50plus LIFE York County March 2018

Complimentary York County Edition

March 2018 Vol. 19 No. 3

doing the heart’s work page 4

art & antiques: frank lloyd wright objects page 6

preventing colon cancer page 12

11 years

of educating our community

Registration 8:00–8:30 AM

Friday, April 6 Zion United Methodist Church 1030 Carlisle Rd., York

RSVP 717.751.2488

Presentation by Good News Consulting & Kenneth Brubaker, M.D.: 8:30–11:30 AM Panel Discussion: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Small Group Workshops: 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Kenneth Brubaker, M.D., Former Chief Medical Director for the Pennsylvania Dept. of Aging and the Office of Long Term Living, will be joining us at all locations as a speaker and a panelist.

Seminars will also be held on May 11 in Lancaster and June 1 in Hanover.

Door Prizes • Light Refreshments

Registration is required and seating is limited. Call today to reserve your seat.

    

   



      

           

      advertisement

AFFORDABLE CREMATION SERVICES If you want a funeral with an expensive casket and embalming, go to a funeral home!

If you are interested in affordable cremation services, we are the name to remember!

We specialize in cremation only, statewide, no removal fees.

No Embalming

No Caskets

Cremation Society of Pennsylvania, Inc. serving all of York county since 1981 Largest in the state of PA

For FREE brochures and pricing, call:

1-800-720-8221 (toll-free) or mail us ...

Please send me FREE brochures and pricing! www.cremationsocietyofpa.com Name______________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________ _______________________________ Phone (

)_________________

4100 Jonestown Rd., Hbg., PA 17109 Shawn E. Carper, Supervisor

2

March 2018

50plus LIFE t

Code YSN

Free Tax Assistance Offered Through April 17, the AARP TaxAide program will offer free one-onone counseling as well as assistance on the telephone and internet to help individuals prepare basic tax forms, including the 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, and other standard documents.

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

Aldersgate United Methodist Church 397 Tyler Run Road, York March 17, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(717) 771-9042 Dover Community Library 3700 Davidsburg Road, Dover Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

(717) 292-6814 Appointments scheduled Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.; Thursdays, 1-5 p.m.

Eastern Area Senior Center 243 Hellam St., Wrightsville Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Thursdays, 8:30–11:30 a.m.

(717) 252-1641 Golden Connections Community Center 20 Gotham Drive, #C, Red Lion Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

(717) 244-7229

Grace United Methodist Church 473 Plank Road, New Freedom Mondays, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

(717) 993-3488 Call for appointment weekdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hanover Church of the Brethren 601 Wilson Ave., Hanover Mondays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

(717) 633-6353 Call for appointment weekdays 8 a.m. to noon Messiah United Methodist Church 1300 N. Beaver St., York Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(717) 771-9042 Call for appointment Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Red Land Senior Center 736 Wyndamere Road, Lewisberry March 9 and April 6, 9 a.m. to noon (717) 938-4649 Union Fire Company 201 York St., Manchester Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

(717) 771-9042 York Alliance Church 501 Rathton Road, York Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

(717) 771-9042

Free Diabetes Expo Will Be Held March 24 The Diabetes Expo, a free community event for adults at-risk for or diagnosed with diabetes and their families, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 24 at the Conference Center at Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb Ave., York.

Sponsored by the Diabetes Coalition of York County, in conjunction with a grant received

by York County Community Foundations’ Embracing Aging, the 2018 Diabetes Expo presents: • Free glucose, cholesterol, BMI, A1C, and balance testing

• Community resources and vendors • Door prizes and free food • Guest speaker Dr. Renu Joshi, vice president of chronic disease population health management, medical director of endocrinology, and chairperson of the Diabetes Clinical Initiative at UPMC Pinnacle Transportation to and from the expo will be announced. For more information, contact Amber Seidel at (717) 456-0565 or email ykdiabetescoalition@gmail.com. www.50plusLifePA.com

Fifties Flashback

Randal C. Hill

Senior Real Estate Specialist

Oh, You Beautiful Doll!

Barbara Handler Segal has recalled strangers saying to her, “So you’re the Barbie doll!”

At first, she would turn and walk away; later, she learned to just stand and smile.

“It is very strange to have a doll named after you,” Segal has admitted.

“Much of me is very proud that my folks invented the doll; I just wish I wasn’t attached to it.”

Californians Ruth and Elliot Handler manufactured dollhouse furniture, which they sold under their company name of Mattel. While successful, the Handlers were always casting about for one special item that would make Mattel an iconic name in the toy world.

In the early 1950s the Handlers’ daughter, Barbara (b. 1941), had enjoyed playing with dolls. Not the run-of-the-mill, cherub-faced, infant variety, but shapely teenage paper dolls that came with fashionable cutout wardrobes.

Ruth told Elliot that Mattel should offer a three-dimensional doll, designed as a young woman and with an appeal to older girls. Elliot opined that the idea would never fly.

On a 1956 trip to Switzerland, however, the Handlers serendipitously found a doll much like the one Ruth had envisioned. “Lilli” was a German adult novelty toy that — unbeknownst to the Handlers — was based on a cartoon character who was, in reality, a prostitute.

Back home the couple spent three years developing a clean-cut counterpart to naughty Lilli, a doll that would proudly bear their daughter’s name.

On Barbie’s “official” birth date — March 9, 1959 — the doll debuted at a New York toy convention. On that day Barbie’s real-life namesake was a shy 17-year-old attending Los Angeles’s www.50plusLifePA.com

Hamilton High School.

First-version Barbie came dressed in a zebra-striped swimsuit and possessed a waterfall of blond or brown hair.

She earned mixed reviews, with some critics grumbling that the voluptuous, long-limbed toy was too expensive ($3 at a time when the hourly minimum wage was $1) and, at 11 ½ inches — the original Lilli size — too small in comparison to traditional dolls.

The main problem, though, was Barbie’s overt sexiness. Sears quickly declared her unfit for their store shelves. However, Barbie quickly flew off everyone else’s shelves and eventually became the bestselling doll in history, with worldwide sales of 1 billion units.

Barbie offered an extensive optional wardrobe and, later, morphed through numerous occupations and ethnicities.

