Lovin' Life after 50 - Phoenix - April 2021

April 2021

Bucking Trends

Cluttered House, Cluttered Mind

At KNIX, Jim West watched it make broadcast history

Mary Vraa wants clients to feel free when downsizing

Living Like a

Queen

Marvina Thomas looks to the gods for her CBD and THC business Phoenix Edition Mailed toYour Home Monthly

Paul Stanley studies the past while exploring the present Page 19

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8 Living Like a Queen

Marvina Thomas looks to the gods for her CBD and THC business

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Leibo At Large Ask Gabby Gayle News Briefs

Features

10 Results-Driven Fitness Katie Mollica offers health tips for those 50 and older

12 Cluttered House, Cluttered Mind

Mary Vraa wants clients to feel free when relocating

16 Bucking Trends

With KNIX, Jim West watched it make broadcast history

Entertainment

18 Nothin’ Stupid Get a kick out of this Frank Sinatra tribute

19 ‘Now and Then’

Paul Stanley studies the past while exploring the present

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20 Doggy Delight

21 What’s Cooking?

Columns

24 The Healthy Geezer 25 Gardening

Daily Dose has the remedy for pandemic boredom

22 Hospice Is Hope Publisher

Steve T. Strickbine

Senior Account Executive

Vice President

Gordon Wood

Executive Editor

Courtney Oldham

Travel Editor

Tonya Mildenberg

Michael Hiatt

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Million Dollar Pasta Bake

Administrator

Contributors

Fred Cicetti, Lin Sue Cooney, Jan D’Atri, Sarah Donahue, Natalie Gilliland, Gayle Lagman-Creswick, Laura Latzko, David Leibowitz

Graphic Designer

Ed Boitano

An Ageless Attitude Since 1979

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Opinion

Leibo At Large

Watching a ruthless disease steal my father

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ The end of my father’s life is fast approaching, and if I am being completely honest, his last breath will be a blessing.

Parkinson’s disease, a ruthless bastard, has robbed him of his body: the ability to walk without falling, to use the bathroom by himself, to get out of bed under his own power.

My father’s mind lasted longer, but now dementia has eclipsed virtually everything that made him him.

Mostly what’s left now is anger. It has come to be my dad’s defining characteristic, at least when he is not faded into oblivion by morphine. Anyone who tries to help him is met by a fist, a kick, a shove.

All we can do is tell ourselves it isn’t him doing the fighting. It’s the disease.

One million Americans are living with Parkinson’s. Worldwide, the number is 10 million. Every year, 60,000 more people are diagnosed with the disease.

There is no cure. I am writing this to let you know what’s in store should you ever hear those sickening words.

Born in the Bronx in 1945, my father was the middle child of three. His older brother, a pharmacist by trade, was the first to manifest Parkinson’s. My uncle Mel died in May 2016. If my dad was nervous he was next, you never would have known it.

He played racquetball like a madman until age 70. When my mother’s health failed, he cared for her 24/7. Their love affair, a marriage that lasted 52 years, ended when my mother passed away two days after Christmas 2017.

My father has never taken off his gold wedding band.

The tremors became more noticeable a few months later. His decline was slow at first — no more racquetball, no more driving himself to CVS. His walk, strides that once gobbled up ground, dwindled to a plodding shuffle. 2019 felt like a rock rolling downhill.

And 2020, a horrible year for so many, www.LovinLife.com

was for my father apocalyptic: 52 weeks of handfuls of pills, vivid hallucinations, emotional doldrums and electric fury.

My brother and my nephew have been on the front lines for all of it: the vitriol, the wild mood swings, the swinging fists.

Care around the clock by home health aides did little except chew up money and present new targets for abuse.

Again, as we have told ourselves a few thousand times: This was the disease acting out, not my father.

Now he’s in a hospital bed, zoned out on morphine to manage his physical and emotional symptoms. The doctors claim they are trying to “get him stabilized,” whatever that means at this point.

Someday soon I will board a Florida-bound plane for perhaps the 10th time in the last year, except this time the destination is goodbye.

Here’s the thing, though: The man who taught me how to ride a bike, dribble a basketball, swing a bat, balance a chemistry equation, change the oil in a car, he’s been gone for a long time now.

