard practicing aerobatics. He thus knew early on that being a flier was what he desperately wanted to do.

In 1940, he was old enough to enlist, but the Air Corps required at least two years of college in order to become an aviation cadet. “However,” Brocklehurst says, “they had an equivalency test that would qualify you if you could pass it. So I crammed for seven months to take that test. And, in September 1940, I passed it.”

He enlisted in the Army and went through the aviation cadet program, earning his pilot’s wings and the gold bar

R

of a second lieutenant at Kelly Field in were going to do, and you did it.”

San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 26, 1941.

What was the best thing about the PHe then shipped to 40? “It was tougher than Selfridge Field in any other of the fighter Michigan to learn to fly a planes of that day.

P-40 pursuit plane. “For Although most people the first time,” he know it best for its use in chuckles, “I was given China by our American manuals to study, then Volunteer Group, it was put in the airplane to fly used in theaters of war it by myself. No dual from the Pacific to North instruction … just figure Africa and Russia. The it out as you went.” early models were good for Wasn’t it daunting to combat only to about go from the 600 12,000 feet, but it was horsepower AT-6 trainer surprisingly fast. It was the Aviation Cadet Robert L. to the 1,040 horsepower third most produced Brocklehurst, Class 41-G, in P-40 fighter? He grins as American fighter plane in advanced flying training at he says, “Sure. But the WWII, surpassed only by Kelly Field, Texas, in September 1941. great thing about the the P-51 and P-47.” military was that they Brocklehurst had didn’t ask you if you thought you could completed his P-40 training at Selfridge do something. They told you what you Field when the Japanese attacked Pearl

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Harbor, and the following Saturday he was on a troop train to Sacramento, where he picked up a brand new P-40 that he flew to Elmendorf Field, near Anchorage, Alaska. The fear was that the Japanese would advance through the Aleutians, and the P-40s were to prevent their advance.

When Brocklehurst arrived at Elmendorf in March of 1942, the newer P-40s were turned over to more experienced second lieutenants, and the new pilots were given obsolescent Curtis P-36s. Brocklehurst notes that, “When a P-40 flew by you, and you were in the P36, it felt like the P-36 was backing up.”

He was then assigned to a squadron on Kodiak Island, where, in a P-36, he had blacked out at 23,000 feet. He explains, “We needed oxygen above 10,000 feet, and the P-36 system was pretty primitive. The oxygen came through a tube you clenched between

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July 2011

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your teeth. As we got higher, I had more and more trouble flying formation. And finally, at 23,000 feet, I blacked out completely.

“Fortunately, I had the ship carefully trimmed up, so I didn’t just fall out of the sky. But it was more than a shock to eventually come to and find that I had fallen all the way to 5,000 feet. That’s one of the reasons I believe in God.” What caused him to black out?

“Well, it was clearly lack of oxygen.

But why it happened could have been a failure in the system or that I wasn’t careful enough on how I drew on the oxygen tube. We never found out, and I was just glad to be alive.”

In July 1942, he was selected to go to Florida for advanced fighter training in P-40s and then to California to pick up a new P-40 and fly it back to Cold Bay at the western end of the Alaskan peninsula, where his squadron had been assigned in his absence.

Over time, he flew out of Kodiak Island, Cold Bay, Umnak, Atka, Adak, Dutch Harbor, Shemya, and Attu in the Aleutian chain. The weather was foul, with 250 days of rain. Cloud layers, fog, and sudden rain and snow squalls were common. They had no accurate maps or navigation aids.

Brocklehurst says he had firsthand knowledge of 126 aircraft that were lost, mostly as a result of the abysmal flying conditions.

In 1951, he was returned to the States, where he held increasingly responsible positions from the Pentagon to Okinawa, checking out in 13 types of aircraft, from P-38s to F86s in his 4,300 hours of flying. In 1963, he returned to Alaska for three years as director of plans and programs for Alaskan Air Command in Anchorage. He retired from the Air Force Systems Command at Andrews AFB in Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel in February 1967.

In civilian life, he worked as sales manager for a manufacturer of custom kitchens in Central Pennsylvania. He liked the area so much that he decided to settle down here, where he started his own company, Brocklehurst Enterprises, with sales representatives in 11 states.

He says his many years of service in the Air Force mean a great deal to him … especially those dangerous but exciting years as a young man doing seat-of-the-pants flying in P-40s in Alaska.

Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in WWII.

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July 2011

7

The Beauty in Nature

Florida Apple Snail Predators Clyde McMillan-Gamber ative Florida apple snails are the largest freshwater snails on Earth. They are the size of golf balls and round, the reason they are called apple snails. They live in tropical ponds, marshes, ditches, and rivers, including in Florida.

And they are amphibious because they have a gill for underwater respiration and a lung for air breathing. They are survivors, genetically adapted to flooding and drought. They feed mostly on aquatic plants and need emergent vegetation or breathing air when they have to and to lay eggs so fish can’t eat them.

Many kinds of animals prey on apple snails, including alligators, water turtles, raccoons, boat-tailed grackles, and other predators. And snail kites and limpkins feed almost exclusively on apple snails, the reason those tropical birds live and breed in Florida.

N

Snail kites are a small hawk that body out of the shell. inhabit freshwater wetlands and range All raptors have hooked beaks, but from peninsular Florida to much of snail kites’ bills have developed beyond South America. They the norm because of are endangered in the their specialized diet United States but are of extracting apple doing well in South snails from their shells. and Central America.

The better designed They are dark and the bill for that have long, broad, purpose, the more rounded wings; long snails they can eat. tails; and white rumps.

Limpkins are Males have red legs another apple snail DAVID ROACH and females and young eater in freshwater Limpkin with apple snail have orange ones. marshes from Florida Snail kites slowly fly over marshes by to South America, although they also eat day to watch for apple snails on plant mussels, insects, frogs, tadpoles, and stalks. When a snail is spotted, the kite lizards. Limpkins are related to cranes drops to it, picks it from the plant, and and rails and have long legs, toes, necks, flies to a perch to eat it. Snail kites have and beaks like cranes. Limpkins have deeply hooked bills for opening the brown feathering all over with white operculum, or protective covering (not spotting for camouflage. Their loud calls the shell), of the snail and pulling its are scary wails that sound like

“kkwweeeerrr” or “kkkaaaaarrr.”

Limpkins ease slowly through vegetation in marshes in search of apple snails, mostly at night. Remember, snail kites hunt them by day from the air— different techniques at different times of day, which reduces competition for the same food source.

Limpkins have long beaks that are slightly open near the tip to give the birds a tweezer-like action in removing snails from their shells. In some individual birds, the tip of the bill curves slightly to the right, like apple snails’ shells. Any feature a creature is born with that helps it get its food is an advantage.

All creatures are valuable to their ecosystems. Florida apple snails are the base of several food chains in Florida wetlands, especially involving snail kites and limpkins.

Clyde McMillan-Gamber is a Lancaster County Parks naturalist.

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Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori

Assessing Value in the Antiques Game

Hey ... nice legs!

Dr. Lori have to laugh when a so-called original boxes in your neighbor’s trash, it “expert” (also known as some person would probably be more valuable to you. who writes a story or a blog about the Do you get it? Value is relative. Some antiques market after interviewing three people will bother going after $150 by people who hosted yard sales) writes a selling those valuable Barbies and other column or posts an online blog and lists people won’t. that items are “hot” right now.