Along the way, feminists often railed against her, labeling Barbie a vacuous bimbo and crying out that her proportional measurements (3618-33) were unrealistic and potentially unhealthy for impressionable young girls who wanted to emulate her.

In 1961 Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, arrived in stores. In doll form, he was California-beach cool, but the human Ken — named after Barbara’s real-life brother — once admitted, “I was a real nerd. I played the piano and went to movies with subtitles.”

At age 18 Barbara Handler married Allen Segal. They had two children, including a daughter named Cheryl.

There’s no doubt that Cheryl Segal was raised with the usual delights of any typically well-off Southern California girl.

Except for one.

Cheryl never owned a Barbie doll.

Although Randal C. Hill’s heart lives in the past, the rest of him resides in Bandon, Ore. He can be reached at wryterhill@ msn.com.

With 30 Years of Real Estate Experience • 2016 Realtor of the Year •2 014 President of Realtor’s Association of York and Adams County • Licensed in PA and MD

Paula Musselman

•P roviding Reliable and Trustworthy Contracting and Moving Resources

Selling or buying a house?

Please call me – I’ll guide you every step of the way!

•S pecializing in Senior Moves and Transitions

Office: (717) 793-9678 Cell: (717) 309-6921 2525 Eastern Blvd.

York, PA 17402 Paula1159@aol.com

Taking the time to make your transaction smooth and stress free.

Senior Real Estate Specialist ®

THE JOHNNY CASH MUSICAL NOW  MARCH 17

Hear over 30 hits: I Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Goin’ to Jackson, Daddy Sang Bass, If I Were a Carpenter, A Boy Named Sue and more!

ALL ABOARD THE COTTON BLOSSOM! MARCH 22  APRIL 28

BOOK YOUR SEATS NOW! Call 717-898-1900 or order online at DutchApple.com 50plus LIFE t

18DA013_ROF_Showboat_SN_5x6.125_FINAL.indd 1

Lancaster, PA 2/16/18 March 2018

3

5:47 PM

Cover Story

Doing the Heart’s Work

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

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL

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

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artist Lauren McNallen

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Account Executives Janette McLaurin Jessica Simmons Angie Willis Account Representatives Matthew Chesson Jennifer Schmalhofer Gina Yocum Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Martha Lawrence

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

Member of

Awards

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

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

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

4

March 2018

50plus LIFE t

By Megan Joyce

Delp saw the healing potential in the creation of personalized quilts Grieving is a for grieving families. beautifully selfish act.

“One time as she was Despite what we were showing [her quilts] to already so fortunate to me, I said, ‘You know, share with our departed that’s a grief and loss loved one, like children issue — when someone we succumb to the takes a picture of their insistent, thunderous house that they’re pulse in our hearts that moving out of or a screams indignantly for family farm that’s being more, more, more — sold out of the family,’” but instead of toys or Delp said. “‘That means candy, we crave more that a person has to time, more chances, process that loss, and more memories. that doesn’t happen Although she can’t easily. Your quilt is a bring you more, Jenni good coping strategy Sipe has found a way to for them when they’re help you preserve what longing for their home.’” was.

Serendipitously, the A self-taught quilter day Delp decided to and lifelong resident leave her job in the of Stewartstown, Sipe hospice field to start a has handcrafted more nonprofit grief center than 50 healing quilts for kids was also the for families who have day Sipe was laid off experienced loss. These from her job at a garden memory quilts are hand center. They finally stitched from pieces of Two of Sipe’s quilts brighten a children’s decided to go into clothing, fabric, and playroom inside Olivia’s House. business together. mementos from a loved At the time, The one’s life.

Oprah Winfrey Show was running a contest offering “I try to capture the essence of their loved one,” startup money for female entrepreneurs. For four Sipe said. “I tell them not to wash the clothing so months in 2001, Delp and Sipe worked diligently on their scent will still be on them. Sometimes I use a writing their grant proposal. photo in the quilt that makes it even more special.”

“We wrote the grant and mailed it, and on Sept.

Growing up, Sipe had always been “crafty,” with 10 it arrived at World Trade Center No. 1,” Delp design inspiration coming from her life on family recalled. “On Sept. 11, it was in the air. All the farms. confetti that was flying in the street [on 9/11] — that “My love of fabric goes back to my childhood included our grant.” when I made doll clothes out of fabric feed sacks on Though their plans of a joint business dissolved, my grandma’s treadle sewing machine,” Sipe said.

Delp went on to found Olivia’s House, a grief and She discovered quilting in 1975, helping to make loss center for children in York and Hanover, and a quilt for the U.S.’s bicentennial and making Sipe went on to establish The Work of My Heart patchwork potholders, pillows, and other quilted Quilts, creating personalized, handmade quilts for items to sell at craft fairs. grieving families with the hope they “might find Customers would sometimes send her photos of comfort from something to ‘wrap up in,’” Sipe said. former homes or farms they wished to remember, Delp now refers families to Sipe when she thinks and Sipe began recreating those images in wall a grieving child would benefit from having a quilt or quilts. pillow made from their loved one’s personal items.

It wasn’t until decades later that Sipe and Sipe first meets with the family to talk about the friend Leslie Delp, a bereavement specialist, began memories they’d like to have preserved and to decide discussing a way their two passions could collide, to which pieces of clothing or fabric to include. beautiful and beneficial effect. www.50plusLifePA.com

“They brought these items to me in bags and boxes, and in a quiet, lightfilled space, we sat together, shared tears and laughter, and reminisced,” Sipe said. “I truly feel honored each time I am invited to create a special story quilt that will become someone’s keepsake for generations.”

“When they tell their life story to Jenni — picking out clothing, sharing the memories — it’s very cathartic, very healing,” Delp said.

“It’s a process; there are many steps along the way, and every one of those steps leads to healing.”

Sipe said it usually takes two to three months for her to complete a project, depending on its size, which can range from an 11- by 13-inch pillow to a 50- by 60-inch quilt.

Sipe must cut the cloth items into squares and then machine piece and hand stitch the quilt, sometimes even recreating the loved one’s likeness in fabric.

