OutreachNC magazine September 2015

CO M PLI M ENTARY

SEPTEMBER 2015 | VOL. 6, ISSUE 9

Discover the health benefits of N.C. muscadine grapes Serving the Southern Piedmont, Sandhills & Triangle

| OUTREACHNC.COM SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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features September 2015

28

Art Therapy for the Mind and Body

A look at the therapeutic value of art of Zentangles, doodling and adult coloring books

by Michelle Goetzl

34

Be Creative in Learning and Living

Explore the program offerings for enrichment at area community colleges

by Ray Linville

38

Game On: 50 Years of Softball and Ready for Next Inning

Retired Fayetteville teacher and coach James McLamb shares his love of the game

by Thad Mumau

42

Steady As We Go: Preventing Falls

Ideas for strength and balance, fitness and gadgets to keep you and your home safer

by Rachel Stewart

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OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

Education Issue

46

Carolina Conversations with best-selling author Diane Chamberlain Turning pages with writer who calls North Carolina home and the setting for her novels

by Michelle Goetzl

50

Harvesting the Health Benefits of Muscadine Grapes

Picking season is under way in Willow Spring at Adams Vineyards for eating and turning the sweet fruit into juice and award-winning wines

by Carrie Frye

60

Elinor Donahue Graces Pinehurst Stage

“The Andy Griffith Show” and “Father Knows Best” star joins cast for Judson Theatre’s “Harvey”

by Thad Mumau

62

Better with Age Series

1931 Model A Fordor Sedan

by Carrie Frye

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departments September 2015

“Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul... but I must confess that I love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved October.” ―Peggy Toney Horton

22

66

54 advice & health

life

12

Ask the Expert

by Amy Natt

16

Gentleman’s Notebook

by Ray Linville

14

Planning Ahead

by Beth Donner

22

Belle Weather

by Celia Rivenbark

18

Brain Health

by Dr. Karen D. Sullivan

24

Literary Circle

by Cos Barnes

20

Tech Savvy

by Bill Fisher

25

Reading for Generations

by Michelle Goetzl

26

Law Review

by Jackie Bedard

32

Fitness

by Mary Marcia Brown

58

Yoga for Wellness

by Cinnamon LeBlanc

54

Cooking Simple

by Rhett Morris

56

64

Grey Matter Games

66

Generations

by Carrie Frye

Resource Marketplace

COMPLIMENTARY

ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2015 | VOL. 6,

Discover the health benefits of N.C. muscadine grapes Serving the Southern Piedmont, Sandhills

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& Triangle areas

| OUTREACHNC.COM SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

BY DIANA MATTHEWS AT ADAMS VINEYARDS, WILLOW SPRING

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d Hea Historic d Island al tour of Old Bald y

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August 2013

ROVE CELE THE CHAR BRAT ES LIE DAN 100 YEAR IELS BAND S | THE N.C. TOM COM ES TO SANF ATO MAN | Volume ORD 4,

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from the editor

S

eptember turns summer into fall, and it is also the ripe time of year for picking one of the state’s bountiful and picturesque crops—muscadine grapes.

I first met Joyce Adams and her son, Quincy, at Adams Vineyards in Willow Spring, just outside of Raleigh, four years ago when we did a yearlong series of North Carolina wineries to hear their story of homegrown winemaking.

I was welcomed with open arms again to learn about the annual harvest, pick-your-own grapes, grape stomp and handcrafting the fruit into a variety of award-winning wines.

As we walked through row after row of grapevines, picking and partaking in the sweet muscadine grapes, we learned about the versatility and health benefits. Quincy was kind enough to shake a vine so a multitude of June bugs flew out for a priceless laugh at our surprise. Under a perfect Carolina blue sky on a summer morning, it was special to share the time, smiles, laughter and make a memory in the journey of putting another issue together.

Meeting those behind the stories is always an honor and something I never take for granted.

This issue uncovers many treasures, from the sparkle in the eye of a farmer, to the excitement for creative living programs and to the warm welcome of a best-selling author whose novels speak to her readers. Capturing these little vignettes of all our amazing state has to offer alongside vital information to help you age with success is what we strive to do.

Thank you for sharing a bit of your time with us.

Jeeves the co-editor and I appreciate it and look forward to sharing these and more stories with you, right after his mid-day nap. Until next month...

—Carrie Frye

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Editor in Chief Carrie Frye | carrief@OutreachNC.com Contributing Graphic Designers Nikki Lienhard, Jonathan Scott Contributing Proofreaders Jennifer Kirby, Michelle Goetzl, Kate Pomplun Contributing Photographers Diana Matthews Contributing Writers Cos Barnes, Jackie Bedard, Mary Marcia Brown, Beth Donner, Bill Fisher, Michelle Goetzl, Cinnamon LeBlanc, Ray Linville, Rhett Morris, Thad Mumau, Celia Rivenbark, Rachel Stewart, Dr. Karen D. Sullivan

Y Publisher Amy Natt | amyn@AgingOutreachServices.com Marketing & Public Relations Director Susan McKenzie | susanm@AgingOutreachServices.com Advertising Sales Executive Shawn Buring | shawnb@OutreachNC.com 910-690-1276 OutreachNC PO Box 2478 | 676 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28388 910-692-9609 Office | 910-695-0766 Fax info@OutreachNC.com PO Box 2019 | 101-A Brady Court Cary, NC 27512 919-909-2693 Office | 919-535-8719 Fax info@OutreachNC.com

www.OutreachNC.com OutreachNC is a publication of Aging Outreach Services, Inc. The entire contents of OutreachNC are copyrighted by Aging Outreach Services. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial, photographic or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. OutreachNC is published monthly on the first of each month.

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advice

Our Aging Life CareTM Professionals will answer any aging questions you may have.

Email us your questions!

ASK THE EXPERT

info@OutreachNC.com

Being Supportive to Those Coping with Dementia

by Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA My neighbor came over last week and said that his wife had taken off walking, and he could not find her. We know she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease but have never talked with them about it. My husband helped him locate her and get her back home. What can we do to be more supportive? What is the best way to communicate with her when we see her outside?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia impact a person’s thinking, processing of information, judgment and ability to remember and recall information. Often, short-term memory or the ability to retain new information is impaired, while some long-term memories remain intact and hold a greater sense of familiarity to the person diagnosed.

The important thing to remember is that she is a person living with a disease, just as someone might live with cancer or heart disease, only her brain is what is being impacted. She is still a person with needs for human and social interaction, and you can help provide that.

One of the best things you can do to be supportive is to educate yourselves on the disease.

Communication often becomes difficult for people with AD, because they have a hard time remembering things and can forget words and the meaning behind the words. Sometimes in a sentence they will use fillin words to compensate. This may make it difficult to understand what they are trying to tell you. They also tend to lose their train of thought if the conversation is lengthy and any background noise can add to the confusion, creating a frustrating distraction. Here are some things you might try to connect with her: • Always approach her from the front and make eye contact when talking.

• Watch her body language and facial expressions for cues to what she might be communicating.

• Try a gentle touch to guide her or redirect her.

• If you sense frustration, try changing the subject or offer a snack or activity.

• Try not to ask questions she cannot answer or say, “Don’t you remember?” which leads to frustration.

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• Speak clearly with a pleasant tone.

• Be patient and give her time to express her feelings.

• Try not to correct or argue with her, but redirect to a more pleasant topic.

• Ask yes or no questions, instead of open-ended questions that might be more difficult to answer.

• Use simple, step-by-step directions without providing too much information at one time.

Phrase conversation and communication, such as: • Instead of: “What would you like to wear today?”

Try: “Would you like the red shirt or the blue shirt?”

• Instead of: “What would you like for lunch?”

Try: “Would you like a turkey sandwich for lunch?”

• Instead of: “Don’t you remember me?” Try: “Hi, Ellen. I’m Susan, your neighbor.”

Your neighbor will need support in this journey with his wife. Keep the lines of communication open and encourage him to seek support. You can offer to stay with her while he attends a support group or just be a good listener when he needs to talk. If she truly gets lost or wanders off, don’t hesitate to get the local authorities involved. They can issue a silver alert to help find her. Taking the time to learn about this disease and being supportive, even in small ways, can truly make a big difference.

Readers may send questions to Natt, an Aging Life CareTM Professional, certified senior advisor and CEO of Aging Outreach Services. She can be reached at amyn@agingoutreachservices.com.

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8/11/2015 11:14:39 AM

OutreachNC.com 13

advice

PLANNING AHEAD

Understanding Medicare Supplement Plans

by Beth Donner, CRPC

O

nce you turn 65, you’re eligible for health insurance coverage through the federal Medicare system. This is most commonly referred to as Original Medicare. Original Medicare pays for many, but certainly not all, health-care expenses. Medicare Supplement insurance policies, sold by private insurance companies, can help pay some of the health-care costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. Medicare Supplement plans (also called MedSupp and Medigap) help offset the cost of deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance that exist with Original Medicare, thereby supplementing or filing in the gaps in coverage.

In North Carolina and most other states, MedSupp plans are standardized. Every MedSupp policy on the market must follow strict federal and state laws designed to protect the consumer. The private insurance companies that sell MedSupp plans are required to sell standardized policies identified by a letter in the alphabet. Plans A through D, F through G and K through N are currently on the market. If you were to purchase a D plan for example, the D plan would offer identical “medical benefit” coverage regardless of which insurance company you purchased from, thus with the standardization in plan design, it becomes easier to shop the desired plan considering the monthly premium.

There are also lesser known parts to MedSupp plans, as some insurance carriers will offer “added benefits” to the standardized plans, which may include fitness or care management benefits at no additional cost. It pays to look at the overall plan and not just the monthly premium.

You will become eligible for Original Medicare (which has two parts, Part A and Part B) when one of two things

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occurs: when you turn age 65; or when you come off your group health plan if you have been employed beyond the age of 65. If you apply for a MedSupp plan within six months of either occurrence, you are guaranteed the coverage. Otherwise, if you apply outside of this sixmonth window, and you have a pre-existing health condition, the insurance carrier can decline your application and coverage. For this reason, pay particular attention to when you first become eligible for Medicare. If even one MedSupp carrier denies coverage, they probably all will.

As MedSupp plans offset costs for medical expenses, you should also consider a Part D plan to offset prescription drug costs. Adding a prescription drug plan to your Medicare Supplement is optional, but enrolling will give you more complete coverage.

Part D plans are also offered by private insurance carriers. A situation I see frequently regarding Part D is the Medicare enrollee doesn’t take any current prescriptions, so they decide to “save costs” and forego Part D coverage when first eligible. However, this may turn out to be an error in cost analysis, as there will be a financial penalty to the Part D premium once a prescription plan is purchased.

Purchasing a Part D plan when first eligible can avoid this life-long penalty if the plan is purchased later.

Next month, this column will take a look at Medicare Advantage Part C plans.