Here is the real deal when it comes to They rarely get it right. That is yet making your list of valuables ... another misguided attempt to compile Experts know that the collectibles that single, market is not about comprehensive list trends; it’s about of what is worth quality objects and keeping. In short, historical or cultural those lists are bogus. interest. If you are Here’s why ... banking on making First of all, most money on a trend, people know what is you are dealing in valuable to them. the collectibles But, most people market in the same don’t know what’s way a gambler valuable to other would play the people. For instance, roulette table.

Barbie dolls if someone is trying Trends are a to get rid of an old pool table that has crapshoot, a lottery ticket, a slim chance become obsolete, they have a hard time at a big win. realizing that someone else would want Trends are those flash-in-the-pan items that pool table. Once you have no use for that never hold their value very long like an object, you figure no one else has use the Pet Rock or Beanie Babies. Those for it either. That’s why people ask me, items had some interest at one time, made “Who would want my old object?” That’s some money for the manufacturers and where human nature gets in the way. It’s the marketers, but they say nothing about this attitude that loses you money—big culture, history, or what’s of interest to money. contemporary society. The objects that People call my office or email me and relate to history are those with real value ask this question over and over again: “I and have staying power in the have a (insert any antique object here). marketplace.

Does it have any value?” My answer is When it comes to collecting, you want always that everything has value. And even to acquire objects that say something your object has value! about our society at large, the historical The real questions are: How much period in which it was made, or a value does it have? How does that dollar technological innovation. Assessing value relate to you? For instance, some of valuables and smart collecting is not about the richest people in the world like fads, it’s about knowing the facts.

Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Oprah Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and awardWinfrey probably wouldn’t think that a winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents couple of aging Barbie dolls worth $150 antique appraisal events nationwide and each are valuable. If you are not Mr. Gates appears on the Fine Living Network and on and are, instead, an unemployed lion TV’s Daytime. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or tamer who found these dolls in their call (888) 431-1010.

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Braintwisters 1. What U.S. state boasts the following rivers: the Guadalupe, Trinity, Rio Grande, Brazos, and Colorado?

A. California B. Oklahoma C. Texas D. Colorado 2. Which of the following states does not border the Great Lakes?

A. Ohio B. Michigan C. Iowa D. Illinois 3. Pierre is the capital of what U.S. state?

A. Montana B. Wisconsin C. South Dakota D. Rhode Island 4. Lake Okeechobee is located in what U.S. state?

A. Wyoming B. Florida C. Oklahoma D. Texas 5. What is the smallest U.S. state?

A. Delaware B. Maryland C. Rhode Island D. Maine Source: www.usefultrivia.com

Never Miss Another Issue!

This month’s answers on page 10

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50plus SeniorNews •

July 2011

9

The Search for Our Ancestry

A ‘Brick Wall’ Angelo Coniglio situation in which no amount of research can find a particular ancestor or generation of ancestors is called a “brick wall” by genealogists. An example is presented below. Names are changed for privacy and simplification.

A

Q: From censuses at my public library and passenger manifests on the free site www.ellisisland.org, I determined the year (1908), country, and town of birth of my grandfather, Joseph Brown. The catalog at the free Mormon site https://www.familysearch.org shows that civil records for his European birthplace exist for the years 1809 through 1910.

The information is on several microfilms that I ordered, including 1893–1910. There I found my grandfather’s birth record, with his father’s name (Henry Brown) and age in 1908, and his mother’s name. I figured my greatgrandfather’s birth year as circa 1887.

Going back through the birth records, I found information on other direct ancestors: my second-great-grandfather Michael Brown, born in 1858; his father, Peter Brown, age 27; and his mother, Maria Smith, age 25.

Here is where the problem starts.

Their ages in 1858 show that my thirdgreat-grandparents, Peter and Maria, were born in about 1831–1833. However, birth records from 1830 through 1834 are missing. Having gone this far, it’s frustrating to know records before 1830 are available and may contain more information, but I can’t “connect” to those records because intermediate records are missing. What can I do?

A: If you show the same persistence, you may extend the record. Working with the microfilms you’ve mentioned, search the birth records around 1858 to determine if Michael Brown had any

siblings. Ages of parents on birth records often were off by one, two, or more years, and their ages on siblings’ records may show that they were born before or after the gap in records. Finding the missing information may be as simple as looking at the 1829 or 1835 records.

Failing that, check film lists at https://www.familysearch.org and see whether there are records other than birth records. If so, order them. Records of marriages for the years preceding 1858 may contain the marriage record of Peter Brown and Maria Smith. That may show their parents’ names and if they were living or dead in 1858. Then go to the pre-1830 records to search for their parents’ births, to extend the “tree,” even though you don’t know the exact birthdays of some relatives.

For your ancestral town, check whether there are microfilms available for death records. If so, order them.

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Search for the death record of Peter Brown. It’s after 1858, when his son was born, so check the death records after that year. It’s tedious, but if found, it may give Peter Brown’s parents’ names and if they were living or dead when he died.

While searching for Peter’s death, look for his wife, Maria Smith’s, death record.

That should say whether she was a widow or not, which can help you zero in on Peter’s death year. Her record may give the names of her parents, who, of course, were also your ancestors.

Churches recorded baptisms, marriages, and deaths of parishioners.

Baptism records may exist for the period 1830–1834. If https://www.familysearch .org shows that church records exist for your case, order them. Baptisms were usually shortly after a child’s birth and often give the birth date as “today” or “yesterday.” Though the exact birth date

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1. C. Texas 2. C. Iowa 3. C. South Dakota 4. B. Florida 5. C. Rhode Island Questions shown on page 9

www.SeniorNewsPA.com

is not given, a baptism record is certainly proof of a child’s existence, and its parents’ names would be shown.

Baptisms carry a bonus: Often the names of the godparents are given, and they may be relatives in whom you are interested. If church records exist, you can confirm the other information you’ve found on civil records.

After all that, if you still haven’t found your ancestors born from 1830–1834, what to do? The previous

steps are free or at nominal cost. To go further, you may have to pay. Before resorting to that, “surf ” the free site https://www.familysearch.org. See whether it has online records for the town of interest for the missing years.

Sites are regularly updated. You may find a source or actual images of records that just became available. If you still have no luck, try the same approach on www.ancestry.com, a paid site, but with a free trial period.

If none of that works, remember that many towns made duplicate copies. One was kept at the source, but copies may have been sent to provincial or county seats, where the microfilmed records were made. Records missing from those films may still be in existence at the town itself. You may have to write to the appropriate jurisdiction and pay for the desired information. Unfortunately, many municipalities are slow in responding to such requests.

If you have relatives in your ancestral town, they may be able to check the archives. If not, you may have to make a trip to the “old country” to break down that “brick wall”!

Angelo Coniglio encourages readers to contact him by writing to 438 Maynard Drive, Amherst, NY 14226; by email at Genealogytips@aol.com; or by visiting www.conigliofamily.com/ConiglioGenealogy Tips.htm.

‘We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident … ’ On July 4, Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was officially adopted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, although Congress formally declared independence from Great Britain on July 2, and the Declaration wasn’t signed by all 56 members until August.

Some other facts about the founding document of the United States that you may not know: • There is a message on the back. No, it’s not an invisible treasure map (as in the Nicholas Cage movie National Treasure). The words “Original

Declaration of Independence, dated 4th July 1776” appear on the reverse side of the document on display in the National Rotunda, at the bottom and upside down.