For years, Sipe crammed all her creativity and hard work into a small section of her living room,

both meeting with families and constructing the quilts there. In 2004 she built a studio in the back of her home.

“My heart would break each time I heard a new family story,” Sipe said. “Yet I was also uplifted by their courage to give voice and expression to their experiences.”

Presenting the finished quilt to the family is a humbling and emotional experience for Sipe.

“Everyone loves the quilts I make for them, and sometimes they cry when they see it for the first time,” Sipe said.

“First of all, they’re very surprised that Jenni can capture the beauty of their loved ones,” Delp said. “They have no idea how much the quilt will still smell like the person; there’s the therapeutic value of the aroma in the clothes that really takes that child back. When you wrap yourself up in the quilt, it’s almost like you’re wrapping up in a hug from that person.”

In 2005, Olivia’s House presented

an exhibition called “Healing Hearts through Arts” at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center in York. In addition to work from more than 50 local artists, the exhibit included 11 quilts Sipe had made for area families.

And in January 2016, Sipe began collecting stories and photos from 17 families to compose a book, The Work of My Heart, which relates each story of loss and how Sipe’s quilt aided the healing process.

The book was printed in fall 2017.

The quilt Sipe made in memory of her grandmother is featured on the cover.

Inside, each recipient of Sipe’s quilts recounts the life of their loved one who has passed and the variety of fabrics used to commemorate them: t-shirts, neckties, sweaters, pants, bathrobes, knapsacks, dresses, handkerchiefs, pillowcases, and more, representing hobbies, sports teams, places traveled, universities, and often-worn items of clothing.

Delp penned the book’s foreword and includes the story of her stillborn

son, for whom Sipe created a memory quilt out of his unused baby clothes.

“When you can look at or hug a quilt, it’s just a constant reminder of how important that person was, and it takes you into [the family’s] healing by virtue of that spiritual healing you’re creating for them,” Delp said.

“They get to pick out the clothes, the design, and tell their story. They truly enjoy the process, and it is a gift.”

For more information on The Work of My Heart Quilts, visit www.theworkofmyheartquilts. com, call (717) 993-6648, or email quiltinglady@hotmail.com.

For more information on Olivia’s House, visit www.oliviashouse.org or call (717) 699-1133.

On the cover, Jenni Sipe is seated beside one of three quilts she created for Olivia’s House, a grief and loss center for children. This quilt welcomes visitors into the organization’s waiting area.

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away.

Animal Hospitals Community Animal Hospital Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M. 400 S. Pine St., York (717) 845-5669 Automobile Sales/Service Gordon’s Body Shop, Inc. 10 Mill St., Stewartstown (717) 993-2263 Coins & Currency Steinmetz Coins & Currency 2861 E. Prospect Road, York (717) 757-6980 Energy Assistance Low-Income Energy Assistance (717) 787-8750 Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre 510 Centerville Road, Lancaster (717) 898-1900

www.50plusLifePA.com

Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving York County (800) 720-8221

Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY

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

Home Care Services Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services Hanover: (717) 630-0067 Lancaster: (717) 393-3450 York: (717) 751-2488

Alzheimer’s Information Clearinghouse (800) 367-5115 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 or (717) 757-0604 Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 Healthcare Information Pennsylvania HealthCare Cost Containment (717) 232-6787

Housing Assistance Housing Authority of York (717) 845-2601 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 Insurance – Long-Term Care Apprise Insurance Counseling (717) 771-9610 or (800) 632-9073 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

real estate Berkshire Hathaway Paula Musselman (717) 793-9678 (Office) (717) 309-6921 (Cell) Self-storage U-Stor-It (717) 741-2202 – Dallastown (717) 840-9369 – York Services York County Area Agency on Aging (800) 632-9073 Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Volunteer opportunities RSVP of the Capital Region (443) 619-3842 Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

50plus LIFE t

March 2018

5

Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

The Market for Frank Lloyd Wright Objects Lori Verderame

While Wright’s buildings were fascinating Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings are examples of modern American architecture in the unmistakable. He designed private residences, early 20th century, he also charted a path for young buildings of worship, office buildings, schools and architects to follow. ateliers, urban civic architecture, and even a major Wright was a highly respected designer of art museum.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) united an entire building, from the foundation to the the indoors with the outdoors in his buildings furnishings, and this became a mainstay in the history of architecture. highlighting landscape vistas, gardens, and waterfalls.

Wright designed windows in stained and leaded His Prairie-style structures focused on the glass, chairs, tables, serving pieces, built-in seating and storage items, textiles, carpets, light fixtures, landscape, and his emphasis on what he called organic architecture made his buildings stand out planters, sculptures, etc. These objects have become Photo credit: Sailko of great interest to collectors. in the realm of 20th-century modernism.

A Wright-designed dining table and six chairs from Wright’s designs reference history’s finest Here are 10 Wright objects that have sold on Robie House on the University of Chicago’s campus. structures, from Renaissance buildings, such as the market in the last year, showing the interest in Frank Lloyd Wright as a designer of objects: the Sistine Chapel, to ancient Japanese pagodas.

He was interested in devising • Hanging lamp, John Storer House a plan that would encourage visitors to make a pilgrimage to in Hollywood, California, 1923 – $36,000 discover the front door of the private homes, as with the famous • Lounge chair, Clarence Sondern Frederick C. Robie House on House in Kansas City, Missouri, the campus of the University of 1939 – $15,000 Chicago.

• Stained-glass window, Lake He thoughtfully designed Geneva Hotel in Lake Geneva, stained-glass windows to fit within Wisconsin, 1911 – $10,000 an overall design aesthetic. His colorful windows for the children’s • Stained-glass window, Avery playhouse of the Avery Coonley Coonley House in Riverside, Photo credit: Sailko Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin D. House in Riverside, Illinois, Interior and front door of the Illinois, 1908 – $8,500 Martin House in Buffalo, N.Y., focused on the family’s active Frederick C. Robie House. during reconstruction in 2006.

• Leather chair, Francis W. Little lifestyle with young children.