That’s what diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia do — they don’t kill their victims all at once, they kill by degrees.

The person you love disappears day by day, gradually subtracted from your life and the world.

Long before they take their final shallow breaths, your heart has been replaced by an empty space where comfort and joy once lived.

Hug everyone you love tighter is all I can tell you. Make sure your long-term care insurance is paid up. Make peace with all who need forgiveness. One day soon, they may no longer be able to do more than breathe.

By then, the only thing left talking or throwing fists will be some bastard disease.

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995.

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Ask Gabby Gayle

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Hidden racism arises after daughter’s engagement

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to whom she is engaged to be married.

We knew she was serious about someone, but because we live in different cities 500 miles apart, we do not see her often. They came to visit a couple weeks ago. He is a very nice guy, but we feel she should have prepared us for the fact that he is African American. We managed just fine, but we do have reservations, because he has two children from a previous marriage, and she has two from her marriage. They said they are hoping to have one more together. I guess I am a little miffed that she did not share that he was Black, and that I am about to have two new grandchildren.

What do you say? Signed, B.C. BC: First of all, I want to comA Dear pliment you and your husband.

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The fact that your daughter didn’t see any need to tell you that her new husbandto-be was Black shows me that she didn’t think it would matter to you, just as it doesn’t matter to her. You have raised her not to be racist. Congratulations! Now that you are having thoughts that she should have told you, may have uncovered some hidden racist feelings that you did not know you had. Once you know you have those feelings you can deal with them and become a better person for it. I have a strong feeling that you, your daughter and husband, and all the grandchildren will get along just fine. Blessings and luck to you all.

Signed, GG

Q

Dear Gabby Gayle: I was married to a man for 50 years who passed away last month. Truth is, I was ready to leave him when he became ill, then I felt obligated to stay with him. That ended up being three more years of pain for me. My problem is that all my friends and family have heaped condolences and beautiful cards and letters talking about our beautiful memories, and on and on. I feel guilty because what I felt with his death was relief. Am I such a terrible person? I am filled

terrible. Each day it seems to get worse.

Any suggestions? Signed, No Grief No Grief: I’m sorry you feel A Dear no grief for your late husband’s passing. I’m also sorry for your unhappy marriage. It is what it is. You cannot manufacture feelings. Perhaps you can grieve for what was missing in your marriage that gave you such relief when he passed.

Excuse your friends who sent the typical cards and condolences. They know not what went on inside your marriage. We never really know what goes on in another’s life unless they share it with us. I have a word for those who are tolerating bad relationships: This is what happens if you do not do something about it!

Signed, GG Gabby Gayle: I have beQ Dear come friends with a man in my neighborhood. We have had many good discussions. He has a great sense of humor, too. Last week he invited me to go to church with him. I stopped going to church because I felt they were making rules and decisions that were not of God, but were rules of their church. I told my friend about this, and he said his church is spiritual and not organized like most religions. I think I am spiritual already. Do I need to go to church? Signed, AH AH: I could take up a whole A Dear column with this subject. Your friend seems to know what is right for him.

You seem to know what is right for you. I know what is right for me. I agree that there is a difference between spirituality and religion. I will hear from many “religious” persons about this. My message is to do good things, treat people well, be honest and forgiving, and pray to your higher power for guidance. I will continue our discussion in future columns.

Signed, GG If you have questions for Gabby Gayle, please send them to Ask Gabby Gayle at lagmancreswick@gmail.com.

www.LovinLife.com

News Briefs

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Area Agency on Aging expands outreach efforts In ramping up services the past 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Area Agency on Aging funded more than 1.2 million meals to homebound seniors since last March and over 2,100 cleaning supply kits, among other services and resources.

To assist in the efforts, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awarded the Area Agency on Aging two grants totaling $150,000. A $50,000 grant is providing transportation for older adults to COVID-19 vaccine sites, and a $100,000 grant is being used to develop elderSHOP through which Area Agency staff and volunteers grocery shop for older adults who need and pay for groceries but are unable to go to nearby stores.