• About 200 copies of the Declaration were immediately produced by printer John Dunlap for distribution through the 13 colonies. Of these original “Dunlap broadsides,” 26 still exist.

• The original document wasn’t printed on paper, but “engrossed” on parchment. Engrossing is a process for preparing an official document in large, clear handwriting.

• At the bottom left corner of the Declaration is an unidentified handprint. Historians speculate that it’s the result of the document’s being rolled up for transport and handled by various people for extensive exhibition in the early years of its existence.

• The two youngest signers of the Declaration were Thomas Lynch Jr. and Edward Rutledge, both of South Carolina, both 26 years old at the time. The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, 70. Nine of the original signers died before the American Revolution ended in 1783.

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Residents Enjoy Senior Prom On a warm, spring night, the Fireside Room at Lancashire Terrace Retirement Village was transformed into a starlit night sky for the Moonlight Serenade Senior Prom.

Residents and guests took a trip back in time with the sound of nostalgic music and the aroma of mouthwatering refreshments surrounding a sparking bowl of punch, all reminiscent of high-school days in a bygone era.

For some, this was their very first prom. A disc jockey planned the evening’s music around a long list of requested “oldies but goodies,” and prom-goers stood underneath a lovely backdrop of a moonlit sky for professional portraits.

Beautiful corsages and boutonnières added the finishing touch to the prom

Regena Seabold Myers and Norman Rosander were crowned Lancashire Terrace Class of 2011 Prom King and Queen at the Moonlight Serenade Senior Prom. Myers was escorted to the prom by Ken Mayer, while Rosander’s date was his wife, Dorothy.

attire. Some residents came with a “date,” while others came to mingle with friends.

Festival Features Music, Speakers, Art In certain pockets of the world known as Blue Zones, people outlive the average American by 13 years, author and explorer Dan Beuttner told a multigenerational audience at “Encore: The Festival” last month at Garden Spot Village.

What’s more, they experience fewer illnesses at the end of life.

Buettner’s presentation was one of about two dozen lectures, panel discussions, and workshops throughout the day. Other presenters included theologian and author Leonard Sweet; Butch Hobson, manager of the Lancaster Barnstormers; and motivational speaker Janet Oberholtzer, as well as experts in social media, nutrition, marital relationships, genealogy, volunteering and more.

“Most of our speakers, workshop leaders, and entertainers are 50plus and celebrating their life,” said John Farber, chief operations officer at Garden Spot Village. “As

Photo by Denise Hoak

Proving that there is no limit to the heights you can attain when you’re inspired, a rock wall at “Encore: The Festival” attracted climbers of all ages. Garden Spot Village resident Glenda Bricker is one of many who successfully scaled the structure.

Len Sweet said, age doesn’t matter—what matters is what you’re doing with your life.”

If you have local news you’d like considered for Around Town, please email mjoyce@onlinepub.com

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Make Music, Make Merry 6th Annual PA State Senior Idol Finals Night Mixes Music, Laughter, and Goodwill

By Megan Joyce After six years, it’s a well-known fact in the PA STATE SENIOR IDOL community that the level of talent amongst the competition’s 15 semifinalists grows progressively higher each year and that a “clear winner” within that initial group becomes less and less visible.

But with each passing year, the finals night of PA STATE SENIOR IDOL also becomes even funnier.

It’s no surprise that a competition with the very upbeat mission of highlighting the talents of the commonwealth’s 50-plus community should be so steeped in positivity and fellowship—but the sold-out crowd at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre must leave with worn-out facial muscles from a solid three hours of laughter.

Many of those laughs come courtesy of the competition’s judges, all well-respected media and music personalities whose witty rapport and good-natured joking become an unexpected recipe for a highly comedic foursome.

The obvious camaraderie between Adrian “Buddy” King of the former The Magnificent Men, Janelle Stelson of WGAL-8, RJ Harris of WHP580, and, new this year, Chuck Rhodes from abc27 set the lighthearted tone for the evening.

Produced by On-Line Publishers, Inc., publishers of 50plus Senior News, and warmly emceed by Diane Dayton of Dayton Communications, the finals competition was the culmination of more than 100 preliminary auditions at four regional tryouts held back in the spring. Of those, the top 15 performers had been selected to compete against each other for the title of 2011 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL. After Chris Poje, last year’s SENIOR IDOL champ, reminded the audience just why he was chosen with a powerful rendition of The Platters’ “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” Donald Dickinson of Shippensburg was the first of this year’s contenders to take the stage. Singing “All the Things You Are” from Very Warm for May, Dickinson received praise from King for “the sincerity with which [he] delivered that song.”

“I think that is one of the more complex songs ever sung at one of these competitions, and I think a much harder song to sing; you did a great job,” added Harris.

Patty Price of York stepped onto the Dutch Apple stage for the second consecutive year, having been a semifinalist for the 2010 competition as well. She sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” made famous, of course, by Judy Garland. King commented on the unique “roundness” to Price’s tones.

“They say anybody who yells can get somebody to listen to them, but that was a little bit of a soft sell,”

14

July 2011

50plus SeniorNews •

observed Stelson. “You’re one of those people who, even when you whisper and speak softly, people lean in to hear it.”

Hailing from Ephrata, Jose Angel Cruz sang “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle, very clearly tapping into the emotion he feels for his own 10-year-old daughter.

Rhodes concurred, saying, “As a father of two grown daughters and now a granddaughter, that song moves me every time I hear it, and you did a super job.”

Next up was “Smooth Operator” Elaine Dukeman of Morgantown, channeling original artist Sade as she glided to the front of the stage in a series of flowing dance moves. Rhodes liked how she came out with attitude and confidence.

“And I have a feeling you’d do that if the building were empty … the lights could go out, the sound system could go out, and I think you’d just keep on going,” he said.

The audience and judges were in store for a change of musical pace next as Jack Wolfe of Mechanicsburg launched into Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood,” a blues number that showcased both Wolfe’s instrumental prowess and his vocal ability.

“I’ve always thought guitars were the most difficult instrument to master,” King said. “You know your way around that fret board for sure.”

Constance Kuba Fisher’s theater background was evident from the first notes of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl. The Mechanicsburg resident presented a spirited, bold, and amusing performance supported by her strong vocals.

“I have a feeling you’re one of those people who just has music and performance buried in your soul and it needs to find a way to get out!” Stelson said.

Theater experience was apparent once again as Margie Sheaffer of New Providence strutted onstage to deliver a feisty, serious-faced rendition of “Fever” by Peggy Lee. King commented on how “natural” and “relaxed” Sheaffer seemed, while Rhodes proclaimed with laughter, “Had you done one more chorus, Janelle was going to be up on the table dancing.”

Don “Duke” Larson, the competition’s musical veteran at almost 76 years young, charmed both judges and audience with his impassioned and vocally impressive version of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Dressed in a sharp tux and angled fedora, Larson both looked and sounded the part of the crooner.

“Ray Price comes to mind in terms of your vocal,” complimented King, referring to the baritone-voiced country singer. “Your feeling, your expression, your experience—it all comes through.”

A familiar face to many annual SENIOR IDOL finalegoers, Peggy Kurtz Keller of Ephrata took the stage for www.SeniorNewsPA.com

the fourth consecutive year, this time singing “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. Keller’s sweet, crystalline voice glided over a sassy version of the familiar tune, and Harris called her “the whole package … head to toe.”