House in Wayzata, Minnesota, Wright’s buildings made the circa 1902-03 – $4,750 hearth the center of the home. The nucleus of his residential structures, the fireplace served as a meeting place in Wright’s home designs with ample seating • S tanding oak desk, Frank L. Smith Bank in Dwight, Illinois, 1905 – $4,500 and room for a large roaring fire, as is the case in Wright’s architectural design •U pholstered bench, Unitarian Meeting House in Madison, Wisconsin, 1951 of the massive hearth in the Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo, New York.

– $3,500

U-STOR-IT



Self Storage



             

     





6

March 2018

Taking Donations for Habitat for Humanity.

Please contact either store for items needed.

Drop off at either location.

Home of the ½ off 1st 2 Months 2786 South Queen St, Dallastown, PA 17313

(717) 741-2202

1331 North Sherman St, York, PA 17406

(717) 840-9369

Best of York 2 Years in a Row!!

www.ustorityork.com

50plus LIFE t

•W astebasket, Larkin Building in Buffalo, New York, circa 1906 – $2,100 •B ound carpet remnant, Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona, 1929 – $300 •B uffalo Pottery china plate with Larkin Company logo by Wright, circa 1905 – $150 As Wright enthusiasts consider taking on the project of buying and updating a Wright home or building, many lovers of the Prairie style of modern architecture are quite satisfied with a planter, wastebasket, or carpet remnant designed by the great architect.

Today, these architectural elements are becoming much easier to find and afford.

Dr. Lori Verderame is an antiques appraiser, internationally syndicated columnist and author, and award-winning TV personality on History’s The Curse of Oak Island and Discovery’s Auction Kings. Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events worldwide. Visit www.drloriv.com/events or call (888) 431-1010.

www.50plusLifePA.com

York County

Calendar of Events

Community Programs/Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

March 2, 10:30 a.m.

Partners in Thyme Herb Club of Southern York County Glenview Alliance Church 10037 Susquehanna Trail, Glen Rock (717) 428-2210

Crispus Attucks Active Living Center (717) 848-3610, www.crispusattucks.org

March 5, 9:30 a.m.

Green Thumb Garden Club Meeting Emmanuel Lutheran Church 2650 Freysville Road, Red Lion (717) 235-2823 March 6, 7 p.m.

Surviving Spouse Socials of York County Faith United Church of Christ 509 Pacific Ave., York (717) 266-2784

March 20, 7-8 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Providence Place 3377 Fox Run Road, Dover (717) 767-4500 March 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Diabetes Expo Conference Center at Penn State York 1031 Edgecomb Ave., York (717) 456-0565 ykdiabetescoalition@gmail.com If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

Parks and Recreation March 3, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Maple Sugaring Story Walk, Nixon Park March 18, 2:30-4 p.m. – Signs of Spring Nature Walk, Nixon Park March 25, 2:30-4 p.m. – Ticks, Disease, and Prevention, Nixon Park

Library Programs Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock, 32 Main St., Glen Rock, (717) 235-1127 March 7, 3:30-5 p.m. – Tech Guru: Help with Smartphones March 11, 1-3 p.m. – A Common Thread Crafting Coven Collinsville Community Library, 2632 Delta Road, Brogue, (717) 927-9014 Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. – Purls of Brogue Knitting Club Dillsburg Area Public Library, 17 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg, (717) 432-5613 March 26, 4-5 p.m. – Live a Life with Less Pain: Navigating Foot and Ankle Pain Glatfelter Memorial Library, 101 Glenview Road, Spring Grove, (717) 225-3220 Mondays, 6-8 p.m. – Knitters Group March 1, 6:30-8 p.m. – One Book, One Community Discussion: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover, (717) 632-5183 March 13, 1:30-2:30 p.m. – Adult Coloring March 13, 6:30-8 p.m. – Music as Propaganda during the Holocaust and Beyond March 14, 3:30-5 p.m. – Tech Guru: Help with Devices Kaltreider-Benfer Library, 147 S. Charles St., Red Lion, (717) 244-2032 March 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Adult Book Discussion Group March 22, 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Green Thumb Garden Club Lecture Series March 27, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Mystery Readers Book Discussion Group Kreutz Creek Valley Library Center, 66 Walnut Springs Road, Hellam, (717) 252-4080 March 15, 2-3 p.m. – Book Club Discussion Group: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright Martin Library, 159 E. Market St., York, (717) 846-5300 March 11, 2-4 p.m. – Container and Small Spaces Gardening March 18, 2-4 p.m. – One Book, One Community: Discussion with Poison Study Author Maria V. Snyder www.50plusLifePA.com

Delta Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 456-5753 Dillsburg Senior Activity Center – (717) 432-2216 Eastern Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 252-1641 Golden Connections Community Center (717) 244-7229, www.gcccenter.com Weekdays, 9 a.m. – Games Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – Pinochle Fridays, 9:15 a.m. – Computers 101 Golden Visions Senior Community Center (717) 633-5072, www.goldenvisionspa.com Heritage Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 292-7471 www.heritagesrcenter.org Northeastern Senior Community Center (717) 266-1400, www.mtwolf.org/SeniorCenter Red Land Senior Center – (717) 938-4649 www.redlandseniorcenter.org September House – (717) 848-4417 South Central Senior Community Center (717) 235-6060 http://southcentralyorkcountysrctr.webs.com Mondays, 9:15 a.m. – Acrylic Art Class Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m. – Ceramics Thursdays, 9 a.m. – Walking through the Bible Stewartstown Senior Center – (717) 993-3488 www.stewsenior.org Susquehanna Senior Center – (717) 244-0340 www.susquehannaseniorcenter.org Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Chorus Practice Tuesdays, 6-10 p.m. – Bluegrass/Country Music Jam Session White Rose Senior Center – (717) 843-9704 www.whiteroseseniorcenter.org Windy Hill On the Campus – (717) 225-0733 www.windyhillonthecampus.org March 5, 9:30-11 a.m. – Eight-Week Theater Workshop March 20, 12:30 p.m. – Monthly Book Club Yorktown Senior Center – (717) 854-0693 www.yorktownseniorcenter.org Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub. com.

50plus LIFE t

March 2018

7

You’re not just a business.

You’re not just an organization.