Donner is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and can be reached at Beth@DiversifiedPlanning.com or 919-601-0501.

E

4 Vaccines for Wellness

xperts recommend four vaccinations for older adults: flu, pneumonia, shingles and a combined tetanus-diptheria-pertussis.

FLU

Older adults are at the highest risk of developing serious flu complications that require hospitalization; in some cases, the flu can be fatal. Ninety percent of flu-related deaths and more than half of flu-related hospitalizations occur in people age 65 and older. As you age, your immune system weakens, which makes you more susceptible to the flu.

Health experts recommend that those 50 or older should receive one dose of influenza vaccine every year, preferably in October or November, before the winter flu season starts. Flu vaccines are needed every year because immunity is short-lived and vaccine manufacturers make updates every year to combat current strains of the virus.

SHINGLES

Shingles is an extremely painful and contagious blistering rash, which is activated by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.

After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body in a dormant state but can reactivate years later, for reasons not fully known. At least 1 million people a year in the United States get shingles.

The zoster vaccine, which scientists developed in 2006, is not guaranteed to prevent shingles, but it can decrease your risk by about 50 percent, or at least minimize its

severity. Vaccines.gov recommends that anyone 60 years of age or older get the shingles vaccine, regardless of whether they recall having had chickenpox.

PNEUMONIA

Infection from pneumococcal bacteria is one of the leading causes of death in the United States from a vaccine-preventable disease. Seniors, especially, are susceptible to pneumonia, which is responsible each year for 60,000 deaths among those over 65. The CDC recommends that people age 65 and older receive a one-time dose of pneumococcal vaccine; those who were vaccinated more than five years ago and were younger than 65 at the time should get a one-time repeat vaccination.

TETANUS-DIPHTHERIA-PERTUSSIS

Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, all caused by bacteria, can be very serious, for adolescents as well as adults. Before vaccines, the United States saw as many as 200,000 diptheria and pertussis cases annually and hundreds of tetanus infections. Since vaccination began, tetanus and diphtheria have dropped by about 99 percent and pertussis by roughly 80 percent, according to the CDC. The Tdap vaccination covers all three diseases.

You should get the Tdap vaccination as a one-time booster, regardless of when you received your last tetanus-diphtheria vaccine. Side effects include redness or swelling at the injection site, headache, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomachache.

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SEPTEMBER 2015 |

OutreachNC.com 15

life

G E N T L E M A N ' S N OT E B O O K

Teach a Class

by Ray Linville

A

dults 50 and over are returning to the classroom— some as students, others as teachers. Although being a student can be enjoyable, few activities are as rewarding as teaching. I think fondly less about my student days than about my experiences as a substitute school teacher and a community college instructor.

Eight days after I had graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, the U.S. Air Force stationed me in Minnesota as a missile launch officer, a position that my journalism degree had not prepared me for technically.

But a well-rounded liberal arts education served as an excellent foundation for not only understanding technical military subjects but pursuing other interests.

A bachelor’s degree was all I needed to be a substitute teacher in the public schools of Minnesota.

The certificate, which I still keep, from the State Board of Education attests that my “satisfactory preparation and experience” qualify me to teach students, grades seven to 12.

My missile duties consisted of 24-hour assignments that were followed by two to four days off. What better use of free time than to wake up to a morning phone call to see if I wanted to substitute that day?

Although I was only in my 20s then, it was an experience many older adults look forward to today.

Being certified as a substitute teacher and receiving a call in the morning to teach is a great way to start the day.

Those early experiences convinced me that I needed to teach after I completed my Air Force service.

Fortunately, I had another career as an English and humanities professor and taught classes at community colleges—Wake Technical and Sandhills. Being part of a faculty and staff that improves lives for so many is the best part of teaching and a meaningful way of giving back to a community.

My class preparations provided more than enough material to develop community presentations on the history, food and other cultural aspects of the

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Linville’s classes visited the home of Clyde Jones, world-famous folk artist, in Bynum, and enjoyed country ham biscuits after discussing their cultural heritage in Southern foodways.

American South. I’ve given talks for the Southern Pines Public Library and other community groups and was invited to speak last year in the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series.

The teaching bug is still with me, even after retiring.

I’m conducting a program on the history and culture of Southern foods at Sandhills Community College on Sept. 16.

Think about if teaching can add meaning in your life.

Teaching transferable credit courses at a community college requires a master’s degree with specific hours in the subject being taught. Explore the opportunity to teach an evening course to students interested in improving their fortunes in life. The credentials for being a substitute school teacher are more exacting than decades ago but definitely achievable. Conducting an enrichment class requires knowledge about an interesting topic. Find yourself in a classroom—next time as a teacher rather than as a student.

Retired from the N.C. Community College System, Linville is a contributing writer for the N.C. Folklife Institute and conducts programs on Southern history and culture. He can be reached at linville910@gmail.com.

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OutreachNC.com 17

health

B R A I N H E A LT H

Are You at Risk for Post-Surgical Cognitive Decline?

by Karen D. Sullivan, PhD, ABPP

A

hospital stay is one of the more stressful experiences we can have.

Emergency or planned surgeries, in particular, can really take us out of our comfort zone in more ways than one.

Doctors and nurses do an excellent job taking care of us, but at a time when a person needs a lot of rest, patients are often woken up through the night for monitoring, taken into unfamiliar rooms for different procedures and given new, and oftentimes powerful, medications.

Older adults are at risk for sudden and distressing cognitive and behavior changes after surgery called delirium, a syndrome made up of four primary symptoms: acute confusion that is not normal for that person, agitation, sleep/wake disturbance and visual hallucinations/delusions (seeing things or people that are really not there and/or false beliefs).

The overall prevalence of delirium is 1–2 percent in older adults over the age of 65 living in their homes.

These numbers rise dramatically during a hospital stay: 14–24 percent during a general admission, 15–53 percent after surgery and 70–87 percent in intensive care units, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

There are specific risk factors that increase one’s likelihood of delirium including those with pre-existing, even mild, memory issues, those undergoing lengthy surgical procedures requiring prolonged anesthesia or major orthopedic procedures and those who contract an infection during the course of hospitalization, including MRSA or a urinary tract infection.

How long delirium lasts varies greatly across individuals and can range from a day, a few weeks or much longer. Unfortunately, for some older adults, delirium can cause a permanent cognitive decline.

The worst outcomes tend to happen in older adults

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with significant memory issues, like dementia, prior to surgery.

Because there are no FDA-approved medications for delirium, treatment recommendations focus on prevention and symptom management. The most effective approaches are behavioral and are best implemented by those spending the most time with the patient.

Family members should make sure the individual has his or her eyeglasses and hearing aids, if prescribed, and speak in clear and brief statements with good eye contact.

Limiting room changes, to the extent possible, and creating a quiet and soothing environment that encourages uninterrupted sleep at night is very beneficial. A noise machine and low-level lighting at night can do wonders for getting sleep back on track and calming agitation.

Limit the unnecessary use of narcotic pain medications after surgery. Untreated pain can also make delirium worse so work closely with hospital staff to keep the person’s pain levels managed with the lowest dosing possible.

Family members often struggle to understand what has happened when delirium occurs. A neuropsychological evaluation can help to describe exactly what cognitive and behavioral symptoms are persisting for that individual, how to best help the delirium resolve to the extent possible and, when needed, how to adjust to returning to their everyday life including driving a car or managing money.

If you are considering a major surgery, talk with your doctors about your personal risks for delirium. You may also consider getting a baseline cognitive evaluation to formally assess and minimize your specific risk factors.

Dr. Sullivan, a clinical neuropsychologist at Pinehurst Neuropsychology, can be reached at 910-420-8041 or www.pinehurstneuropsychology.com.

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OutreachNC.com 19

advice

T E C H S AV V Y

Protecting Your Financial Transactions Online

by Bill Fisher

Y

ou can use the Internet to do almost anything these days, such as online banking, shopping and bill payments, to name just a few. However, unlike doing business in the real world, it’s not always clear how best to protect yourself and your financial information online.

Thankfully, there are some simple things you can do to make sure your information stays safe.

Use a credit card, not your debit card or bank account

When shopping online, we recommend that you always use a credit card. That way, you’ll be able to dispute the charges directly with your credit card company, rather than try to request your money back from the seller.

A safe alternative is a service called PayPal. It offers many of the same protections as your credit card, and several reputable sites allow it as a form of payment, including eBay and Etsy. You can create your own PayPal account for free by visiting www.PayPal.com.

Double-check that the site is secure

Before you enter any kind of sensitive information on the Web, like a credit card number, you’ll want to see if the website you’re using is secure. And don’t worry, that’s not as complicated as it sounds. Just make sure you see the characters https:// before the rest of the website’s address.

For example, if you were using the BB&T website to manage your bank account, you’d want to see: https://www.bbt.com in the addess bar at the top of the screen. It’s also worth noting that many online stores only use this setting during the actual payment process, and 20

OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

that’s OK. If you don’t see the https at first, just remember to look for it before entering your payment information.

Watch out for phishing

Secure sites can protect your information, but you also need to be aware that cybercriminals can contact you directly through phishing scams. Many phishing scams are made to look like official notices from your bank, credit card company, or other financial institutions.

Cybercriminals can create official-looking emails and websites that are designed to trick you into giving up credit card numbers and other sensitive information.

So, what’s the easiest way to avoid phishing? We recommend that you never respond to emails, popups, text messages, or phone calls from your financial institution asking for personal information. Instead, navigate directly to your bank’s website, call them yourself, or visit in person to verify if there is a problem.

When all else fails, trust your best judgement

As when doing business in the real world, always trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable making a transaction on a certain website, it’s not worth the risk. While the Internet has made it faster and easier to complete all kinds of transactions, there’s still usually a way to do it offline if you prefer.

Fisher is an instructional designer with GCFLearnFree.org, a program of the Goodwill Community Foundation® and Goodwill Industries of Eastern N.C. For more inofrmation, visit www.GCFLearnFree.org.

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OutreachNC.com 21

life

B E L L E W E AT H E R

Well, So Much For Peddling Fitness Via a Bike Ride

by Celia Rivenbark

W

hile I often joke about my commitment to “a completely sedentary lifestyle,” I was oddly excited to take a 17-mile bike ride while vacationing in the mountains recently.

The Virginia Creeper Trail brochure promised scenic bridges, panoramic views and, most important, a downhill ride with little effort required. Yay! Our affable van driver chatted the whole way to the “drop zone.” “It’s a pure-T miracle we don’t have more people having accidents up here,” he said, chuckling. “A lady did break her collarbone last month...”

He chatted nonstop as Duh Hubby sat beside him up front. “Did he just say someone broke a bone?” I hissed from behind the passenger seat.

“It’s just a figure of speech,” said Duh. “Like ‘shot the rapids.’ She ‘broke the collarbone.’”

The driver gave Duh a funny look, but I was satisfied.

Outdoorsy lingo is funny, I thought. I was reunited with the orange bike I had picked earlier because it’s my best color.