“You are one of those rare people who just lights up the room, and the really great thing is that you come and you back it up with talent,” Stelson noted. “And I think anybody who is under 50 who’s sitting behind me is going, ‘I want to be her when I grow up!’”

Philadelphia’s Dan Kelly auditioned for SENIOR IDOL after a “happenstance” encounter with Harris’s radio partner, Dan Steele, at a local breakfast restaurant.

Another theater vet, Kelly belted out “Why God, Why” from Miss Saigon.

“That’s a very difficult song, but you delivered it with a wonderful amount of passion,” King said.

Harris couldn’t resist the opportunity to rib Steele the following morning. “Tomorrow for the radio show, did you happen to notice how many stacks of pancakes Dan ate?” he quipped.

Steve Reuben of Manheim had chosen a bold, white tux to match his bold, resonating voice for his performance of “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific. King praised Reuben’s delivery, especially his difficult falsetto notes.

“It’s such a strong voice—so mellifluous,” stated Stelson, which prompted Harris to joke that his gift for Stelson last Christmas had been a word-of-the-day calendar.

“We were told this was going to be the best year ever—and you hear that a lot—but it is,” Harris added.

“You guys are all gangbusters.”

Sinatra classics are a welcome staple of the PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competition, and Mark Ettaro of Reading did justice to the trend singing “Witchcraft.” Ettaro surprised the judges and the audience when, midway through his clean vocals, he launched into a lively, legkicking dance routine.

Rhodes praised Ettaro’s “Sinatra phrasing” and added, “I like that you caught everybody off-guard with your impromptu—well-rehearsed, but impromptu—dance.”

“If this Idol thing doesn’t work out, you can become a Pip,” Harris suggested.

Robesonia resident Inge Kiebach was up next and delivered an almost operatic version of “If I Loved You” from Carousel. Rhodes noted her obvious opera training, saying he suspected that if she wished, she could “really reach the rafters” with her formidable voice.

“When I was 10, I joined the adult choir at church because I think I had the same voice when I was little

that I have now,” recalled Kiebach with a laugh.

“The variety we’re seeing here tonight is incredible to me,” King remarked. “It’s one of the best years in terms of all of the different styles and everything else that we’re witnessing here tonight.”

The listening audience was in for a musical 180 once again with Steven Leaman’s hand-clapping, rocking performance of Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kind of Wonderful.” A plumber from Manheim, Leaman encouraged enthusiastic audience participation from the get-go and used the whole stage while wowing the judges with his confident vocals.

Rhodes couldn’t help but offer up the available pun: “What are the odds—a plumber with good pipes!”

“You’re just a showman,” said Harris. “I loved all your motions and getting the audience involved in a big way; it was great.”

Harrisburg’s Jay Megonnell wrapped up the evening’s 15 semifinalist performances with his trumpet-and-vocal presentation of Louis Prima’s “I’m Just a Gigolo,” which had the audience chuckling and, as the judges noted, tempted to sing along.

“What a way to tie up the evening,” Stelson said.

“That was such a fun song, such a good choice, and such a perfect choice for you.”

After a brief intermission during which the four judges’ scores were tallied, all 15 semifinalists lined up on the stage … and Margie Sheaffer, Steven Leaman, and Peggy Keller were named the night’s three finalists.

For their second selections, Sheaffer sang “The Rose”

by Bette Midler; Leaman performed “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe; and Keller sang “Cabaret” from the musical of the same name.

The judges as well as the audience then voted for their favorite, and Keller was named the 2011 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL. As colorful balloons dropped amidst hearty applause, Keller, beaming with excitement, stepped forward to accept the trophy and a bouquet of flowers.

“When they announced that I won, I was stunned and shocked and overjoyed,” Keller said.

She then performed “Summertime” again, with many of her fellow semifinalists linking arms behind her and swaying along to the beat. As the winner, Keller will receive a limousine trip for two to New York City for dinner and a Broadway show.

“You’re a real inspiration for 50-plussers all over the state,” Harris told Keller.

For more information and highlights from the 2011 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL finals competition, visit www.SeniorIdolPA.com.

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50plus SeniorNews •

July 2011

15

Whose Food Keeps You Coming Back For More?

50plus Senior News readers have spoken!

Here are the Lancaster County dining favorites for 2011!

By Myles Mellor

Breakfast: Country Table Restaurant Lunch: Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Dinner: Longhorn Steakhouse Ethnic Cuisine: El Serrano Celebrating: Symposium Restaurant

Across 1. Holy man 5. Annoyances 10. Like some columns 14. Baker’s need 15. Fancy tie 16. Stalactite site 17. Sandwich bread 18. Bathroom item 19. Hands 20. Indian restaurant fare 23. Coarse file 24. Disaster 25. Fragrant oil 28. Canal site Down 1. Chop (off ) 2. Tel ___ 3. Allot, with “out” 4. Word riddles 5. Yesteryears 6. Break 7. One who crosses the line?

8. No charge on the bridge?

9. It is best stainless 10. Absorb 11. Henry VIII’s last wife 12. Always Solution on page 18

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July 2011

Bakery: Achenbach’s Pastry Shop 30.

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Bloodstream fluid Start to like Miss-named? “___ Time transfigured me.” – Yeats Fine produce Apply Flatter, in a way Building blocks Fine thread Polar worker Idiotic Gorbachev was its last leader (abbr.)

54. Floating, perhaps 56. Celebratory meal, probably 62. Basil, e.g.

63. Accustom 64. Enthusiasm 66. Advocate 67. One who makes dreams come true 68. Dead against 69. Rude person 70. Good point 71. Bit of choreography

Wet, as morning grass Third of nine Newspaper div.

Bad Foot bones Genealogical diagrams Sweetheart Peach dessert Dress up Literature Nobelist Hermann Lab eggs Flight board abbr.

Table centerpieces

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50plus SeniorNews •

Bye word Windfalls Felled trees Medium ability?

Imaginary land of supernatural beings Goat-like antelope Precipitation Great Lakes fish Deli sandwich Jason’s ship Women in habits Tiny payment Can’t take Mouthpiece

Coffeehouse: Starbucks Fast Food: Wendy’s Seafood: Kegel ’s Seafood Restaurant Steak: Outback Steakhouse Outdoor Dining: The Pressroom Restaurant Romantic Setting: The Iron Horse Inn Smorgasbord/Buffet: Shady Maple Smorgasbord Caterer: Enck’s Catering Winner of $50 Giant Food Stores Gift Card: Bill Lastoskie of Dillsburg Congratulations!

www.SeniorNewsPA.com

Health Matters

Learning to Live Alone Lisa M. Petsche hen a relationship ends due to divorce or the death of a spouse or other close companion, mature adults typically face the challenge of learning to live alone—often for the first time.

Loneliness may be profound and difficult to overcome.

If you find yourself in this situation, here are some tips that can help.

W

Be Kind to Yourself Give yourself permission to feel all emotions that surface, including resentment and frustration. Recognize that there will be good days and bad

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days. Try not to dwell on the past—it only fosters self-pity and keeps you from moving forward.

Prepare a list of things to do on the bad days. Include small indulgences to give you a lift, as well as tasks or projects that will give you a sense of satisfaction.