Colorful Caladiums Brighten Shade Gardens All Season

You’re a resource.

You provide valuable services to seniors, the disabled, caregivers, and their families.

Help them find you by being included in your county’s most comprehensive annual directory of resources.

Photo credit: Longfield-Gardens.com

Caladiums planted in container gardens dress up patios and decks.

By Melinda Myers

• Your company’s information reaches those in the decision-making process • Anywhere, anytime, any device access

•O nline Resource Directory—Added benefit to all packages for greater exposure • Supports local agencies and promotes efficient coordination of services • Print edition distributed at hundreds of 50plus LIFE consumer pick-up sites, OLP’s 14 annual expos, and community events • Produced by a company that has been dedicated to the area’s 50+ community for more than 20 years

Sponsorships available for greatest exposure Individual full-color display ads and enhanced listings also available

Ad closing date: April 13, 2018 Contact your account representative or call 717.285.1350 now to be included in this vital annual directory.

717.285.1350 • 717.770.0140 • 610.675.6240 info@onlinepub.com • www.onlinepub.com

8

March 2018

50plus LIFE t

Tuck them into the garden, pop some in a container, or dress up a window box. Then water as needed, add a bit of fertilizer, and wait for the color explosion.

The showy heart-shaped leaves of caladiums come in combinations of pink, red, white, and green. These heat-loving plants provide beautiful color all season long. Best of all, no deadheading is needed.

Caladiums can be used to create a stunning garden almost anywhere around your home. These tropical beauties grow well in full to partial shade, and some varieties grow equally well in full sun.

Choose varieties that will provide the color, size, and look you want to achieve and that match the light conditions in your yard.

Compact caladiums, such as lime and dark-pink Miss Muffet, grow about 12 inches tall and are perfect for lining a pathway, edging a flowerbed, or dressing up a container.

Florida Sweetheart’s bright, rose-pink leaves have ruffled green edges, and Gingerland has creamy white leaves that are decorated with splashes of green and red. All of these miniature varieties combine nicely with larger caladiums and elephant ears.

Photo credit: Longfield-Gardens.com

The Red Flash caladium grows about 20 inches tall and has brilliant red centers.

Step up the color impact with caladium Red Flash. This full-size caladium grows about 20 inches tall and has brilliant red centers, decorated with pink dots that pop against the large, deep-green leaves.

Use these anywhere you want a big splash of color in a garden bed or container.

Combine caladiums with shadeloving annuals like begonias, coleus, and mildew-resistant impatiens or other summer bulbs like cannas and elephant ears.

When planting caladiums directly into the garden, wait until at least two weeks after all danger of frost has passed. Nights should be warm, and the soil temperature should be at least 65 degrees F. Prepare the soil before planting.

Add compost or other organic matter to improve drainage in clay soil and the moisture-holding ability in fastdraining soils. Plant tubers about 6 inches apart and 2 inches below the soil surface. Water thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil moist but not soggy.

Those gardening in cooler climates may want to start the tubers indoors for an earlier show outdoors. Plant indoors four to six weeks before moving them into the garden.

Set the tubers near the surface of a shallow container filled with a wellwww.50plusLifePA.com

drained potting location for at least mix. Grow them a week. Label each in a warm, sunny variety, remove the spot indoors, foliage, and place keeping the soil tubers in a mesh barely moist. Move bag or pack loosely outdoors once the in dry peat moss. danger of frost has Store in a cool, dark passed and the soil location at around has warmed.

60 degrees.

As the summer Make this the temperature year you add rises, watch your caladiums for caladiums shine beautiful splashes while many other of color throughout Photo credit: Longfield-Gardens.com flowers fade in the your landscape all Florida Sweetheart’s bright, summer heat and season long. rose-pink leaves have ruffled humidity. Continue green edges.

Melinda Myers has to water as needed written more than and fertilize 20 gardening books, throughout the including Small Space Gardening. She summer to encourage new growth. hosts The Great Courses’ How to Those gardening in zones nine Grow Anything: Food Gardening For through 11 can leave their caladiums Everyone DVD set and the nationally in place year-round. Others can syndicated Melinda’s Garden either treat these colorful beauties Moment TV and radio segments. Myers as annuals or dig up the tubers and is a columnist and contributing editor overwinter them indoors. for Birds & Blooms magazine and was Dig tubers in early fall when soil commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write this article. www. temperatures drop to 55 degrees. melindamyers.com Spread them out in a warm, dry

www.50plusLifePA.com

For Love of Family Devotion. Compassion. Dignity. When your loved one needs help, join hands with Homeland at Home.

We are privileged to be part of your caregiving team.

Hospice

717-221-7890

HomeHealth

717-412-0166

HomeCare

717-221-7892

HomelandatHome.org Community Outreach of Homeland Center | Harrisburg, PA

50plus LIFE t

March 2018

9

Savvy Senior

Income Tax Filing Requirements for Retirees Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for seniors this year? I didn’t file a tax return the past two years because my income was below the filing requirements, but I got a part-time job late last year, so I’m wondering if I’m required to file this year.

– Part-time Retiree Dear Part-time, Whether or not you are required to file a federal income tax return this year will depend on how much you earned last year (in 2017) and the source of that income, as well as your age and filing status.

Here’s a rundown of this tax season’s (2017) IRS tax filing requirement thresholds. For most people, this is pretty straightforward.

If your 2017 gross income — which includes all taxable income, not counting your Social Security benefits, unless you are married and filing separately — was below the threshold for your filing status and age, you probably won’t have to file. But if it’s over, you will.

• Single: $10,400 ($11,950 if you’re 65 or older by Jan. 1, 2018) • Married filing jointly: $20,800 ($22,050 if you or your spouse is 65 or older or $23,300 if you’re both over 65)

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

• Married filing separately: $4,050 at any age • Head of household: $13,400 ($14,950 if age 65 or older)

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

22nd annual edition

Call today for your free copy!

(717) 285-1350 10

March 2018

50plus LIFE t

• Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child: $16,750 ($18,000 if age 65 or older) To get a detailed breakdown on federal filing requirements, along with information on taxable and nontaxable income, call the IRS at (800) 829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy of the Tax Guide for Seniors (publication 554), or see www.irs.gov/pub/ irs-pdf/p554.pdf.