The driver said the ride would take “two, maybe two and a half ” hours. He said we should make it a point to stop at the little restaurant at mile 10 because it had world-famous chocolate cake. Fitness is awesome, I thought.

I was shocked to see so many people at the drop zone, considering the remote location. I’d seen sparser crowds at Six Flags.

Excited to begin, I pushed off. And into a mud hole.

Shin deep in gooey mud, I was mortified.

“Watch out for that mud hole,” Duh said brightly.

For the first 30 minutes, the wind whistled past and the scenery was spectacular as promised. I hadn’t felt 22

OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

this “alive” since I found a vintage Chanel purse at a Goodwill for three bucks.

Amazingly, I barely had to pedal.

This exercise thing wasn’t so bad. Along mile 4, the trail flattened and I suddenly had an ominous premonition. If this were a movie, it would be the part where George Clooney ignores the weather report in “The Perfect Storm.”

“On your left!” shouted a cheery gaggle of cyclists, using recommended bike etiquette.

For the next 13 miles, I would hear it approximately 5,365 times. My bike seat had broken, badly, and I was hitting the handlebars with my knees with every pedal.

We stopped at the chocolate cake restaurant, and Duh asked if I’d like some. I told him I wanted a divorce.

“On your left!” shouted another group of happy tourists with working bikes.

“On my nerves!” I hollered back.

Around mile 12, my legs gave out, and I wiped out on the gravel trail, causing a little kid behind me to follow suit. The kid burst into tears, and so did I. I told him if we were lucky, a bear would charge out of the woods and eat us.

“WAAAAHHHH!” My leg was bleeding, and I’d torn a few really useful ligaments.

Four and a half hours later, it was over. The bike rental folks apologized and gave me a “free pass” for next time.

Only time I’d laughed all day.

Rivenbark is the author of seven humor collections. Visit her website at www.celiarivenbark.com.

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Your kids. Your parents. Your friends and colleagues. Maybe even your grandkids. But have you thought about who will care for you when the time comes? It’s something most of us don’t like to think about.

However, taking the time to put a long-term care plan in place now can save you and your family a lot of stress in the future. A plan will also ensure that you’ll get the care you need and that you’ll be in control of selecting how and where you’ll receive care.

What exactly is long-term care?

Long-term care is a variety of services that help meet the personal needs of people with physical or cognitive impairments who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time. The largest part of long-term care is assistance with everyday tasks like bathing and dressing.

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OutreachNC.com 23

life

LITERARY CIRCLE

“The Boys in the Boat” Book Review by Cos Barnes

I

n “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown, the protagonist, Joe Rantz, was my hero from the first page. Dressed in ragged sweater and unpressed trousers, he stood with the rest of the rowing crew at the University of Washington in 1933. Standing beside other young men dressed in stunning overcoats, hats and tailored trousers, he was very aware of how different he was from his Ivy League counterparts.

There were others like him who were the sons of fishermen, loggers and farmers. These young men were dedicated to proving they were as capable as others of enduring the training required to make the eight-man rowing team that would eventually win the 1936 medal in rowing at Hitler’s 1936 Olympics.

The book goes into detail about the training required to sail the “Husky Skipper,” a racing shell made of cedar and spruce. It describes the coaches who encouraged the young men and the horrendous jobs the young men worked to scrounge up enough money to make one more year’s tuition. Remember, this was the Depression.

The mathematics of rowing is pretty fascinating, and it is explained indepth in this book. The laws of physics that all crew coaches must adhere to indicates that the speed of a racing shell is determined by the speed of the combined strokes of the oars and the number of strokes the crew takes each minute.

There is more information in this book, but the real story is eight young men won the Olympics in 1933. I heartily recommend this book.

Barnes has been writing for OutreachNC since the first publication in 2010 and currently participates in three book clubs. She can be reached at info@outreachnc.com.

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OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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R E A D I N G F O R G E N E R AT I O N S

life

“In the Unlikely Event” Book Review by Michelle Goetzl

J

udy Blume. The name conjures up childhood memories of books that helped children and young adults navigate the world around them— “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,” “Blubber,” “Freckle Juice,” “Tiger Eyes” and “Forever.” Now, for the first time in 17 years, Blume has published a new novel for adults, and it transplants her readers back to the 1950s.

“In the Unlikely Event” pulls from a period in Blume’s own life when three planes crashed over her childhood neighborhood of Elizabeth, New Jersey, over a two-month period. The story is told from a wide array of voices, some who live through the crashes and some who are not so fortunate.

At the heart of the story is Miri Ammerman, a ninth-grade Jewish girl who lives with her mother, grandmother and uncle.

Characters are key for Blume’s novels. In this one, not only do you have human characters, but time and place have a way of playing their own large role. Blume sets the stage, making sure that readers are aware that the 1950s were a time when families were still quite close-knit.

Blume has set the story up to focus not on the crashes, but on the individuals who were impacted by the crashes. You get to know each of them in small pieces. At times in the beginning, it can be a distraction constantly jumping from

one character to the next, but it allows you to get to know a variety of characters who don’t necessarily realize that their lives are interwoven.

As each tragic event happens, the ripple effect is felt throughout. Miri falls in love for the first time with a boy who is not Jewish and has secrets in his own past.

Miri’s best friend, Natalie, believes that a dancer who died in the first crash is living through her and starts on her own downward spiral. Natalie’s brother loses his girlfriend in the second crash, and it devastates him. Miri’s Uncle Henry, an aspiring journalist, makes a name for himself reporting on the tragedies and public responses. Some relationships fail while others are created in the ashes.

This book is about hope. Blume says it is “about how unlikely events can happen to us at any time, how they change our lives and, how when tragedy strikes, we go on.”

As one character so aptly says, “Terrible things can happen in this life, but being in love changes everything.”

Goetzl writes an online blog—”Books My Kids Read.” She loves books and sharing that love of reading with children. She can be reached at booksmykidsread@gmail.com.

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OutreachNC.com 25

advice

L AW R E V I E W

Friends as Fiduciaries?

by Jackie Bedard

C

hoosing a relative or a close friend as executor or trustee (a fiduciary) of your estate often makes sense, because you trust his or her judgment. However, the job may prove more difficult than either of you imagined.

A fiduciary must carry out the terms of your plan at the very time he or she is grieving and perhaps unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the job’s responsibilities. Your fiduciary may not have enough financial knowledge to understand what’s expected or may miss important deadlines due to a lack of understanding, which may cost some serious penalties for the estate.

Costly Mistakes

A Forbes article from earlier this year highlighted the case of a 73-year-old high-school-educated homemaker, Janice Specht, who was executor of her elderly cousin’s will. Due to a combination of negligence and errors, the cousin’s $12.5 million estate was charged $1.2 million in penalties, interest and estate taxes.

As it turns out, the lawyer who drafted the cousin’s will faced a battle with brain cancer after the cousin’s death and missed important deadlines for requesting extensions on tax returns. Having relied on this attorney to keep everything on track, a year went by before Specht ultimately had to hire a new one.

Distant relatives filed for malpractice, removing Specht as executor and pushing for a new co-fiduciary appointment. Specht is now on the hook for paying the penalties and interest. She failed to make her case in district court and has filed an appeal.

People Over Computers

Some folks may be tempted to use free or budgetpriced online resources to help with executor duties.

Unfortunately, inexperienced executors may unwittingly believe using these software sites are all they need in order to complete their duties adequately.

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OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

In addition, while fiduciaries are often eligible to receive reasonable compensation for the duties that are required, that payment becomes taxable income. If the executor is a family member who stands to inherit anyway, then they are sometimes better off waiving the fee and simply collecting their inheritance. If the estate is large enough to be subject to an estate tax, then the executor should definitely work with an experienced estate planning attorney and tax adviser.

Trustees—or Better Yet, A Team of Trustees

In the case of a trust, you named a trustee to manage your estate and the disbursement of the assets to beneficiaries. In some cases, you might be better served by having a team of trustees—with each one pulling from a different area of expertise or experience. If the trust is expected to last a long time or there are substantial assets, having more than one person managing things can be ideal. However, there can be downsides, too.

Naming too many trustees can also cause problems if their roles are not clearly defined.

Mistakes Can Be Anticipated

If you plan to name an executor with no experience, encourage them to set up a meeting between the executor and their estate planning attorney, even for a simple 30-minute conversation, to discuss the expectations and obligations that go along with the job.

Being named an executor of an estate is a big responsibility, and you need to be aware of potential pitfalls. Be straightforward, if you are afraid that the executor is not up to the task. It is much easier and less costly to resolve these issues at the estate planning stage rather than after the fact.

Bedard, an elder law attorney with Carolina Family Estate Planning, can be reached at 919-443-3035.

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OutreachNC.com 27

Art therapy for the

Mind and Body

by Michelle Goetzl | Photography by Diana Matthews

I

n everyone’s life a little stress must occur. However, too much stress is bad for your body and your soul. When most people think of good ways to relieve stress, common practices such as yoga, exercise and general meditation often come to mind. More and more adults are turning to various forms of art to deal with the stressors of their lives. For older adults dealing with illnesses and limited mobility, art can be especially beneficial.

According to The Assisted Living Federation of America and the American Art Therapy Association, “creating art can aid older adults in communicating with caregivers and family, promoting awareness and self-expression, relieving anxiety, and coping with transition, confusion, illness, or discomfort.”

The wonderful thing about art is that anyone can do it as long as you are willing to let go of your perfectionism and get back in touch with your inner child.

One art form that has seen a recent surge in growth is ZentangleTM. The Zentangle method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas in 2004 as a meditational art form that anyone can learn.

“Zentangle uses structured patterns called tangles to create art,” says Sharon Lynn Payne, a certified Zentangle instructor in Raleigh.

The drawings themselves are meant to be done on a 3.5-inch square tile, though bigger palates make more sense for those with diminished eyesight. To achieve the highest form of meditation, there should be no end goal in mind when putting pen to paper, and yet each stroke of the pen should be made deliberately. The tangles that get created are formed by five elemental strokes—a dot, a straight(ish) line, a curve, a reverse curve and a circle.

True tangling is a process, much like yoga. Once you learn the basics you continue to build on and make more intricate patterns.

“There are no mistakes in Zentangle, just happy opportunities,” Payne says. “We don’t use erasers or rulers, and you don’t have to be an artist. It quiets the mind and shifts your perspective and focus on what you are creating. Zentangle helps you to relax, feel good and create beautiful art.”

While Zentangle focuses on structured forms of drawing, simply doodling can also work as a meditative tool.

CONTINUED PAGE 30

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Erica Blonsky finds solace in the art her mother created while coping with dementia.

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

OutreachNC.com 29

“Doodling is a very calming and grounding behavior.”

— Sunni Brown

author of “The Doodle Revolution” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

“For more people, doodling is a very calming and grounding behavior,” says Sunni Brown, author of “The Doodle Revolution.” “One of the benefits is that it can shift us from a distracted state to a more soothed and unhurried state.”