Look after your physical health. Eat nutritious meals, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly. In addition to safeguarding your overall health, these measures will also help ward off depression. please see ALONE page 19

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Please join us as the “best of the best” step into the spotlight to not only showcase their individual talents once again, but to also join together for blended musical renditions. Previous performances can be viewed at www.SeniorIdolPA.com!

These gifted Pennsylvanians will deliver an evening of exceptional talent! Come, share the fun! To reserve your seats, call the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre at (717) 898-1900 now.

50plus SeniorNews •

July 2011

17

The Squint-Eyed Senior

Family Fourth Theodore Rickard or some reason, Independence Day brings out the clan instinct in a lot of us—or used to, anyway.

And each tribal family seemed to produce its dominant individual. In my family in my youth, it was my Uncle Albert. Albert was a forceful yet benign personality. He was the source of good advice—brusquely rendered but sympathetic and highly conservative.

Albert was a successful engineer. More importantly, he was well paid and never out of work. Thus, he was first in the family to have a suburban house, a detached, single-family structure with a large backyard.

This was how the Fourth of July family picnic moved from the local park to Albert’s backyard. It was a big step up for all of us.

Siblings, cousins, and in-laws gathered early on the Fourth of July at Albert’s backyard. Suburbia was still an outing

F

Women’s “Paradise”

Women’s “Merry Jane”

destination for us then, and the boulevard route with its graceful lining of old elms offered entry to a world of assured gentility. Out of habit, many of us brought something to eat.

German potato salad, Irish soda bread, Polish sausage— and beer.

And we all brought children.

As a youngster I can recall a change in the atmosphere as we penetrated the suburbs. Wedged in the back of a clattering old Ford, I was squeezed between my brother and sister so they wouldn’t fight. Somehow, silence and decorum seemed appropriate as we turned off the boulevard and headed up

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a gentle grade to our destination. Dad had to shift gears as we ground our way up the street, past green parkways and wide lawns. This was not our territory.

“Oh, there’s Ed and Martha,” my father said as he coasted the car to the curb behind another Ford even older than ours. The relief in his voice was evident. There was someone else now, someone to share the strangeness, even if it was only an in-law relative who’d recently tried to borrow money.

As we got out of the car we could hear our cousins—youngsters of our ages and in between—in greetings of overly high pitch coming from the back of the

house. Cousins meant deviltry and chasing one another around as soon as the initial awkwardness was over. Maybe the picnic would be just like before, in the park, with parents distracted with one another and us kids running loose.

Immediately, however, we knew that this was different. Uncle Albert had hired a couple, a silently competent man and woman, who would cook and serve.

Tables had been set up in the yard, with bright red, white, and blue tablecloths clamped to the tabletop. The tables were covered with trays of snacks and cold cuts that were other than bologna, and there was even sliced roast beef!

And there were whole bottles of Coca-Cola and Schlitz beer chilling in watery, ice-filled tubs where you could just help yourself. There were waxy paper cups there, too, and Uncle Joe got a firm spousal nudge in the ribs when he started drinking right out of the bottle.

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18

July 2011

50plus SeniorNews •

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It was later in the day before he dared dispense with the paper cup.

The women had brought food, as they had in years past, and now slid their offerings as unobtrusively as possible on to the nearest table. The dishes clashed with the careful geometric arrangements of the caterer’s trays.

Diplomatically, the serving woman

ALONE

rearranged them and out of nowhere came up with plates and serving spoons, even for the dumplings.

Behind a large charcoal grill, the white-starched caterer was holding fort with spatula behind piles of hamburger patties, sausages and—making each of us pause—sirloin steaks. We’d seen these before, but only in the butcher’s case.

Without being told, we kids settled for bratwurst or hamburger. In fact, even among the adults, only Uncle Ed and Kurt ordered the steak. By then, I guess, they’d both had their first beer and felt up to it.

Two generations have passed since then. Now we have cousins of cousins who have never heard of one another.

Almost all of us live in suburbs of our own. None of us has emerged as head of the family, nor does anybody seem to want to: not even those who have regular employment.

Each has his own backyard now, I guess, although I’m not so sure that’s entirely a good thing. Every Fourth of July I wonder.

a measure of security and ensures that you’ll get out of the house. (And while walking the dog, you might meet new friends.)

Volunteer for a neighborhood association, charitable or environmental cause, animal shelter, or political campaign.

Cultivate some solitary pastimes. Take up crossword puzzles, woodworking, gardening, writing, or sketching. Learn to enjoy your own company.

out or you prefer anonymity, try an Internet forum instead.

If you were a caregiver and put your personal life on hold, now is the time to reinvest in yourself by resuming former interests and pursuing new ones. Don’t forget to nurture neglected relationships as well as to expand your social network.

Whether or not the loss was anticipated, the reality of being on your own may initially seem overwhelming and perhaps frightening.

But with time, patience, and trust in your resilience, you will successfully adapt to your new circumstances. And you may end up growing in ways you never imagined.

from page 17

Take things one day at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. Plan your days so you don’t have too much free time on your hands.

If you don’t like coming home to silence, leave the television or radio on when you go out.

Nurture Your Spirit Write down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a journal, chronicling your journey of self-discovery and growth.

Nurture your spirit by doing things that bring inner peace, such as meditating, praying, reading something uplifting, listening to soothing music, or spending time in nature.

Get a pet. Cats and dogs provide companionship and affection and give you a sense of purpose. A dog also offers

Learn and Do New Things Get out of the house every day. To combat isolation, join a dinner club, fitness center, or exercise class.

Sign up for an adult education course or lessons that interest you—for example, gourmet cooking, sculpting, or modern jazz. Be sure to check out any available programs at the local senior center or recreation center as well as those offered by educational institutions.

Learning something new is energizing and boosts your self-confidence. And you might make new friends in the process.

Get involved in your community.

Reach Out to Others Take the initiative in calling friends and relatives to talk or get together.

Do nice things for others, especially those who are also going through a difficult time. This takes your mind off your own situation, boosts your selfesteem, and strengthens relationships.

Find at least one person you can talk to openly who will listen and understand.

Join a support group. If it’s hard to get

Job Opportunities LANCASTER COUNTY EMPLOYERS NEED YOU!!

Age 55 or over? Unemployed? The 55+ Job Bank is one of three services offered by Employment Unit at the Office of Aging.

Jobs are matched with those looking for work. Based on an evaluation of your skills and abilities, we can match you with a position needed by a local employer. Some employers are specifically looking for older workers because of the reliability and experience they bring to the workplace. There is a mix of full-time and part-time jobs covering all shifts, requiring varying levels of skill and experience, and offering a wide range of salaries.

The other services available through the Office of Aging are the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and the regularly scheduled Job Search Workshops.

For more job listings, call the Lancaster County Office of Aging

at (717) 299-7979 or visit www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco_aging

Lancaster County Office of Aging 150 N. Queen Street, Suite 415 Lancaster, PA www.SeniorNewsPA.com

Lisa M. Petsche is a clinical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues.

E.O.E.

DIRECTOR/VOLUNTEER CENTER – FT Community agency seeking a candidate to manage their volunteer programs to include recruiting, training, referring, and promoting the services of the volunteer center. Requires BA degree plus two years’ volunteer management experience.

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Lancaster County Office of Aging offers several volunteer opportunities for people who are homebound. Most of those tasks involve phoning consumers of the agency. The phone calls may be of a social nature, for the purpose of gathering information or to check on the safety of consumers.