Check Here Too There are other financial situations that

can require you to file a tax return, even if your gross income falls below the IRS filing requirement.

For example, if you had earnings from selfemployment in 2017 of $400 or more, or if you’re receiving Social Security benefits and half your benefits plus all other income, including tax-exempt interest, exceeds $25,000 (or $32,000 if you are married filing jointly), you’ll probably need to file.

To figure this out, the IRS offers an interactive tax assistant tool on their website that asks a series of questions that will help you determine if you’re required to file or if you should file because you’re due a refund. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete.

You can access this tool at www.irs.gov/filing; click on the “Do I Need to File?” button. Or, you can get assistance over the phone by calling the IRS helpline at (800) 829-1040.

You can also get face-to-face help at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. See www.irs.gov/localcontacts or call (800) 829-1040 to locate a center near you.

Check Your State Even if you’re not required to file a federal tax return this year, don’t assume that you’re also excused from filing state income taxes. The rules for your state might be very different.

Check with your state tax agency before concluding that you’re entirely in the clear. For links to state tax agencies, see www.taxadmin.org/ state-tax-agencies.

Tax Preparation Help If you find that you do need to file a tax return this year, you can get help through the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program.

Sponsored by the IRS, TCE provides free tax preparation and counseling to middle- and lowincome taxpayers, age 60 and older. Call (800) 9069887 or visit www.irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep to locate a service near you.

Also check with AARP, a participant in the TCE program that provides free tax preparation at around 5,000 sites nationwide. You don’t have to be an AARP member to use this service.

To locate an AARP Tax-Aide site, call (888) 2277669, visit www.AARP.org/findtaxhelp, or check out the local listings included in this issue of 50plus LIFE. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org.

Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Vietnam War Veterans Day Returns March 29 For the second year, American flags should be displayed March 29 to mark National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The 2017 Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act was the first federal statute that specifically provides for the honoring of Vietnam War veterans.

Last year, both chambers of Congress unanimously passed bipartisan legislation authored by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

President Trump then signed National Vietnam War Veterans Day into law.

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act represents the first federal statute recognizing the bravery and sacrifice of veterans who served during the Vietnam War. Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars supported the act, as did AMVETS Department of Pennsylvania.

Sgt. Harold Redding, a Vietnam veteran from York, came up with the concept of the legislation.

March 29, 1973, was the day the last combat troops were ordered out of Vietnam. While numerous troops remained behind before the fall of Saigon, March 29 holds great meaning for many Vietnam veterans.

April 9, 2018 May 30, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wyndham Hotel York

NEW LOCATION!

2000 Loucks Road York

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel 1741 Papermill Road Wyomissing

Please, join us!

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

• The official Vietnam era lasted from Aug. 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975.

• Total U.S. casualties: 58,220 • Total Pennsylvania casualties: 3,147 • Year of greatest casualties: 1968 (16,899) • 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam.

• Average age of the men killed: 23.1 years • 97 percent of Vietnam veterans were honorably discharged.

Sources: U.S. Wings, National Archives

At the Expo

Veterans Benefits Community Services Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services

At the Job Fair

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

Would you like to serve those who have served?

April 9, 2018

www.veteransexpo.com

NEW LOCATION!

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wyndham Hotel York 2000 Loucks Road, York

The Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair welcomes volunteers!

If you can help with registration or stuffing attendee bags for all or just part of the day, we’d love to have you.

Contact Kimberly Shaffer at (717) 285-8123 or kshaffer@onlinepub.com for more information.

www.50plusLifePA.com

LIFE

Sponsored by:

Disabled American Veterans • Pennsylvania American Legion Pennsylvania National Guard Outreach Office • Pennsylvania State Headquarters VFW Vibra Health Plan • Worley & Obetz, Inc.

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

www.veteransexpo.com (717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com

50plus LIFE t

Brought to you by:

&

March 2018

11

Preventing Colon Cancer – Don’t Be the 1 in 20

By Neal M. Shindel MD One in 20 people will get colon cancer in their lifetime. In fact, colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

But colon cancer can be prevented by regular colonoscopy exams, a visual examination of the colon and rectum performed by a physician.

There are many tests that can detect colon cancer, but only a colonoscopy enables physicians to identify precancerous growths (polyps) and remove them before they develop into cancer.

Colon Cancer, Polyps, and Colonoscopies: Basic Concepts • Approximately 50 percent of adults over the age of 50 have polyps growing silently in their large intestine (this includes the colon and the rectum).

• Polyps are benign (noncancerous) growths that develop on the inner lining of the colon wall.

They start small and grow slowly but have the potential to turn into cancer.

• It is estimated to take between five and 15 years from when a polyp begins for it to grow into cancer.

• A colonoscopy is a procedure that allows a specialized physician (a gastroenterologist) to examine the entire large intestine with a flexible, lighted videoscope. During the colonoscopy, almost all of the polyps that are found can be removed.

• W hen colon cancer is found, it can be cured 95 percent of the time provided that it is found in its earliest stages.

Most importantly: Removing polyps helps remove the risk of colon cancer developing. In fact, studies have shown that colonoscopies can reduce colon cancer deaths by as much as 90 percent.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Many people have concerns about preparing for the procedure as well as fears about the procedure itself. However, when asked, patients who have had a colonoscopy say that the preparation was not too uncomfortable and the procedure itself was easy because they were sedated.

Screening Options There are many types of screening exams, such as FIT testing, Cologuard, ColoVantage, CT colonography, and flexible sigmoidoscopy, but a colonoscopy is the only test that can prevent colon cancer as well as detect it in its early stages, when cure rates are about 95 percent.

Who Should Be Screened?

Every adult over 50 years of age should have colon cancer screening performed. It is now recommended that African-American individuals should start screening at age 45.

Although colonoscopy is the preferred screening method in the United States, any screening is better than no screening.