Elaborate and quite organized doodles were a very calming and therapeutic activity for Lee Ann Blonsky, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2006 and who, sadly, passed away in 2014.

“It became harder for her to communicate with us and to follow conversations,” says Erica Blonsky, Lee Ann’s oldest daughter. “It was harder for her to do the things that she had previously enjoyed as the disease progressed, but Mom had always been very creative and somewhere along the way she started doodling.”

Now, Erica and her family have notebook upon notebook of her artwork and have framed some of the pieces as well. Erica believes that the process of creating was very meditative for her mother.

“I do feel like there were times when I was with her and she had been doodling that she would be calmer, and more articulate,” Erica says. “With dementia, it can be a lot harder to cope when you’re stressed out or anxious and having trouble communicating something you need or want. Mom’s drawing eased some of that for her.”

For Lee Ann Blonsky, art became something that she could do when she was unable to keep up with the conversations going on around her. It was a way to be producing something of worth for herself and still be present with her family.

“The inability to keep up with conversations is a common issue,” explains Karen D. Sullivan, PhD, ABPP, a clinical neuropsychologist at Pinehurst Neuropsychology. “Many of the dementias hit those diagnosed first and hardest in the language parts of their brains, making the usual routes to self-expression, such as talking and writing, more difficult and frustrating.

“The art that Mrs. Blonsky was creating is a perfect example of the power of art therapy, because it captured and sustained her attention over a period of time,” Dr. 30

OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

Sullivan says. “Something such as drawing that has repetitive and creative elements can help individuals with dementia feel that they are engaging in a meaningful task.”

Creating doodles, whether following the Zentangle method or not, is particularly appealing for individuals with a creative background. For others who may have never found the act of drawing particularly soothing, there are still ways to create beautiful art through adult coloring books. While once considered a good activity for young children, adult coloring books have begun to see a major growth as well. Five of the top 20 selling books on Amazon.com are adult coloring books.

The joy of coloring books is that they provide a lowstress, low-stakes way to unlock your creative potential.

The practice generates wellness and quietness while stimulating the brain areas related to motor skills, senses and creativity.

Whether coloring in pictures of specific objects or picking the right colors to create beautiful mandalas, the act of moving away from computer and television screens and putting pen, marker or crayon to paper can be highly soothing. It can also be a great thing to do in a social setting with a group of fellow enthusiasts, much like a knitting circle.

Zentangles, doodling and coloring are art forms that can be shared and ways for the mind to find comfort for parent and adult child or caregiver and patient. Erica Blonsky knows the comfort her mother found in her art and has started to doodle and play around with Zentangle books herself. She finds the practice especially calming.

“You can lose yourself in it,” Erica says. “You can go with the flow, and it doesn’t have to be a perfect masterpiece. You just let it take you where it takes you.”

Whether creating something new or finding a relaxing way to bring color to a page, these simple forms of art therapy can provide a wonderful level of comfort to any adult. They keep your hands busy and your brain engaged. They allow you to express yourself without words and find beauty in the little things. They help keep you engaged in a meaningful activity. And maybe, they let you feel like a kid again.

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life

FITNESS

12-Hour Marathon Runs at Forest Creek

by Mary Marcia Brown | Photography by Diana Matthews

T

hree months ago, Harriette Thompson, 92, of Charlotte became the oldest woman to complete a marathon. While one might believe that she had been running most of her life, it was not until the age of 76 that Thompson firmly committed to finishing her first 26.2-mile trek.

It was not until the age of 89 that the world’s oldest male marathoner, Fauja Singh (now 104), began his relationship with running.

For decades, these inspiring athletes may have wished they could run an impressive distance, complete a marathon and achieve something they had previously thought impossible. Yet it was not until they put a plan in action, that they were able to realize their ambitious goals.

At 76 and 89, respectively, Thompson and Singh listened to the old adage, “a goal without a plan is just a wish,” and conclusively resolved to stop wishing and start achieving.

Chuck Cordell, 63, of Pinehurst made a similar resolution. Contained in his bucket list of carefully weighed adventures is the desire to run a marathon. After learning about a unique endurance event that is coming to Pinehurst in October, Cordell upped the ante on his marathon goal and decided to enter his first ultramarathon— the 12-Hour Tick Tock Ultra.

“When I found out I had 12 hours to complete the race and that I could go at my own pace— walking, jogging, running or taking a break if needed—that’s when I made the decision to enter,” Cordell says.

Unlike distance-specific ultramarathons where every participant covers the same pre-determined distance that exceeds 26.2 miles, time-specific ultramarathons afford a pre-determined amount of time that allows participants to cover as much distance as they personally can during that time period—whether that’s 27 miles or 67 miles.

“Once I focused on what a fantastic feeling it would be to complete the race, much of the

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apprehension went away,” Cordell says. “I am enjoying training, and I am trying hard to keep my eye on the goal.”

For Cordell, the goal is to complete 26.2 miles or more while taking care of his body and avoiding injury. Cordell’s trainer, Will Morrell, believes that he can accomplish even more at the Tick Tock Ultra.

“If Chuck continues to log his weekly goal miles, stick with his strength training and stay with his nutrition plan, I know that he can successfully complete 40 miles or more on race day,” Morrell says.

Morrell recently accompanied Cordell on a short run after a race-planning meeting at Forest Creek Golf Club—the host sight for the Tick Tock Ultra.

Covering just a tiny piece of Forest Creek’s 1,265 acres of rolling sand hills, Morrell and Cordell’s run was framed by beautifully manicured greens, majestic long leaf pines, lakes, streams and wildlife.

Cordell is moving toward his more-than-amarathon goal as an individual runner at the Oct. 24 event. Other runners will be moving toward their individual goals one stride at a time, and relay teams will take part, too, working collaboratively to attain an ultramarathon accomplishment as a team. Cordell’s friends and family may just be among them.

“My family and friends thought I was crazy at first, but after realizing I was not kidding about entering, they have been very supportive,” he says.

“Other members of my family are now planning to enter and race either individually or as a team. We plan to make it a family affair by both supporting the event and participating.”

Brown, a runner, running columnist, and race director, can be reached at gallantgait@yahoo.com.

life

5 Easy Steps

to Successful Completion of Ultramarathon the commitment 1to participate,Make and you are much REGISTER.

more likely to stick to your commitment to train and prepare. Register at www.ncticktockultra.vpweb.com.

TRAIN. Walk or run weekly, and increase your outdoor mileage every week until your weekly mileage comfortably exceeds your goal.

DISCOVER. Find the clothing, shoes, lube, sunscreen, hydration and nutrition that will best support your journey. Then train using what works.

BE PATIENT. During training and during race day, there will be surprises. Some miles are easier than others. Be patient with yourself and with your team. You have time to reach your goal—12 hours of time.

HAVE FUN! The Tick Tock Ultra & Team Relay is about having a good time, encouraging others and supporting a valuable nonprofit— Patriot Foundation—while realizing an ultramarathon goal that you may never have realized you can accomplish.

Whether you walk the whole time at a 25.5 minute/mile pace, run a consistent eight-minute mile all day, or take turns with your team members running three and a half miles each, you can run an ultramarathon.Turn your wish into a goal, and take the first step today.

2

3

4

5

Chuck Cordell, left, Will Morrell and Mary Marcia Brown on the course at Forest Creek Golf Club for Tick Tock Ultra on Oct. 24.

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

OutreachNC.com 33

Be Creative

in Learning and Living

by Ray Linville | Photography by Diana Matthews

H

ow do older adults improve their creativity, enhance skills and build intellectual wellness?

For many, it’s by enrolling in the creative living programs at an area community college.

Want to speak a new language or become more creative through drawing, painting or photography?

Students can learn a new hobby, improve their communication skills, develop better computer and Internet literacy or understand more about health and nutrition. Enrichment programs at community colleges help older adults achieve their goals.

These courses are not your grandmother’s retirement programs. They emphasize enjoying life creatively as adults have the time available to pursue new interests, develop latent talents and promote intellectual, physical and personal well-being.

“Adults in our area are looking for arts-based courses,

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from our multimedia art to pottery classes. They like the hands-on approach,” says Andrew Gardner, (above inside the pottery studio), coordinator of business and industry services at Montgomery Community College.

In the counties served by Central Carolina Community College, “courses in creative writing are popular because so many authors live here,” says Kristy Baggett, who directs the college’s enrichment programs.

“Our instructors are well known, published authors who bring another dimension to classroom learning. It’s real world meets education.”

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, crafts courses are in high demand.

“Quilting, sewing, jewelry and furniture upholstery are very popular,” says Courtney Baughard, Fayetteville Tech’s program coordinator. “Some adults have been taking them for years and years. It’s almost like a social group.”

History and learning a new language remain as topics in higher demand in the Sandhills.

“Discussions covering current or past events are always favorites, such as classes on recent high-profile criminal trials or how the Dutch society lived during the Golden Age,” says Teresa Reynolds, who directs the creative living program at Sandhills Community College.

“Foreign language courses are popular with travelers.”

As these examples illustrate, programs sought by adults 50 and over span a wide array of popular topics in healthy living, technology, gardening, music, arts and crafts, financial planning and other personal interest

off campus, says Reynolds.

Some institute members also enroll in technology training classes offered by Sandhills’ continuing education division. These courses range in information from very basic topics for beginners to highly technical programs for advanced computer and software users.

Interested in learning the new Windows 10 operating system recently released by Microsoft? Course participants may bring their laptops as they explore the upgrade’s new features.

Want to connect with the modern world by using popular social media? Courses on Facebook, Twitter

subjects. They are promoted by brochures, such as flightPath mailed by Sandhills. However, the pamphlets are not always a comprehensive listing of all programs.

A more thorough approach is to review online listings as well as join email distribution lists. In fact, eager learners often find program information online and by email well before a brochure arrives in the mail and can register for popular classes before they close out.

Some colleges partner with vendors and external agencies to develop and publicize their programs. For example, Montgomery is exploring “a partnership with Front Porch Pickin’ Vintage Emporium in Troy to expand our crafts offerings,” says Gardner.

In addition, the Lifelong Learning Institute is a Sandhills partnership with St. Joseph of the Pines and offers classes, events, lectures, seminars, exhibits and culinary luncheons. Community members are invited to participate in these activities that are held both on and

and Instagram help in learning security cautions, setting privacy levels, creating profiles and sharing information.

Classes on crafts and hobbies may include beekeeping, knife-making, floral design, jewelry creations, beading, sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting and similar interests. For the first time this fall, a private pilot ground school is being conducted at Montgomery.

Other artistic classes include oil painting, drawing, watercolor painting and calligraphy. Depending on its service area, a community college may help develop skills in a regional craft such as pottery that is taught at both Montgomery (pictured are art students in mixed media class) and Central Carolina.