“The funding from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust enabled us to expand our services to assist older adults who wanted to get COVID vaccines but didn’t have the means and others who were unable or afraid to go to the supermarket. We are deeply grateful for that support,” says Area Agency on Aging President and CEO Mary Lynn Kasunic.

“On a broader scale, our staff and volunteers really went the extra mile to ensure that essential needs in the community were covered.”

To help homebound seniors celebrate holidays, Kasunic said food bags with special ingredients and recipes were provided for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. “When the pandemic took hold, we knew that older adults would be particularly affected, and our team reacted quickly and strategically to ensure a solid lifeline was established for those who needed our help,” Kasunic says.

Individuals needing assistance are encouraged to call the 24-Hour Senior HELP LINE at 602-264-HELP (4357) or toll-free number at 1-888-783-7500. For more information, visit aaaphx.org.

Ashton Applewhite to speak at event Bureau Jewish Education will host Ashton Applewhite as its featured guest at its annual Art of Aging Event on Sunday, April 25.

The virtual celebration highlights information about adopting positive attitudes believed to guide ways to age with vibranwww.LovinLife.com

I frequent.”

The Arizona State Property Tax Refund Credit program provides for eligible seniors who pay monthly rent to receive a refund of a portion of the rent that they pay to their leasing agent, property manager, owner or landlord over the course of the year if their rent is taxed.

The state refunds a credit for the “property taxes” it allows leasing agents, property managers, owners and landlords to add a retail tax rate of 1.5% up to 3% (except Flagstaff and Tucson) to the senior’s monthly rent payments whether the senior is aware of it or not.

Lino says the state does not send reminders to senior renters to file for the credit, and most seniors assume that if they have no earned income to report, there is no point in filing either a federal or state tax return.

Therefore, she says, “I am providing the reminder to our seniors to check their eligibility for the refund credit.”

cy and vitality. Rabbi Ruth Sandberg, Ph.D., will open the program with Jewish thought on valuing elders. During the program, there will be a special dedication to past board member Joan Stiver.

Applewhite has been recognized on the PBS site Next Avenue’s annual list of 50 influencers in aging as their Influencer of the Year. Applewhite is an anti-ageism activist and a leading voice in a movement honoring age as vibrant and tapping into the possibilities of late life.

Sandberg is the Leonard and Ethel Landau Professor of Rabbinic at Gratz College, and is the director of the BA Jewish studies and Jewish professional studies and the MA in interfaith leadership.

Stiver will be honored at this year’s celebration. Stiver was an integral part of the Building Jewish Education’s Wise Aging program, as a participant and planning the 2020 Wise Aging Celebration. She was a model Wise Ager. After teaching for over 30 years, she lived with joy, resilience and spirit. The third chapter of her life was filled with family, music, books, Jewish learning and enhancing Jewish life.

Tickets are $36, and sponsorship starts at $180. The virtual event will begin at 10 a.m., and the program will host a silent art auction.

Info: bjephoenix.org

The Sun Lakes Democratic Club will host a virtual meeting via Zoom beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour and the meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 12.

The guest speakers are Jan Turhune, executive director of Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, and Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, LD 17, who will offer a legislative update.

To participate, email wlkariz@aol.com and request the Zoom meeting on April 12.

Seniors failing to claim tax refunds

Banner Olive Branch helps seniors with various services

Arizona senior renters who are older than 65 neglect to claim a property tax credit that they’re eligible for, passing up a refund of more than $100 that the state is prepared to put into its pockets every year.

If they do not file for the Arizona State Property Tax Refund Credit by April 15, seniors forfeit that money. A new website, ArizonaSeniorRefunds.com, aims to alert Arizona seniors who live and pay rent in Arizona about their eligibility for these funds.

“Unfortunately, Arizona seniors who aren’t aware of the Arizona State Property Tax Refund Credit can’t claim a refund for any year in which they did not file,” says Carletta Lino, creator of the new online resource explaining the refund.

“When I’ve made presentations about this tax credit to local business owners, no one in the audience, including instructors and visiting experts, knows about it, and ditto when I talk to the local businesses that

Banner Olive Branch Senior Center, in partnership with the National Council on Aging, is offering eligible Arizona seniors a way to help with their food and utility bills and to sign up for other services they may need.