Individuals are considered average risk if they are over 50 years of age (45 years for AfricanAmericans) with no personal or family history of colon polyps or colon cancer, no history of familial

polyposis syndromes, and no history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

High-risk individuals are those with a personal or family history of colon cancer or precancerous colon polyps, a history of a familial polyposis syndrome, a personal history of ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease.

High-risk individuals should start screening at age 40 or 10 years younger than the youngest affected family member.

Patients with a personal history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease or a family history of a familial polyposis syndrome may need to start screening significantly earlier. This should be discussed with your physician.

How is a Colonoscopy Done?

Generally, the physician will ask you to stay on a clear-liquid diet for 24 hours prior to the colonoscopy. A laxative drink will be prescribed, usually to be taken the evening before and the morning of the scheduled procedure.

Sedative medications are given, and most patients sleep through the entire procedure. The visual examination of the colon and rectum takes approximately 20-30 minutes.

Patients generally awaken within a few minutes after the procedure and feel alert and ready to eat within 20-30 minutes.

Even though patients may have concerns about having a colonoscopy, it is the most valuable tool for preventing any form of colon cancer.

When people understand how effective a colonoscopy is in preventing colon cancer and saving lives, they will usually put aside their concerns and reservations and undergo this potentially lifesaving procedure.

Neal M. Shindel, MD, is chief of gastroenterology at PIH Health and director of the Colon Cancer Prevention Alliance in Whittier, Calif. In practice for 32 years, he has performed over 50,000 colonoscopies.

Check out our NEW Online Resource Directory!

Convenient print edition plus extensive online access.

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

www.ResourceDirectoryPA.com 12

March 2018

50plus LIFE t

Credit: Readers.com

www.50plusLifePA.com

Fresh Fare

Simple Seafood Solutions for Lent With people across the country observing Lent, a religious tradition observed during the 40 days before Easter, it’s time to rethink the standard family meal menu.

This nearly eight-week period typically calls for a special diet.

Specifically, red meat is cut out on Fridays for some and for the entirety of Lent for others.

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, research shows eating seafood two to three times per week reduces the risk of death from any health-related cause.

Seafood also provides unique health benefits as a lean protein and is a quality source for omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats essential to human health and development.

This simple recipe for Blackened Catfish with Quinoa and Citrus Vinaigrette can help you on your way to a more nutritious meal plan that includes consuming seafood twice per week.

If you can’t find catfish or prefer to substitute, any white fish—such as cod, mahi-mahi, or flounder—will work.

For more seafood recipes and

golden brown. Add edamame and sautéed corn to quinoa and set aside.

Blackened Catfish • 1 tablespoon peanut oil • 1 pound catfish, cut into four fillets • 5 tablespoons blackening seasoning

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Lenten meal inspiration, visit www. seafoodnutrition.org.

Combine salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and thyme.

Blackened Catfish with Quinoa and Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe courtesy of Chef Tim Hughes on behalf of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership.

Quinoa Salad • 1 tablespoon peanut oil • 1 cup corn, canned and drained or frozen and thawed to room temperature • salt, to taste • pepper, to taste • 1/2 cup edamame, shelled and thawed to room temperature • 3 cups quinoa, cooked

Servings: 4 Blackening Seasoning • 1 tablespoon salt • 1 tablespoon pepper • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper • 1 tablespoon garlic powder • 1 tablespoon thyme

Heat and oil skillet. Add corn; salt and pepper, to taste, and sauté until

Heat cast-iron skillet to mediumhigh heat with 1 tablespoon peanut oil added. Coat both sides of catfish fillets with blackening seasoning. Add catfish to skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side, or until well done.

Citrus Vinaigrette • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 teaspoon lemon zest • 1 tablespoon honey • 1/2 teaspoon thyme • 2 tablespoons olive oil Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and thyme. Slowly add olive oil, whisking until dressing is formed.

Serve blackened catfish on top of quinoa salad and drizzle with citrus vinaigrette.

Family Features

Such is Life

The Cat that Hates Me Saralee Perel

We have five cats (which is rather embarrassing to admit). They band together, approaching us en masse, like a gang from West Side Story.

They plot. They plan. They open drawers with their paws. We have hook-and-eye locks on 41 drawers.

One cat is Jordy. He loves Bob, but he hates me.

He wraps around my ankles and tears at my skin like a manic hamster in a wheel. (I like CVS flexible fabric bandages.)

I’m disabled, so I walk with a cane. I know Jordy puts the dog’s stuffed toys in front of me so I’ll trip. www.50plusLifePA.com

This cat is determined to kill me. If I asked, “How can I win you over?” I imagine he’d answer, “Die.” If I dare to pet him, he bites, causing bleeding and blue/green bruises on my arms. Doctors question the cuts.

Jordy’s adorable on Bob’s shoulders until I show up, at which point he leaps onto my face. (Nexcare waterproof bandages stay on when bleeding won’t stop.) please see CAT page 15 Jordy and Bob.

50plus LIFE t

March 2018

13

Please join us for these FREE events!

Always free parking!

19th Annual

May 2, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Hershey Lodge

DAUPHIN COUNTY

19th Annual

May 9, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Shady Maple Conference Center LANCASTER COUNTY