Communicative skills are a major component of the enrichment classes at Wake Technical Community College. Topics include public speaking, story development and plotting, and fiction writing.

CONTINUED PAGE 36

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

OutreachNC.com 35

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

For adults who volunteer with nonprofits, a series of grant writing classes is popular at both Wake Tech and Sandhills.

“These classes always fascinated me,” says Ellen Airs of Pinehurst, who took them to benefit her volunteer work.

Culinary classes are offered by Central Carolina, Fayetteville Tech and Wake Tech. The offering by Wake Tech, in particular, is extensive and includes European cooking, desserts for beginners, South Asian cooking and traditional North Carolina recipes.

The lengths of courses vary as much as the topics. Some courses, which meet weekly, such as beginning piano, may last 14 weeks.

Other courses with weekly attendance may last only four to six weeks. Programs on personal enrichment topics typically have a short duration and may meet only once or twice.

Interested in learning a foreign language or sign language? Classes are typically held twice a week for four weeks. Register early because classes, particularly Spanish, are popular. Although most area colleges offer sign language classes, only Central Carolina has German classes, and only Wake Tech has classes in Japanese, Korean and Russian.

Special weekends (Thursday through Sunday) that highlight local culture are offered by Central Carolina. Recent examples include wine, water and war history (that included hiking in a state park and touring a battleground); pottery, theater and golf (with visits to pottery and antique studios and a golf lesson); and local beer, art and cuisine (that included meeting local chefs and learning to make beer and cheese).

“These weekend programs have been designed to create learning experiences for adults over 50 that showcase our Central Carolina’s departments,” says Baggett.

Instructors for these programs are adults looking for opportunities to share their knowledge and skills. For example, lawyers teach courses on criminal cases, classical ballet dancers teach how to create beautiful movements to fine music, college professors explore film characteristics, certified senior advisors discuss investment and tax planning, and licensed and board-certified medical practitioners explain pharmacological information.

Some adults also return to the college classroom to take credit courses that they missed as they completed degree programs.

“They helped with my research and writing skills. I loved taking courses for credit,” says Airs, who took classes in religion, music appreciation and Southern culture.

When planning to attend a course, register early. Class sizes are limited, and registrations are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Most colleges recommend registering at least one week in advance of the first class meeting. For colleges that accept mail-in registration, be aware that it may not be received before a class fills.

N.C. residency is not usually required for continuing education classes, therefore, adults who are not state residents may register.

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All colleges offer walk-in registration and most also offer call-in (although Fayetteville Tech and Richmond do not). A nominal tuition is charged for each class, and payment at time of registration is required to reserve a seat. In addition, some colleges, such as Wake Tech, permit online registration. Central Carolina uses WebAdvisor, an online academic management system, to enroll students.

Richmond also accepts registration by email.

To promote continuing education and personal interest courses for adults 50 and over, Wake Tech is hosting a “2015 Plus 50 Expo� at its Northern Wake Campus in Raleigh from 1-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The expo will feature drop-in stations, workshops and presentations about its programs. Parking will be readily available because fall break will be under way. To expedite arrivals, pre-registration (which is free) is encouraged.

Registration and Program Questions?

Central Carolina Community College 919-718-7500 www.cccc.edu Fayetteville Techical Community College 910-678-8400 www.faytechcc.edu Montgomery Community College 910-576-6222, ext. 532 www.montgomery.edu Richmond Community College 910-410-1700 www.richmondcc.edu Sandhills Community College 910-695-6185 www.sandhills.edu Wake Technical Community College 919-866-5000 www.waketech.edu SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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life

GAME ON

50 Years of Softball and Ready for Next Inning

by Thad Mumau | Photography by Diana Matthews

J

ames McLamb is as steady and constant as the sunrise. He is Old Reliable. Has been for a long time—as a son, husband and father; as a school teacher and coach; and as one of the finest bigtime softball players to come out of these parts.

McLamb, a 67-year-old retired school teacher, is simply one of those guys—the good ones that go about life without fanfare or the “me” attitude—who can be counted on to deliver. He gets the job done.

His actual job was teaching health and physical education for 31 years, almost all of it at Pine Forest Middle School in Fayetteville. He started doing that right out of Campbell University, where he ran track and played soccer, helping the Camels finish third and fifth in the national NAIA soccer rankings his last two years.

And, then, there is softball. McLamb is in his 50th year of playing slow-pitch softball. Not just the recreational variety, though he has played plenty of that. We’re talking about ultracompetitive softball, where large companies and wealthy individuals sponsor teams, pouring thousands of dollars into the pursuit of huge, shiny hardware for their trophy cases.

He played on three teams that won major championships—Larry Strother Realty, taking the USSSA Class C World title in 1977, and Blanton’s, capturing both the ASA Major and the ISA 4-A National titles in 1985. He played on two 40-and-over national championship teams, a 45-and-over national title team and dozens of senior teams that have won national championships.

There have been enough individual honors to fill his own trophy case, but those who know McLamb would be quick to tell you that’s not what he is all about. He was an All-World selection three straight years while playing for Blanton’s and made it once with Strother.

“My best seasons were 1985, 1986 and 1987,” he recalls.

“That was the most recognition I received for what I did.”

What McLamb did was to consistently hit right around .600, while supplying a truck load of clutch home runs and RBIs. “I wasn’t a big home run hitter,” he says. “That was Jack Melvin. He is my best friend in softball and the best player I have ever seen. And I saw a lot of them in all those high-level tournaments we played in.”

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life

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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“

My dream was to play on the same team with my son.

”

—James McLamb

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38

To “not be a home run hitter”, McLamb has clouted his share of long balls, including nearly 400 in a two-year stretch. He hit 193 homers in 1978 and 189 in 1979.

He has seen substantial changes in himself as a player and in the game of softball over five decades.

“I started out in a little old church league, and I liked playing softball. I couldn’t hit much, but I could run and I could catch the ball. We used wooden bats back then.

“The first team I played with downtown was WFAI. That was in the old A League. I was with Trudeau’s Carpet in 1974, and we were playing a lot of games and a lot of weekends. We went 120-21 one season.

“Softball started getting big around here, and I played with some pretty good teams —the Fayetteville Merchants, Bedsole’s Pig ‘n Chicken— but with the same nucleus of guys – Jack Melvin, Tommy Warren and Virgil Bunce.

“I started hitting home runs around 1977,” McLamb says, “and there were a few reasons. I started lifting weights and got stronger. I only weighed 170 or so, but working out made a big difference. And the equipment got better.

“Not only were we using aluminum bats, but technology made them so they produced more whip action, and that improved bat speed and helped launch balls over the fence. The other thing was practice. A bunch of us would go out and hit most afternoons. We all got better.”

Over 50 years, softball has obviously been a big part of McLamb’s life. He met Sherri, his wife of 36 years, 40

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and for their first date, he took her to watch him play in a softball game. They have a son, Chad, and a daughter, Jamie.

“My dream was to play on the same team with my son,” McLamb says. “We did that for the first time when he was 12, and then we played together 10 or 12 years for Line Drive. We won our league just about every year. Chad is an outstanding player.

“Some of the most fun I’ve had was 12 years ago when all of us – Sherri, Jamie, Chad and me – played on the same team in a co-ed league.”

McLamb enjoys life, one built on faith, commitment and integrity. Those cornerstones were established early.

“My mama started me going to church when I was little, and she told me about Jesus. I grew up seeing her live her faith. She was the example of what Christians should be. I try to be like her.

“I liked being a teacher and a coach. I didn’t set out to go into teaching when I went to college. I don’t even know why I decided to do that. The thing I liked about it was the involvement with the kids.

“As for sports, the person who influenced me was L.B. Faircloth. He was a policeman, who would work the night shift and then be out with us boys the next day, teaching us how to play baseball.”

A left fielder for most of his softball career, McLamb pitches these days. He has been slowed by a hip replacement, a knee replacement and – like all of us – by age. He just keeps on going. Now, he also has Chad’s two daughters to share the love of softball.

“Softball has been a bunch of fun,” he says. “I have a lot of good memories and friends because of it.”

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OutreachNC.com 41

Steady Preventing Falls As We Go:

by Rachel Stewart

S

lip ups and missteps happen to everyone occasionally. For older adults, though, the risk of falls increases with age, which could lead to emergency room visits or even long-term hospitalization.

A Growing Problem Falls remain the leading cause of injury for seniors over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Falls can lead to fractures in the hip, pelvis or lower spine, and in some cases, traumatic brain injury.

The CDC estimates that every 13 seconds, a senior is being seen in an emergency room for a fall-related injury. In 2013 alone, 2.5 million seniors across the nation were taken to the emergency room after non-fatal falls.

Falls continue to be a growing problem for North Carolina seniors, according to the latest data provided by N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The percentage of falls has increased from 65.9 percent to 69.8 percent over the course of a decade.

And for older adults who have recovered from a previous fall, they may deal with depression, feel hopeless or be scared of falling again. As a result, many of these adults may forgo activities they once loved. Being proactive and preventing falls should be your focus as you continue to enjoy life—instead of limiting yourself.

Finding and Restoring Balance Your balance—also called equilibrium—plays an important role in keeping you upright and mobile, but it can decrease if you take certain medications or don’t stay active. Regular physical activity can help you stay steady on your feet.

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Extra Help Staying Active If you find yourself needing extra help getting around, there are plenty of products on the market to provide extra stability and confidence.

• Non-Slip Shoes and Socks According to Harvard Medical School, exercises that promote balance can help people react quicker before a potential fall in addition to boosting bone and brain health.

Try incorporating the following exercises throughout the week, getting at least 30 minutes of overall activity each day:

• Leg Lifts

Hold on to a chair and slowly lift one leg behind you or to the side, repeating up to 15 times on each side. Want to try it without the chair? Add a light pair of free weights and do bicep curls for a more intense workout.

• Walking

This is one of the simplest activities that can be done anywhere.

Before you head outdoors, make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes with good soles. To get extra steps in your day, make time for short breaks, ranging from five to 15 minutes in length. Shoot for 10,000 steps a day—or five miles.

Brands like Nufoot offer fashionable slip-on ballet flats and Mary Jane-style shoes for ladies and sport-style booties for men.

• Bed or Couch Standers

Need next help getting out of bed or off your favorite sofa?

The new stander accessory gives you something sturdy to pull up on. Today’s bed models feature a convenient pouch for magazines, television remotes, or electronics while the sofa models feature a side table/tray for eating or light storage.

• Tai Chi

This ancient form of movement relies on slow, fluid movement, constantly keeping the body engaged. Try attending a local tai chi class or group in your neighborhood or watching a tai chi workout DVD.

• Yoga

Looking for something more challenging than tai chi? Standing yoga poses like Mountain and Tree can improve your posture and build your core muscles, further supporting your back and spine. To practice Mountain pose, stand up straight, with your feet together, pressing your weight into the balls of your feet.