Phone Pal volunteers are assigned to call an agency consumer several times a week for the purpose of increasing the older person’s socialization opportunities. Those phone calls can brighten the day of a homebound person.

Volunteers may also make calls to ask consumers about the services they’re receiving through the agency.Volunteers are provided with a survey form, and the gathered information is returned by mail at no cost to the volunteer.

TAP (telephone assurance program) callers are assigned to call a consumer at the same time every day to check on the person’s well-being. If the consumer doesn’t answer the phone, there is a procedure to follow to ensure his/her safety.You determine how many and which days of the week you’re available for calling.

If you are homebound and want to volunteer in a significant way by phoning, contact Bev Via at (717) 299-7979 or by emailing aging@co.lancaster.pa.us for more information.

50plus SeniorNews •

July 2011

19

Older But Not Wiser

The Wedding Dress Sy Rosen don’t know if it’s traditional, but I, a man (the last I heard), went with my wife to see our daughter, Ann, try on her final three choices for her wedding dress. Yes, our daughter’s getting married—it’s wonderful, joyful, blissful, magnificent, and fantastic (one of my holiday gifts was a thesaurus).

We agreed we wouldn’t say anything until she tried on all the dresses and then the three of us would make a logical, well-thought-out decision. However, when she came out in the first dress I yelled, “You look beautiful! That’s definitely the one! You look like a bride!”

To compound my excitement, a little tear formed at the corner of my eye. And I hadn’t cried since I saw that kid running through the airport in Love Actually.

I agreed not to voice anymore opinions until we saw all the dresses, but when Ann came out in her second gown, I yelled out, “Forget the other one. This

I

is definitely the one!” And again I cried.

I was then banished and sent to the Subway to bring back lunch, while my wife and daughter made the final decision. At Subway, I told the middleaged man behind the counter that my daughter was getting married. He said he had two married daughters.

We laughed, we cried, and he put an extra slice of provolone cheese on all my subs. I got carried away and yelled out, “Free Subways for everybody!”

Fortunately, there was only one customer, an elderly woman who had just finished eating. Unfortunately, she ordered four subs to go.

On the way back to the dress shop I started thinking about Ann as a baby. She was absolutely beautiful and brilliant.

The moment she was born she looked around the hospital room, taking everything in, probably deciding if we were worthy of her company.

The next day we took her home and I was a nervous madman. For some bizarre reason, I was convinced I smelled gas, and that would hurt my daughter’s supersized brain. In my hysteria, I called the fire department. There was no gas leak, of course, but there were 14 firemen roaming through our house sniffing away.

Luckily, I had bought some cigars and gave them each one. I asked them to please not smoke in the house because it might hurt my daughter’s super-sized brain.

Ann’s first word was “poo.” OK, not a great word. At first we tried lying, saying that her favorite book was Winnie the Pooh. I then changed my story and told people Ann was really trying to say “Papa.” However, I soon realized that linking “poo” and “Papa” wasn’t that complimentary.

Finally, we decided to embrace “poo” (just the word) and it became a great

family story. I know it’s great because my daughter winces every time we tell it. The same way she winces when we show the naked baby pictures of her taking a bath in the sink.

As I approached the dress shop, I remembered my daughter’s first step. She was 2 months old (OK, parents exaggerate). A look of determination came into her eyes and she didn’t just take a step. She actually—and I swear this is true—ran across the room before she fell on her butt.

And you know what? She’s been running ever since. Luckily, she ran into the arms of a great guy, whom she is going to marry.

When I got back to the dress shop, Ann had on the third bridal gown. Ann and my wife informed me that this was their choice. I looked at it and said, “Yes, that’s definitely the one!” And then I began to cry.

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50plus SeniorNews •

July 2011

21

Lancaster County

Calendar of Events Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation

Senior Center Activities

Pre-registration is required for these programs. All activities are held at the Environmental Center in Central Park unless otherwise noted. To register or to find out more about these activities or any additional scheduled activities, call (717) 295-2055 or visit www.lancastercountyparks.org.

Columbia Senior Center – (717) 684-4850 July 11, 10:15 a.m. – Music with Richard Ragalia July 12, 10 a.m. – “Frauds” Program with AARP July 28, 10:30 a.m. – Shopping at Market House

July 8, 7 to 10 p.m. – Seasonal Campfire July 9, 1 to 2 p.m. – Summer Stream Study July 16, 10 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Tree ID

Elizabethtown Senior Center – (717) 367-7984 July 12, 11 a.m. – “Senior Emergencies” Preparedness Program July 20, 5 p.m. – Senior Social: Dinner and Entertainment July 30, 7 p.m. – Indoor Yard Sale and Chicken Barbecue

Library Programs Adamstown Area Library, 3000 N. Reading Road, Adamstown, (717) 484-4200 Columbia Public Library, 24 S. Sixth St., Columbia, (717) 684-2255 Eastern Lancaster County Library, 11 Chestnut Drive, New Holland, (717) 354-0525 Elizabethtown Public Library, 10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown, (717) 367-7467 Ephrata Public Library, 550 S. Reading Road, Ephrata, (717) 738-9291 Lancaster Public Library, 125 N. Duke St., Lancaster, (717) 394-2651 Lancaster Public Library Leola Branch, 46 Hillcrest Ave., Leola, (717) 656-7920 Lancaster Public Library Mountville Branch, 2 College Ave., Mountville, (717) 285-3231 Lititz Public Library, 651 Kissel Hill Road, Lititz, (717) 626-2255 July 19, 6:30 p.m. – Jane Austen Society July 20, 7 p.m. – Genealogy Club July 24, 7 p.m. – Concert: The Launies

Lancaster House North – (717) 299-1278 Thursdays, noon to 3 p.m. – Happy Hearts Club Pinochle Lancaster Neighborhood Senior Center – (717) 299-3943 July 7, 9:30 a.m. – Mental Health Association Program July 20, 9:30 a.m. – Senior Center Picnic at Lancaster County Park July 26, 11 a.m. – Trip to Barnstormers Baseball Game Lancaster Rec. Center – (717) 392-2115, ext. 147 Fridays, 12:30 to 3 p.m. – Happy Hearts Club Bridge

Manheim Community Library, 15 E. High St., Manheim, (717) 665-6700 Manheim Township Public Library, 2121 Oregon Pike, Suite 101, Lancaster, (717) 560-6441 Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy, (717) 653-1510

Lititz Senior Center – (717) 626-2800 July 5 and 26, 10 a.m. – Fresh Fruit & Veggie Bingo July 18, 11 a.m. – Senior Center Cookout July 20, 10:15 a.m. – Ice Cream Sundae Day

Moores Memorial Library, 326 N. Bridge St., Christiana, (717) 593-6683 Pequea Valley Public Library, 3660 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, (717) 768-3160 Quarryville Library, 357 Buck Road, P.O. Box 678, Quarryville, (717) 786-1336 Strasburg-Heisler Library, 143 Precision Road, Strasburg, (717) 687-8969 Shuts Environmental Library, 3 Nature’s Way, Lancaster, (717) 295-2055

Programs and Support Groups July 5, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Coping with the Loss of a Parent PATHways Center for Grief & Loss 4075 Old Harrisburg Pike, Mount Joy (717) 391-2413 July 8, 10 a.m.

Singles Over Sixty: Miniature Golf Leisure Lanes 3440 Columbia Ave., Lancaster (717) 285-7973 July 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pennsylvania Music Expo Continental Inn 2285 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster (717) 898-1246 www.recordcollectors.org July 11, 10 to 11 a.m.

Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group Garden Spot Village – Concord Room 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland (717) 355-6010 jmorton@gardenspotvillage.org

22

July 2011

Free and open to the public

July 15, 6 to 9 p.m.

Music Fridays 200 and 300 Blocks of North Queen Street 24 W. Walnut St., Lancaster (717) 341-0028

July 25, 2 to 3 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group Garden Spot Village – Concord Room 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland (717) 355-6259 jshaffer@gardenspotvillage.org

July 16, 5 p.m.

Singles Over Sixty: Dine Out George’s Restaurant & Pizza Castle 14 W. Main St., Mountville (717) 285-7973

July 26, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Coping with the Loss of a Child PATHways Center for Grief & Loss 4075 Old Harrisburg Pike, Mount Joy (717) 391-2413

July 19, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Coping With the Loss of a Spouse PATHways Center for Grief & Loss 4075 Old Harrisburg Pike, Mount Joy (717) 391-2413

July 27, 6 to 8 p.m.

Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania Support Group Lancaster General Hospital Stager Room 5 555 N. Duke St., Lancaster (800) 887-7165, ext. 104

July 21, noon Brain Tumor Support Group Lancaster General Health Campus Wellness Center 2100 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster (717) 626-2894

50plus SeniorNews •

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

LRC Senior Center – (717) 399-7671 July 1, 9 a.m. – “Maintaining Independence” Program July 12, 9 a.m. – “Healthy Aging and Fitness” Program July 26, 9 a.m. – “Eating Right” Program Luis Munoz Marin Senior Center – (717) 295-7989 July 1, 11 a.m. – Fourth of July Celebration July 12, 9 a.m. – Nutrition Tips July 13, 9 a.m. – Hospice Program Millersville Senior Center – (717) 871-9600 July 8, 10 a.m. – ’50s and ’60s Music by Glenn’s One-Man Band July 13, 9:30 a.m. – Blood Pressure Checks July 20, 8:30 a.m. – Picnic at Millersville Borough Park Next Gen Senior Center – (717) 786-4770 July 19, 10:30 a.m. – “Celebrate Neil Armstrong” Program July 25, 10:15 a.m. – “Out on the Grill” Nutrition Program July 30, 10 a.m. – Trip to Farmers Market Rodney Park Center – (717) 393-7786 Tuesdays, 1 to 3 p.m. – Happy Hearts Club Pinochle and Bingo Just a snippet of what you may be missing … please call or visit their website for more information.

www.SeniorNewsPA.com

Savvy Senior

How to Stop Junk Mail and Prevent Mail Fraud Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, How can I reduce the junk mail my elderly mother gets? She gets around 25 pieces of junk mail each day, and I just discovered that she’s given away nearly $2,000 over the past year to many of the sleazy groups that mail her this junk. How can I stop this?

– Frustrated Daughter Dear Frustrated, Millions of seniors get bombarded with unwanted junk mail these days, including mail fraud schemes that you and your mom need to be particularly leery of. Here’s what you can do to help.

Senior Alert While junk mail comes in many different forms—credit card applications, sweepstakes entries, magazine offers, coupon mailers, donation requests, political fliers, catalogs, and more—the most troublesome type that all seniors need to be aware of is mail fraud. This is the junkiest of junk mail that comes from con artists who are only trying to take your money.

Mail fraud can be tricky to detect because there are many different types of schemes out there that may seem legitimate. Some of the most common mail scams targeting seniors today are fake checks (see fakechecks.org), phony sweepstakes, foreign lotteries, free prize or vacation scams, donation requests from charities or government agencies that don’t exist, get-rich chain letters, work-athome schemes, inheritance and investment scams, and many more.

If your mom is getting any type of junk mail that is asking for money in exchange for free gifts or winnings, or if she’s receiving checks that require her to wire money, she needs to call the U.S. Postal Inspector Service at (877) 8762455 and report it, and then throw it away.

Unfortunately, once a person gets on these mail-fraud mailing lists, it’s very difficult to get off.

That’s because these criminals regularly trade and sell mailing lists of people whom they believe to be susceptible to fraud, and they won’t remove a name when you request it.

Knowing this, a good first step to help protect your mom is to alert her to the different kinds of mail fraud and what to watch for. The Postal Inspection Service offers some great publications and videos (see postalinspectors.uspis.gov) that can help with this.

Another option is to see if your mom would be willing to let you sort her mail before she opens it so you can weed out the junk. You may want to have the post office forward her mail directly to you to ensure this.

If your mom feels compelled to donate to certain charities, ask her to let you check them out to make sure they’re legitimate. You can do this through your state’s attorney general or charity regulator’s office—see nasconet.org for contact information or look into charity

watchdog sites like charitywatch.org, give.org, and charitynavigator.org.

Reduce Junk Mail While scam artists aren’t likely to take your mom’s name off their mailing lists, most legitimate mailorder businesses will.

To do this, start with the Direct Marketing Association, which offers a consumer opt-out service at dmachoice.org. This won’t eliminate all her junk mail, but it will reduce it. The opt-out service is free if you register online or $1 by mail.

Then, to put a stop to the credit card and insurance offers she gets, call the consumer credit reporting industry optout service at (888) 567-8688 and follow

the automated prompts to opt her out for either five years or permanently. Be prepared to give her Social Security number and date of birth. You can also do this online at optoutprescreen.com. If you choose the permanent opt-out, you’ll have to send a form in the mail.

Some other resources that can help are the National Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov, (888) 382-1222), which will cut down on your mom’s telemarketing calls, and catalogchoice.org, a free service that lets you opt her out of the unwanted catalogs she receives.

Savvy Tip: If you don’t want to hassle with stopping the junk mail yourself, you can hire a private company (like 41pounds.org or stopthejunkmail.com) to do it for you for a small fee.

Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org.

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from page 1

Senior News. Always a crowd pleaser, Keller’s “stick-to-it-iveness” finally earned her the top prize.

Her genuine love of performance for performance’s sake prompted her to keep trying, year after year.

“It keeps my bucket full,” she said of performing. “It makes me feel adequate.

It makes me know that I can continue to do the things that I really love to do.

It gives me that energy and that power to just continue to keep on going.”

Keller had considered not auditioning again this year, but as always, the lure of performance drew her back. “I really enjoy the [SENIOR IDOL] experience,” she said. “From OLP employees to the people that work at the Dutch Apple, everyone was so helpful and friendly. It was such a great experience—why would you not want to be a part of it?”

Keller grew up in Leola, the oldest of three children (she has two younger brothers). Her family owned Kurtz’s Store in town, a grocery store that was Keller’s second home and her first place of employment. She discovered her fondness for singing early on and would often “force” family members to be part of a concert when they came to visit, starting with her taking tickets at the

Keller, center, received her trophy and flowers from Kimberly Shaffer, left, On-Line Publishers’ events manager, and Donna Anderson, right, president of On-Line Publishers.

door. “I would use The Sound of Music and sing the whole album … I would play every part.”

Her first public solo was in kindergarten, when she was invited to sing with the high school choir. To mark the occasion, Keller’s parents bought her a new pair of Hush Puppies shoes, which ended up being the only way her parents could spot their diminutive child amongst the crush of teenage singers.

“Except for hearing my voice and seeing my Hush Puppies, they would’ve never known it was me.”