Smorgasbord Building 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl

15th Annual

June 6, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Church Farm School

CHESTER COUNTY

1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton

Sept. 19, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Spooky Nook Sports

LANCASTER COUNTY

2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

Sept. 26, 2018

16th Annual

22nd Annual

325 University Drive Hershey

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

York Expo Center

YORK COUNTY

Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Avenue, York

19th Annual

Oct. 17, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street Carlisle

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

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

Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available

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

14

www.50plusExpoPA.com

March 2018

50plus LIFE t

The Beauty in Nature

Easily Seen Predators Clyde McMillan-Gamber

American kestrels, red-tailed hawks, ground for prey. When a potential belted kingfishers, and great blue victim is spotted, each red-tail dives herons are common, easily spotted rapidly with claws extended to catch predatory birds here in southeastern the critter. Red-tails and kestrels both Pennsylvania, as elsewhere. snare prey with their eight sharp, All these species are permanent curved talons. residents in this area, nesting and Belted kingfishers perch on tree wintering here. Kestrels and red-tails limbs that reach over ponds and hunt rodents and other creatures in waterways to watch for frogs, crayfish, fields and along and small fish. roadsides, and the And, like kestrels, kingfishers and kingfishers hover herons stalk fish on quickly beating and other aquatic wings facing into creatures in local the wind as they waterways and look for prey human-made animals. When a impoundments. potential victim Kestrels are is spotted, each attractive, small kingfisher dives hawks that are beak-first into the often seen perched water to grab the American kestrel. on roadside wires, victim with its watching for mice long, stout bill. along roadside Stately great shoulders through blue herons stand each year, and about 5 feet tall and grasshoppers there wade cautiously in summer and in waterways and autumn. impoundments to Interestingly, catch fish, frogs, kestrels are also crayfish, water seen hovering snakes, and other lightly, rapidly water creatures with beating wings into their lengthy beaks. the wind, as they Since these look for rodents herons are much and grasshoppers larger than in fields and grassy kingfishers, they are medial strips of able to snare bigger Great blue heron. expressways and fish, thus reducing along the edges of competition for country roads, where field mice can be food with kingfishers. Great blues also plentiful. catch goldfish and koi from backyard Red-tailed hawks perch high in lone goldfish ponds, much to the dismay of trees in fields and along hedgerows the pond owners. between fields, where they watch These permanent-resident, for field mice and gray squirrels to predatory birds are easily seen in consume. Those hawks are most cropland and farmland waterways and readily seen in winter when foliage is impoundments, where they watch for off the trees. prey animals to eat. They help make And red-tails soar gracefully in those local habitats interesting, as they circles high in the sky as they scan the do through much of North America. www.50plusLifePA.com

The Bookworm Sez

Aging Thoughtfully Terri Schlichenmeyer

Kicking and screaming.

That’s how you’ll go into your twilight years: The calendar might say one thing, but you’re not going to pay it any mind.

There’s still a lot of pep in your step, so, as in the new book Aging Thoughtfully by Martha C. Nussbaum and Saul Levmore, shouldn’t the way you spend your golden years be your decision?

Once upon a time in the not-too-distant past, the average life expectancy was around 50 years, while the median retirement age was 74. Back then, retirement didn’t involve Social Security or other government programs; instead, people worked until they couldn’t.

Today, there are “more choices, and this book is about these choices.”

First of all, why retire at all? There are laws in the U.S. that say you don’t have to, says Levmore, but he’s in favor of changing them — especially if businesses institute “defined benefit plans,” which are often seen in government jobs but rarely in the private sector.

These changes would benefit employers, who could better maintain productivity; younger workers needing jobs; and older workers, if Social Security was tweaked a bit.

It would also help with “the people normally labeled as the elderly poor,” since defined benefit plans would give them more month-to-month income.

But retirement … one can only golf so much.

What next? Retirement allows for a “second career,” says Nussbaum, either one that pays or one of volunteerism.

For those kinds of choices, she looks at Finland, where retirement is mandatory at a relatively young age. It works because the Finns have excellent healthcare, because they have ample time for better retirement preparation, and because they are treated equally.

Aging Thoughtfully: Conversations about Retirement, Romance, Wrinkles, & Regret

By Martha C. Nussbaum and Saul Levmore c. 2017, Oxford University Press 264 pages

Photo credit: Lloyd Degrane

Aging Thoughtfully authors Nussbaum, left, and Levmore.

Statistically speaking, as we age, we rely less on plastic surgery and more on the idea that wrinkles are “glamorous” — a notion that can absolutely be pushed “too far.”

We tend to live our lives “backward,” which is OK; doing so offers time to deal with negative emotions and unfulfilled regrets.

Here, we learn the reasons for those pearlclutching May-December romances we see in the tabloids.

And we get advice on giving while we can still say where our assets should go.

I struggled a lot with this book, and I’m ultimately disinclined to recommend it.

Here’s why: Though Aging Thoughtfully is a series of “conversations” about getting older, its basis is really old — as in, ancient philosophy and Shakespeare.

While that doesn’t make it a bad book by any means, it does mean that its usefulness is limited.

Readers looking for advice will have to look harder because that’s buried in Cicero and King Lear; those in search of solid research will find it scattered between philosopher John Rawls and Cato the Elder.

Yes, there are conversations within these pages, and they’re thought-provoking, maybe even comforting, but they’re not really accessible for the average reader.

Should you decide to tackle this book, do so with awareness of what you’re in for here. Aging Thoughtfully isn’t bad but, for most people, it’s going to make you scream.

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

CAT from page 13 He ambushes me by bursting out of closets and attaching himself to my scalp. I scream while running around the house with a cat on my head.

Jordy lurks all night. At any time, I’ll think I’m hearing: “Geronimo!” He’ll vault onto my belly. (Band-Aids with Neosporin are great for infections.)

When Jordy bites, he won’t let go. If I pull away, he bites down harder. So all day long, I call out, www.50plusLifePA.com

“Bob? Please detach Jordy from my [fill in the body part].”

It is not a smart idea for me to take off my bra anywhere near Jordy.

In spite of all this, I love Jordy. He has just three legs. He’s always been small, frail, and fragile. He gets sick a lot and needs medicine every day.

Experts say cayenne pepper deters biting, but I’d never use that. He’d think, “What did I do that

made you give this to me?”

And I’d say, “You bite me, Jordy.”

“I’m just playing,” he’d say. “That’s all it’s ever been.”

Hearing that would break my heart. I only wish he didn’t have nine lives. I wish he had a hundred.

Nationally syndicated, award-winning columnist Saralee Perel can be reached at sperel@saraleeperel.com or via her website: www.saraleeperel.com.

50plus LIFE t

March 2018

15

DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about $1 a day* Keep your own dentist! You can go to any dentist you want No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow

Coverage for over 350 procedures – including cleanings, exams,

fillings, crowns…even dentures

NO annual or lifetime cap on the cash benefits you can receive

FREE Information Kit

1-855-995-0759 www.dental50plus.com/73

*Individual plan.

Product not available in MN, MT, NH, NM, RI, VT, WA. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096E-0917 MB17-NM008Ec