Breathe deeply to relieve extra tension in your body. Next, go into a modified Tree pose, lifting your right foot up and pressing the bottom of it into the inside of your left ankle. Hold this pose up to a minute, then switch legs.

• Swivel Car Cushions

These comfy cushions can help you turn your hips when getting in and out of a car.

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Making Home Sweet Home Safer

The majority of falls happen at the homestead. Identifying and removing possible dangers allows you to enjoy your home without the worry of falls.

• Declutter your home. Magazines, laundry, and other clutter can build up over time. Set aside a

time once a week to throw out or sort items into attractive storage containers that can be stowed away on shelves or closets, keeping the floor clear.

• Remove clunky or worn out furniture. Get rid of any furniture that is unstable or has sharp edges, which could lead to further injury if you’re trying to catch yourself.

• Secure loose cords, floor rugs and welcome mats. Sometimes it’s not possible to keep cords out of

a particular pathway. Cover these cords with tape to keep you or others from tripping. The same goes for rugs or mats used throughout the house, so use rug grip pads to keep these items in place.

• Replace rickety railings or steps. Have a carpenter address any weak areas around indoor

staircases or outdoor porches so you can climb your stairs with confidence. Upgrades can also make your home look more pleasant.

• Bring everyday items to eye level or lower. Storing items out of reach can lead to falls. Keep commonly used items on or near your countertops.

• Make your bathroom a no-slip zone. Grips on the bottom of your tub or shower can help reduce slippery situations. Consider installing a shower grab bar for extra stability when getting in and out of the shower or tub.

• Illuminate your way. Use nightlights throughout your house to help you see if you need to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom or grab a snack.

No matter your age or activity level, if you have concerns about falling, bring it up at your next doctor’s visit so you can discuss ways to stay active and healthy that fit your lifestyle.

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D

Carolina Conversations with best-selling author Diane Chamberlain

by Michelle Goetzl | Photography by Diana Matthews

iane Chamberlain is the bestselling author of 24 novels published in more than 20 languages.

Born and raised in New Jersey, she has lived and worked in San Diego, California, and Alexandria, Virginia, but now she considers North Carolina her “true home.”

Chamberlain’s latest book, “Pretending to Dance,” arrives in bookstores on Oct. 6, 2015. A true page turner, in this novel we follow Molly Arnette, who has spent much of her life keeping secrets.

ONC: Before you became a writer, you had a background in psychotherapy and I wonder how that impacted how you write your characters and how you build your stories.

DC: I have a master’s degree in social work from San Diego State, and I worked in hospitals as a social

worker. I eventually had a private practice working with teenagers as a psychotherapist, and I would say that it just gave me a really good understanding of how people tick, of how they interact. Especially the hospital work, it really showed me how resilient people can be, and how under enormous stress, they have strength they can tap into. So that’s what I always tried to do with my characters. I always put them under enormous stress, because why else write? It has to happen. I want them to triumph. I really want them to have to work at that triumph.

ONC: What moved you to leave the medical world and pursue writing as a full-time job?

DC: When I was in my early 30s, I was working in a maternity unit and an emergency room at a

hospital. I had a doctor’s appointment myself, and the doctor was very late. I had a pad and a pen with me, and I had always been interested in writing, but for some reason I just pulled out the pad and pen and started writing a scene that had been in my mind for years. The doctor was about four hours late; the receptionist kept saying, “Do you want to reschedule?” And I said “No!” Here I am, I just have this time and there was nothing else to do, I was writing by hand and really getting into it, and I got hooked.

I viewed it as a hobby in the beginning, and then I took a class in novel writing at an adult school, and the first night the professor came in and said, “I assume you all want to be published,” and it sort of shifted my thinking from hobby to maybe I could do something more with this. The more I wrote the more I wanted to write and it just took off. That ultimately, many years later, became my first novel.

I did both for a long time, for a good 10 years, and then I hit a point, my fourth novel was just about to come out, and I just couldn’t keep up with both the writing to deadline and working at the same time.

ONC: How do you manage writing with strict deadlines?

DC: Well, almost always it is a year that I have. I usually have a three-book, three-year contract. In the

last 10 years, social media has really taken off, and authors are expected to really nurture their social media audience. I actually enjoy that, I enjoy it too much. So it is finding that balance that really does get in the way of the writing and also trying to fit real life in there at the same time. I have to really work hard at finding a balance to get everything done.

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ONC: You do seem to really embrace social media.

How does it benefit your writing?

DC: You know, writing is a lonely job. We spend our

days with people who don’t exist and it is really fun for me. I’m sort of a half-introvert, half-extrovert, and that extroversion part of me gets some needs met through social media where I get to connect with my readers. My readers are such an enthusiastic, fun bunch of people, and I feel as though with some of them I have made personal connections. Hearing back from people means a lot to me.

Since North Carolina is where Diane Chamberlain calls home, readers have the opportunity to meet the author at upcoming signing events for “Pretending to Dance.”

Oct. 6: Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh Oct. 14: Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill Oct. 24: McIntryre’s Books, Pittsboro Nov. 10: The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines For details about Chamberlain’s book tour, visit www.dianechamberlain.com.

ONC: North Carolina has become like a character in your books. Why is it such a great setting?

DC: Well, it’s true. Over half of my books are set in North

Carolina. I moved from San Diego to Northern Virginia and I lived there for 22 years. When I moved to Virginia I started coming down to the Outer Banks and really got hooked. Growing up in New Jersey with the Jersey shore, I’ve always been very drawn to beach areas. The Outer Banks was so beautiful, and I ended up setting four novels there; three of them are part of a trilogy called “The Keeper of the Light” trilogy. And then I started making my way out of the Outer Banks and exploring more of North Carolina and was just fascinated by the history and by the variety of places that there are geographically.

North Carolina really celebrates writers. More than any place I have lived, it really appreciates writers, and I think it attracts writers to it. My step-daughter moved to Raleigh maybe 15 years ago and started having babies, and that really was the final straw. We ended up moving here 10 years ago and so everything is set in North Carolina.

ONC: Why do you enjoy writing at Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in Southern Pines?

DC: I went by myself and had a wonderful writing time.

Then I became part of a group of authors here, seven of us.

We are all sort of at the same point in our careers. It has turned out to be a wonderful setting to feed the creative juices. We work very hard when we are down there, we don’t play. Mary Kay Andrews, who is a writer of funny women’s fiction, cracks the whip for all of us. She gets us going. We have to set our goals in the morning every day and we have to check back in with her at 5 p.m. So we work very hard, but we all look forward to that time, because we know we’ll get so much done.

ONC: Your books have a tendency to deal with families and secrets. Is there a reason for that theme?

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DC: I think the reason that I do keep coming back to

that—it isn’t conscious—is from having been a therapist.

You become aware of how family secrets are destructive.

So it does seem to be something that I am constantly looking at. And also, it is intriguing to most readers to know that there is something yet to be uncovered, to go through that process with a character to try and uncover what it is that has impacted their whole lives. Even if you are not writing a mystery or suspense, there has to be a mystery or suspense in the story to keep those pages turning. I get bored if there is not something left for me to figure out.

ONC: What’s the best part about being a writer?

DC: The reason I keep doing it is because I love to create

stories, and I love to reach people with my stories. And I love getting feedback. I’ll tell you what my favorite feedback is, and I hear this often from people, that they’ve gotten away from reading, or they’ve never been a reader, and that they’ve discovered my books and it has started them reading again. To me, that’s worth everything.

ONC: Can you tell us about your latest novel?

DC: “Pretending to Dance” opens in the current day

with a 38-year-old woman and her husband living in San Diego. They are trying to adopt a baby and she has told her husband some lies about her past, and she is afraid about the home study, that the lies are not only going to ruin her chance to have this baby, but also ruin her marriage. So she comes to realize that her childhood is getting in the way of her future, and she sets out on a quest to figure out the truth of what her childhood really was. So then we go back to 1990 when she was 14 and she was living in Swannanoa, North Carolina, which is outside of Asheville. And so, there are things that happen during that summer, I hasten to say that there is no abuse, no terrible domestic issues that are going on, it is something totally different. It is sort of a coming of age story. It’s what’s happening in her family that leads her to a crisis and actually leads her to run away from her family for good. And so she has to deal with what happened during that summer in order to deal with her future.

ONC: Do you interact with book clubs to discuss your novels?

DC: I Skype almost every evening. Two nights ago, I

ONC: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

DC: You know, I haven’t had a real hobby in years, but

I have a hobby now, and I’m so excited! I picked up the guitar again. I taught myself to play as a teenager and then completely got away from it. Twenty-five years ago, I developed rheumatoid arthritis, and it affected my fingers, so I thought I couldn’t play anymore. About two months ago, I picked up the guitar and went to a meetup group. I discovered that I can still play—not well—but who cares.

Now, I’m just so into it and it’s great to have a hobby again.

ONC: Is the rheumatoid arthritis in your hands?

DC: It is in my hands, and it is very much in my feet and

ankles. I wear a brace, so that really did impact my typing.

I’m fine now because I’m on amazing medication, but when it first came on, for about five years before the Biologic drugs were created, there was nothing that was working.

I did write a few books using voice recognition software, which is really challenging to use, but it enabled me to keep writing. That was a very rough time and since then I don’t even really think about it with regard to my writing.

Skyped with a 70-person book club at a library in New Jersey, and it was just so amazing. That’s really my favorite kind of event where I reach a lot of people at once and then they get to ask questions about the book. It’s like being there. It’s great, only I don’t get the wine (laughs).

The really cool thing is that I can Skype with book clubs as far as California or Ireland. England and Ireland have been tough because of the time difference, and for California, I’m sometimes in my pajamas, but it’s just been a fun way to interact with readers.

ONC: You’ve lived in several places, but you call North Carolina your “true home.” What makes North Carolina home for you?

DC: I think, it’s interesting, it’s sort of the fact that so

many of my books are set here now. It just feels like this is where I belong. It’s kind of like, if you have children in a place, then that’s what connects you to the place. So I think that is probably part of it. I don’t know, I cannot imagine living any other place.

“Pretending to Dance” is the first book that I’ve set in the western part of the state and that has been really fun, getting to explore Asheville and the areas around there.

Just looking at a whole different part of North Carolina, I’ve really enjoyed that.

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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Harvesting the Health Benefits of Muscadine Grapes

by Carrie Frye | Photography by Diana Matthews

R

ow after row of muscadine grapevines weave along the acreage of Adams Vineyards in Willow Spring. The family’s century farm of eight generations dates back to the 1700s. Basking in the summer sun, the lush vines boast brillant shades of green weighed down with clusters of grapes ripening to perfection.

Since 2006, these fields that once produced tobacco as the major crop now also cultivate more than 15 varieties of the droughtresistant bronze and black muscadines. There are fresh market varieties for the pick-your-own visitors at the vineyard as well as juice and wine grapes.