When her family moved to Ephrata for her second year of high school, Keller began to blossom musically as a member of the vocal ensemble, chorus, and the school’s dance band, an instrumental jazz ensemble that had never included a vocalist—until then.

Keller approached the band’s instructor with her wish to audition.

“He said, ‘Well, we don’t have a singer,’ and I said, ‘Well, you do now!’” She was allowed to audition and, of course, got in. Later, that same instructor invited her to sing the national anthem before high-school football games, which had Keller, also a cheerleader, singing in between cheering sets.

“I think because I was assertive and said, ‘I really want to do this,’ I made some changes within what was normal within that school at that time,” said Keller.

During her senior year, Keller won the Junior Miss Pageant at the local level singing “Summertime.” It would be a jazzed-up version of that same song that would, years later, win her the SENIOR IDOL title.

Keller’s career path is wide and varied, but she is thankful to have truly enjoyed every occupation she has taken on. A

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certified dental assistant just after high school, Keller had the first of her two children at age 20. She stayed at home full time for several years until working in her then-husband’s new business, an echo of her family-run grocery store roots.

Later, she worked in therapeutic recreation at a nursing facility; as a flight attendant until she was furloughed after 9/11; and then went to nursing school, graduating in 2003. She worked in dialysis, obstetrics/gynecology, and then as a school nurse, a perfect schedule for Keller, who had remarried and gained two school-age stepchildren.

Keller is now in her second fulltime year of teaching medical assisting to adult students, and she sees the connection between her roles as teacher and musical performer.

“It’s just like being a performer, because every day that’s what I have to do, to entice my students to pay attention, to learn, and hopefully bring them a presentation that will bring them some kind of enlightenment,” she said.

Through the many career changes, Keller managed to stay in touch with her musical side. When her children became older and more independent, she reconnected with a friend from high school and the duo sang together on the “senior group circuits.”

Individually, Keller also had roles in community theater and sang for service organizations, senior groups, and holiday parties. Around the same time she first heard of SENIOR IDOL, Keller also auditioned to sing the national anthem for the Lancaster Barnstormers, an engagement she’s now held for the past four seasons.

From her work life to her musical career, Keller has always gravitated toward and adored performing for the over-50 community. She loves to sing the standards: Sinatra, big-band music, and songs from the ’40s and ’50s.

“I believe that the senior crowd appreciates entertainment, and they

communicate appreciation,” she noted.

“When I go and sing for seniors or community-service groups, I know I have their attention. I’m singing things they recognize, and they sing with me.

They give me energy, I give them energy, and by the time I leave everyone’s feeling so good—it’s good for everybody.”

Keller said “the energy was wonderful” during her fourth go-round at the SENIOR IDOL finals competition and said nerves weren’t a factor—at least at the start. “When I perform, I rarely get nervous before I sing because nobody can make a judgment on me until I’m done. For me, it’s wasted energy to be nervous beforehand because nobody knows what I can do.”

After delivering “Summertime” to high praise, Keller went backstage feeling satisfied with her effort and enjoying the fast-developing camaraderie that bonded her with the other semifinalists that evening. When her name was called as one of the three finalists, it wasn’t until Margie Sheaffer, a fellow finalist, gave her a visual nudge that she realized she had, in fact, heard her name.

And later, as she clasped hands with Sheaffer and finalist Steven Leaman and heard her name called one more time— this time as winner—the shock and sheer joy running through her body were evident.

“When I heard my name, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ll be able to represent OLP as PA STATE SENIOR IDOL all over the place now, no matter what we do! Let’s keep me really busy!’”

The coming year is guaranteed to be a busy and fulfilling one for Keller, whose pure mission is to continue performing as often as possible.

“I love being a teacher—I truly do love what I do during the daytime, but my bucket stays full because I can do something after school, and that is performing,” she said.

“I’m proud I stuck it out, I did it, and I didn’t give up. I’m 54, and I can—we can do anything.”

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“Let the cat out of the bag” At medieval markets, unscrupulous traders would display a pig for sale. However, the pig was always given to the customer in a bag, with strict instructions not to open the bag until they were some way away.

The trader would hand the customer a bag containing something that wriggled, and it was only later that the buyer would find he’d been conned when he opened the bag to reveal that it contained a cat, not a pig.

Therefore, “letting the cat out of the bag” revealed the secret of the con trick.

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This Month in History: July Events Specializing in: • OB • GYN • Infertility • 3D/4D Ultrasound • In-office Procedures • Urinary Incontinence • Osteoporosis Screening

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• July 10, 1943 – The Allied invasion of Italy began with an attack on the island of Sicily. The British entry into Syracuse was the first Allied success in Europe. General Dwight D. Eisenhower labeled the invasion “the first page in the liberation of the European Continent.”

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• July 20, 1969 – A global audience watched on television as Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon. As he stepped onto the moon’s surface, he proclaimed, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”— inadvertently omitting an a before man and slightly changing the meaning.

• July 25, 1898 – During the Spanish-American War, the United States invaded Puerto Rico, which was then a Spanish colony. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became American citizens and Puerto Rico became an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Partial self-government was granted in 1947, allowing citizens to elect their own governor. In 1951, Puerto Ricans wrote their own constitution and elected a non-voting commissioner to represent them in Washington.

Birthdays • July 4 – Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) the 30th U.S. president, was born in Plymouth, Vt. He became president on Aug. 3, 1923, after the death of Warren G. Harding. In 1924, Coolidge was elected president but did not run for re-election in 1928.

• July 12 – American philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was born in Concord, Mass.

At Walden Pond he wrote, “I frequently tramped 8 or 10 miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.”

• July 20 – Explorer Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1919. In 1953, he became first to ascend Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world at 29,023 feet.

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Time is a Priceless Gift Bulgur Pilaf with Dried Apricots

By Pat Sinclair For me, the best meals in the summer start with juicy grilled chicken, pork, or seafood. To complete these easy meals, prepare a simple summer side dish made with bulgur.

Bulgur, a nutritious whole grain, is often found in the organic or health food area of the supermarket. Because it has been precooked, it cooks quickly.

I like the sweet/sour tang of the apricots with chicken, pork, and fish. Try adding dried cranberries or raisins. The cinnamon stick adds a subtle Middle Eastern spiciness to the dish.

Makes 2 servings 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup bulgur (cracked wheat) 1 cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots (8-10 halves) 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon grated orange rind

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Combine the chicken broth, bulgur, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until the bulgur is tender.

Remove the cinnamon stick.

Remove from the heat and stir in the apricots. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. If all the liquid isn’t absorbed, drain any remaining liquid. Stir in the almonds, parsley, and orange rind.

September 27, 2011 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

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Cook’s Note:

October 25, 2011

Bulgur is a nutritious whole-grain food.

Wheat kernels from soft wheat are husked, steamed, dried, and crushed. Because of this processing, bulgur cooks quickly. Some forms require no cooking at all, just soaking in hot water. The Middle Eastern salad, Tabbouleh, is made from bulgur. You can purchase Tabbouleh mix (bulgur with the seasonings) and add tomatoes and parsley for a fresh taste of summer.

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Pat Sinclair announced the publication of her second cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking (Pelican Publishing), in February 2011. This book has a color photo of every recipe. Her first cookbook, Baking Basics and Beyond (Surrey Books), won the 2007 Cordon d’Or from the Culinary Arts Academy. Contact her at http://PatCooksandBakes.blogspot.com

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