“The varietal trait determines when the grapes are ready, and it can swing depending on the weather,” says Quincy Adams, owner and vintner at Adams Vineyards. “This year, some are early, and we harvest them when they are ready.”

Of the fresh market varieties ready for picking and eating, Fry muscadines have both an early and late variation.

“Fry is a favorite and a true Southern Scuppernong,” he says of the large well-known variety of muscadine named for the Scuppernong River that that flows through Tyrrell and Washington counties along North Carolina’s coastal plain.

Quincy makes his rounds through the vineyard daily to evaluate the ripeness of the fruit. Although the harvest process occurs from mid-August through October, pruning and tending to the vines is a year-round labor of love.

“Walking through and taste testing is the best way to do it,” he says, smiling. “That way I can make sure they have the true flavor, and each variety is different.”

Determining if the sugars are at the right level for harvest is also a key part of the viticulture—the science and production of grapes for winemaking.

CONTINUED PAGE 53

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The Muscadine Effect

D

eemed “nature’s healthiest grape” by the North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association, muscadine grapes are native to the Southeastern United States. This sweet fruit is packed with polyphenols, an antioxidant, and can be beneficial for your heart, immune system, vitamin levels and lower the risk for developing cancer and even help maintain healthier skin that is less susceptible to the effects of aging.

Heart Healthy

Muscadine grapes have three to four times more the phenolic compounds in comparison to traditional red wine grapes. This increased level of antioxidants help prevent the formation of blood clots and lessen the likelihood of blockages, helping lower bad cholesterol while raising the good cholesterol for better overall heart health.

Immunity Booster

Resveratrol, an immune system boosting compound found naturally in muscadine grapes helps the body fight bacteria and viruses and prevent infections.

Maintain Mineral Levels

Manganese, an important mineral in maintaining metabolism and antioxidant levels, can be found in muscadine grapes.

DID YOU KNOW?

52

•

Some of the black muscadine grape varieties include Noble, Regal, Cowart, Supreme and Nesbitt. Some bronze muscadine varieties include Carlos, Magnolia, Sterling, Doreen, Tara, Fry and Triumph.

•

Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh enjoyed muscadine grapes so much that it is said he had a keg of muscadine wine sent back to Queen Elizabeth I.

OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

Lower Risk of Cancer

Muscadine grape extract and its abundance of polyphenols has also been noted to lower the risk for cancer. A new $20 million study by Wake Forest University study was funded in June to examine the muscadine grape extract effects on prostate and breast cancers specifically. The principal researchers, Patricia Gallagher, PhD, and Ann Tallant, PhD, have previously studied muscadine grape extract’s ability to inhibit growth of cancer cells by up to 50 percent in cases of breast, colon, glioblastoma, leukemia, lung, melanoma and prostate cancers.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50

“I have much more control being the grower and the winemaker,” Quincy says. “Controlling the grapes and the harvest enables me to have exactly what I need for the production of our juice and wines, and the sugars have to be at the right levels.”

The grapes are either handpicked or with a mechanical harvester when the time is right. One variety of muscadine can yield eight to 10 tons per acre and approximately 125 gallons per ton.

Magnolia is one variation of a bronze muscadine wine grape that is ripe and ready early in the season.

Inside the back of the Adams Vineyards tasting room is where the winemaking process begins with all of the freshly picked fruit.

Adams’ juices and wines— of which there more than 20 blends—are handcrafted and bottled onsite.

“Muscadine wines can be dry, and these are not your typical syrupy-sweet wines,” Quincy says, pouring the Blush Plantation Reserve that took Best of Show honors for a sweet, white muscadine at the 2015 Mid-

Atlantic Wine Competition in Winston-Salem.

Beulah, Adams’ driest wine, and Clara Breeze Reserve, its traditional and sweetest, are both named in honor of Quincy’s grandmothers.

Quincy’s mother and co-owner, Joyce, greets guests to the vineyard for tastings, events and organizes the annual Grape Stomp for vineyard visitors.

Saturday, Sept. 19, marks the eighth year that harvested grapes turn into a family festival complete with stomping like the famous scene from “I Love Lucy.” In fact, women have dominated the event, taking home bragging rights every year.

“We use plastic tubs with equally measured amount of grapes, and competitors have 45 seconds to stomp,” Joyce says. “We have four stomp offs until we have a winner.

It is great fun, and no, we do not use the stomped juice,” she adds, laughing.

The grape harvest season is typically now through October.

As the grapes continue ripening, Joyce uses the fresh fruit for making her homemade muscadine jams and jellies while Quincy is out in the vineyard tasting, picking and preparing for another season of winemaking.

“The best part of the harvest,” Quincy says, grinning, “is reaping the fruits of my labor.”

WANT TO GO? Adams Vineyards, located at 3390 John Adams Road in Willow Spring, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sundays, 2-6 p.m. For more information, call 919-567-1010 or visit www.adamsvineyards.com.

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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life

COOKING SIMPLE

Southern Cosmopolitan Cocktail and Muscadine Glazed Trout

by Rhett Morris I Photography by Diana Matthews

Cocktail 2 ounces vodka of your choice 3 ounces Muscadine juice ½ ounce lime juice Slice of lime for granish Pour all ingredients into shaker (or tall glass) with ice and shake well. Strain and pour into cocktail glass and garnish with fresh lime.

Entree 2 pieces of mountain trout filet (substitute your favorite fish or chicken) 1 tablespoon olive oil 12 ounces muscadine juice 2 pieces lemon peel (use a small knife or vegetable peeler) 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Place muscadine juice, lemon peel, peppercorns, salt and vinegar into a saucepan on medium heat, and let it come to a boil. The mixture should simmer until it has reduced by half. Strain the liquid and set aside. Rub olive oil on the trout and place skin-side down on medium high grill or broiler pan. Brush the top of the fish with the glaze and cook on grill or broil in the oven. Brush the glaze onto the trout every 2 minutes. It will take the trout about 8 minutes to cook. Plate, and pour the rest of the glaze over the trout.

Morris, owner of Rhett’s Restaurant, Personal Chef & Catering, is an award-winning chef, specializing in Southern gourmet fare with fresh ingredients. He can be reached at 910-695-3663 or rhett@rhettsrpcc.com.

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SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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GREY MATTER See Grey Matter Puzzle Answers on Page 58

Adapt Adult Again Angry Arose Basin

Breaking Capital China Cotton Cousin Dares

Disco Dozen Dress Fifth Growth Guessing

Heroes Honest Hutch Irish Knives Model

inspection (2 wds) 27. Finger, in a way 31. Equestrian 32. Balaam’s mount 33. Angry, with “off” 34. A pint, maybe 35. Cleanser brand 37. Dust remover 38. Warm, so to speak 40. “___ to Billie Joe” 41. Hotel offering 43. MacLachlan of “Twin Peaks” 44. Stiff and unnatural quality 47. Bandy words 49. ___-Altaic languages 50. Idaho, e.g.

52. Those who frighten 55. California geologic fracture (3 wds) 58. Connive 59. Singer Lenya 60. ___ gin fizz 61. Pimples 62. Affirmative votes 63. Axed

DOWN ACROSS 1. Hose site 5. Enlivens, with “up” 9. Goya’s “Duchess of ___”

56

13. Ashtabula’s lake 14. Iraqi port 15. “High” time 16. Mailed travel souvenir (2 wds)

OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

19. Shrewdly 20. Peter, Paul or Mary 21. Biblical shepherd 22. Soave, e.g.

23. Before closer

1. Energy 2. ___ acid, a product of protein metabolism 3. Flexible mineral 4. Term of endearment (2 wds) 5. Spanish dish

Nickel Pines Points Press Refuse Ripen Roses Sails Snack Spine Stored Stout Styles Sweets Swings Swiss Taxes Teddy Thorn Today Trunk Turns Uranium Videos Weeks Wreck Yolks

6. Catch a glimpse of 7. Ace 8. Most impertinent 9. Very old 10. Advance 11. Granulated diamond 12. “Go on ...”

14. Succinct 17. Open, in a way 18. “The Joy Luck Club” author 22. Cheeky 23. Mischievous trick 24. Life of ___, 1940s radio show 25. Archetype 26. Small part in a movie 28. Cliffside dwelling 29. Butchers’ offerings 30. Barely beats 35. Lacking courage 36. Aroma 39. Say again or in a new way 41. Eat or drink rapidly 42. Loose 45. Gold coins formerly used in Italy 46. Clear, as a disk 48. Ballpoint, e.g.

50. After-bath powder 51. Soon, to a bard 52. “La Scala di ___” (Rossini opera) 53. Be a monarch 54. Lento 55. Marienbad, for one 56. ___ v. Wade 57. Big ___ Conference

This is our 11th Year

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TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT

Join Us! Register Today!

We have again joined Alzheimers North Carolina in their fight against Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. All proceeds remain in North Carolina to benefit patient and caregiver assistance, and research focused on the treatment, prevention and cure of Alzheimer’s disease.

Registration begins at 7:30 A.M. Team Scramble 9 A.M. Shotgun Fee is $100 per golfer and includes cart, range balls, continental breakfast, lunch and $1,800 in awarded prizes

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OutreachNC.com 57

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

SUDOKU

health

WELLNESS

7 Benefits of Yoga

by Cinnamon LeBlanc, CPT, RYT, CEF

H

CROSSWORD

ave you ever considered hitting the mat and giving yoga a try?

Well, you should, because yoga has something for everyone.

Fitness fanatics love it, because it helps build lean muscle mass and improves flexibility, while others are into the mental and emotional benefits, like less stress and improved focus. But did you know there is even more to love about yoga, like the fact that it is overall one of the best exercises for your health? In honor of National Yoga Awareness Month, my goal is to turn you onto yoga by sharing these health benefits: Better Sleep – Yoga helps relax your nervous system. Performing yoga can help quiet your mind and give you peace.

1 is a great workout for your heart!

2The calming nature of yogaYoga can help you lower your blood pressure, Lower Blood Pressure –

reduce your risk for heart-related diseases and conditions and live a longer life. Yoga also plays a huge role in reducing your risk of heart disease. system is one of the most 3important parts of yourYourbody,circulatory and it can become sedentary by Better Circulation –

your lifestyle and habits. Yoga can help improve your circulatory system since it helps stretch out your muscles and get your heart pumping.

The movements of stretching can help improve your 4spine’s flexibility, therefore helping take away any pain in your back. is known to help boost your 5endorphins, and yogaExercise is no exception. The practice of mindfulness Back Pain –

Emotional Health –

WORD SEARCH

through yoga results in overall relaxation and contentment.

Arthritis loves gentle movement, so gentle yoga can be 6extremely beneficial for arthritis. to build lean muscle, which improves 7your metabolism.YogaYouhelps also burn lots of calories while practicing Arthritis –

Weight Loss –

the poses.

There is no better time than the present to try yoga. Believe me; it could change your life. Namaste.

LeBlanc, CPT, RYT, CEF, is a certified yoga instructor at FirstHealth Fitness-Southern Pines. For more information on yoga or FirstHealth Fitness, visit www.firsthealth.org/fitness or call 910-692-6129.

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OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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• Home Care Assistance is the only senior care company with a Home Care University to train and develop caregiver employees. We also offer culinary training with an emphasis on nutrition to improve our caregivers’ skills and our clients’ meals.

• Home Care Assistance boasts a 97% satisfaction rate and has been endorsed by Harvard geriatrician, Dr. Dennis McCullough and Washington University Geriatrics Clinical Director, Dr. David Carr, among others.

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www.HomeCareWilmingtonNC.com

Elinor Donahue Graces Pinehurst Stage

I

by Thad Mumau

n a career that has covered three-quarters of a century, Elinor Donahue has an abundance of memories. She has left thousands more for others.

Donahue will make a few more memories for local folks when she plays the part of Betty Chumley in Judson Theatre Company’s production of “Harvey.” The Pulitzer Prize hit about Elwood P. Dowd’s friendship with an imaginary rabbit will run Sept. 24-27.

The 78-year-old Donahue is looking forward to visiting Pinehurst and to portraying the socialite wife of a doctor.

“I won’t change anything at all,” she says. “Betty is a good person who is full of life. I’ll just stick to the script. I know it well and have had my husband running lines for me every two or three days. Of course, one can’t help but bring herself into a part, so some of me will be in there.

“Mine is not a big part, but it’s a pivotal role. It is always good to get back on the stage. I am basically retired these days, letting work seek me rather than the other way around. But it’s still exciting every time I go out there.”

This is Donahue’s first trip to Pinehurst, but not to North Carolina. She has visited Mount Airy several times for Mayberry Days, the annual event that celebrates “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Donahue was Ellie Walker during the show’s first season.

Known as Miss Ellie, she was quite a conversation topic around Mayberry since a female pharmacist was mighty hard for a small —Elinor Donahue town to accept.

Before that, she was Betty (called “Princess” by her TV dad), the oldest of the three Anderson children in “Father Knows Best.” Playing major roles in two iconic television comedy series, Donahue has spent many an hour in the homes of American families.

“Father Knows Best,” starring Robert Young, ran from 1954 through 1960, and “The Andy Griffith Show” from 1960 through 1968. Both have continued to air often as popular re-runs over the years.

“Those were wonderful times,” she says. “I enjoyed doing both shows. They were fun, and I was working with really nice people.”

Young, who was also a household name as television’s “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” came across to viewers as the perfect father.

“He was a very nice man,” Donahue says, “and he was a father figure to all three of us (including Billy Gray as Bud and Lauren Chapin as Cathy). He was a fatherly influence to us off-screen.

“I remember that, children being children, we could be quite annoying sometimes. But Mr. Young didn’t say anything. When we became bothersome, he would just walk off the set.

Then, when we calmed down, he would return. But he didn’t get after us or show any temper.

“Jane Wyatt did some everyday mothering, too. She would take Lauren and me somewhere and teach us things. Like one time when we went to lunch, she told me how to figure up the tip. She would always tell us, ‘These are things you need to know.’ She was so nice.

“We were family, and not just in the series.”

“

It is always good to get back on the stage.

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”

The end of the show came suddenly. “It was a big surprise to Lauren, Billy and me,” Donahue recalls.

“There was a writers’ strike, and the three of us thought that when that was over, the show would be continuing. After all, everything was going well.

“But Robert Young and Jane Wyatt decided during the strike that they had had enough. They were ready to do something else, and besides, Mr. Young wanted to quit on top. So, boom! ‘Father Knows Best’ was over.”

Donahue signed a three-year contract to appear on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Being it was the program’s first season, she was Sheriff Andy Taylor’s first would-be girlfriend. But at the end of the season, she resigned.

“I didn’t feel mature enough to play the part of Ellie Walker,” she says. “I felt a little like a bird out of its nest. I had a small son, and I had some life to get in order. I felt I needed a rest.”

Many years later, there was a report that Donahue would have reconsidered and remained on the show if she had been asked.

“That is true. While I had good reasons for leaving, I was also at a point in my life that I needed to be needed. If someone had said that to me, I would have stayed.”

Donahue has been performing 76 years. She

tap-danced before she was 2, sang on the radio, did a Vaudeville act and had a part in the movie, “Mister Big” with Donald O’Connor, when she was 6 years old.

“I met and worked with many really nice people, a lot of them on those two great series,” Donahue says. “But everyone goes their separate ways. We all say we’ll stay in touch, but that doesn’t happen. I’m kind of a loner now.”

She does have one good friend from way back, however. She and Chapin, Donahue’s sister on “Father Knows Best,” have stayed in touch. They live near each other in Southern California, talking frequently and getting together for a movie every few weeks.

These days, the mother of four sons lives with her husband in the desert town of Coachella Valley close to Palm Springs.

“I am a homemaker,” Donahue says, “and a happy one. I’m a swimmer and walker, and I love to iron.

Imagine that. I like to cook and especially enjoy baking.”

Donahue does find her career rewarding with roles that left impressions with her loyal fans.

“People seem to remember roles I played—Betty and Miss Ellie—and liked the way I played them.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 |

OutreachNC.com 61

BETTER WITH AGE SERIES

by Carrie Frye | Photography by Diana Matthews

1931 Ford Model A Fordor Sedan

T

his 1931 Ford Model A Fordor Sedan is Washington blue with its classic black fenders and owned by Happy Ferguson of Carthage.

The Model A came in nearly two dozen body styles, including a roadster, coupe, tudor and this fordor model from October 1927 through March 1932. Upon its debut, Ford received orders for more than 400,000 cars.

Released before the 1929 stock market crash, the Model A was manufactured throughout the Great Depression, during which time Henry Ford is noted to have paid his auto workers $5 per day, according to the Model A Ford Club of America.

The Model A was also the first to have the more conventional driver controls with a clutch, throttle, brake pedal and gearshift. It was also the first automobile equipped with safety glass in the windshield; however, a rear-view mirror was optional. Engines boasted 40 horsepower with a top speed of 65 mph.

This particular Model A has a storied past as the car driven by actor Kevin Costner as he portrayed government agent Elliot Ness chasing Al Capone in the 1987 film, “The Untouchables.”

Although it is no longer chasing after mobsters, this classic Model A has 97,000 miles logged and is road-tested.

“I enjoy driving it to Atlanta and back,” Ferguson says.

“There’s a special feel and touch to it.”

“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”

—Henry Ford 62

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ACCESSIBLE BATHING PRODUCTS

Walk-in Tubs Showers Renovations Glass Enclosures

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HELPFUL TIPS FOR A MENTALLY ENGAGED MIND: • •

•

Find a brain-stimulating activity you like—reading, crosswords, learning a new language—and engage in it regularly.

Try carving out a little time to meditate when you feel stress is starting to get the better of you, or even when you don’t. Meditation may help to reduce inflammation and stress by soothing the vagus, the part of the brain that controls inflammation and immune response.

Commit to learning a new word or fact every day and commit to mastering a new skill or subject area every year of your life.

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITIES

CANCER CARE

Nydia Brooks, Executive Director

The STAR Program® Rehabilitation Services for Cancer Patients Gary Hatchell, PT

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64

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OutreachNC.com 65

Generations

by Carrie Frye

OutreachNC asked adults and children our September question. Share your answer on our Facebook page.

Who is your favorite teacher, and what’s something you learned from him or her?

My favorite teacher was my French teacher. Mrs. Copeland gave me an interest in other cultures, especially their foods. We had an annual dinner with French recipes that we prepared. —Kendra, 66 My middle school teacher, Mr. Michael, took an interest in me and pushed me. That made a difference.—William, 78 My favorite teacher was Dot McDonald, a psychology instructor at Sandhills. She taught me that it’s possible for a person to have compassion for everyone. She did this by her own example. —David, 62 Sister Mary Mildred, my high school yearbook adviser.

I was the yearbook editor, and she carefully guided me through all steps. Many of her lessons are still with me.

Mrs. Sheats, because she encourages me to do my best and read a lot. —Tristan, 8 Mrs. Crosby was always patient, taught me to read and what the words mean. —Brooke, 8 Mrs. Davis always helped us with reading and math and would brag on us about how we are so smart. —Daniya, 8 Mrs. Beck, because she was very nice and never very strict.

She let us read wherever we wanted to. —Wyatt, 8 Mrs. Jacobs, because she would call Women’s History Month “her story” month and told us very funny stories and taught me about Laura Ingalls Wilder. —Alyson, 8

—Elizabeth, 76

Mrs. Moore, because she taught me numbers and counting and how to love each other. —Levi, 6

Mr. Bohannan, my history teacher, because he made history come alive. —Linda, 59

Mrs. Davis, from second gade. I learned to always be kind and believe in myself. —Megan, 8

My mother. She taught me to read before I began school and passed along her love of reading and of books. She taught me the importance of not giving up and not giving in. This was done by example as she became an accomplished artist, attended college and earned her degree, and then was an inspiring school teacher—all after losing both of her legs.

Mrs. Bonner is my favorite teacher. I learned that it is fine if you don’t finish your work before lunch, but it is not OK if you don’t try. —Saoirse, 8

—Thad, 69

Mr. Sanders. He taught me to always be proud of my accomplishments no matter what they are. —John, 64 Mrs. Ruland. She taught me to believe in myself.

She is one of the reasons I became a teacher.

—Donna

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OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

Mrs Hively. I like her because she always picked someone to share their work and that reading is important. —Gavin, 8 Mrs. Hardy, because she taught me how to zip it, lock it and throw away the key. —Casper, 5 Mrs. Futral. She was kind because she put animals in our classroom and let us play with them. —Carlie, 8 Mrs. Sheats, because she is fun and we play games, and the first person to finish gets a Lifesaver. —Heather, 8 Mrs. Davis taught us fractions with brownies. —Bionca, 8 Mrs. Morris, for giving me the freedom to go outside, and Mrs. Briggs for never letting me run out of treats.

—OutreachNC Co-editor Jeeves, 2

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Cary 919-535-8713 Fayetteville 910-639-9420 Southern Pines 910-692-0683 www.AgingOutreachServices.com SEPTEMBER 2015 | OutreachNC.com 67

WORK YOUR BODY. WORK YOUR MIND. Start here and exercise both. Whether you’re working out or hanging out with friends, wellness is part of your well-being. After all, at Pine Knoll, you have the freedom to do anything you want, anytime.

Our accredited, full service retirement community takes care of everything. Be our guest and tour smartly designed one- and two-bedroom apartments, villas, and cottages. To see how your life can be more fulfilling, call 910.246.1023, or email info@sjp.org.

Welcome.

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590 Central Drive, Southern Pines, NC 28387 - 910.246.1023 - sjp.org OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

A member of the St. Joseph of the Pines Aging Services Network continuing the legacy of the Sisters of Providence.