Banner Olive Branch is one of 40 community organizations around the country stepping up efforts to assist older adults in applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“We know that for many of our seniors getting food, especially healthy, nutritious food, can be very challenging, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made it more difficult,” says Dawn Gielau, director of Banner Olive Branch Senior Center. “Yet healthy food is essential in treating diabetes, heart conditions, depression and fall prevention, and many other health problems.

“Many seniors don’t want to talk about this issue or ask for help. But we see elimi-

Sun Lakes Democratic Club to host meeting

nating food insecurity as an important part of successful, healthy aging.”

Banner Olive Branch is a hub that connects Arizona seniors with social workers, home health aides and others. To learn more about the program, call the senior center at 623-465-6001. Callers don’t have to be a senior center member to receive this service; it is available to seniors throughout Arizona.

Kaleidoscope Dance gets back in the groove Kaleidoscope Dance’s Trudy Sherman will teach a series of classes in April.

Gentle Tai Chi Sequences, 1 to 2 p.m.

Tuesdays, is slightly more rigorous than the Gentle Tai Chi-Qigong class. Individual moves from Easy Tai Chi-Qigong are combined in continuous fluid sequences that are stationary. This class starts with 15 minutes of qi gong warmup activities that are a subset of those used in Gentle Tai Chi-Qigong.

The remainder of the class is spent working on sequences of moves from Gentle Tai Chi. Each sequence consists of moves with similar philosophical concepts.

Taught by Sherman, Gentle Tai Chi-Qigong consists of gentle stretches and exercise that help improve circulation and release stress. Because the moves are stationary, it is an ideal form of exercise for anyone who has balance issues. This class starts with 30 minutes of warmup activities from the 4,000-year-old practice of qi gong. The second half of class is the practice of stationary movements taken from the 2,000-year-old practice of tai chi. Each movement is repeated three to five times to each side using either gentle forward-back or side-to-side rocking motions. The class is 10 to 10:55 a.m. Tuesdays, and 1 to 2 p.m.

Fridays.

The Crane Dance-Gentle Tai Chi is similar to the Gentle Tai Chi Sequences class. Stationary crane, qi gong and tai chi moves that are not part of Gentle Tai Chi-Qigong class are taught and combined in a continuous fluid sequence representing the movements of the crane. This class starts with 15 minutes of qi gong warmup activities that are a subset of those used in Gentle Tai Chi-Qigong. The remainder of the class is spent learning and practicing the Crane Dance moves and sequences. It runs from 9:15 to 10:10 a.m. Saturdays.

To register, call 480-692-0332. Visit kaleidoscope-dance.com for more information.

Cost is $12 per person drop-in; $40 for fourpunch card, good for 60 days.

APRIL 2021 |

7

Features

Marvina Thomas owns a CBD skin care company called 420 Skin Care along with a THC business called 420 Medibles, both of which combine the powers of the “woman (marijuana) plant” with the influence of traditional Egyptian goddesses. A part of the proceeds from both companies goes toward her group homes to help clients overcome addiction and secure wellpaying jobs. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

ueen LIVING Like a

Marvina Thomas looks to the gods for her CBD and THC business

BY SARAH DONAHUE James Brown may have said “it’s a man’s world,” but Marvina Thomas begs to differ.

“It’s all about us women now,” she says.

Thomas honors the divine feminine with the branding of her two companies, 420 Skin Care and 420 Medibles. She combines the powers of the “woman (marijuana) plant” with the influence of the highness of traditional Egyptian goddesses.

Women are making great strides within the marijuana industry, and Thomas says she’s glad to be part of the movement.

“We can show what we can do — not just be in the house, cooking and bearing babies.”

Owning two companies means Thomas is always on her toes, she says.

After a stressful day, she says she relaxes her body and mind with fruits of her labor — a 420 Medibles treat and a bath bomb — along with some candles and a glass of wine.

“Sometimes you need that — just to get away from everything. My phone rings 20 times a day. I need some ‘me time,’” she says.

Thomas eats the edible two hours before her “deprogram” ritual, which she says gives her “the best sleep.” Without this self-care routine, “my brain just keeps going and going and going and going.”

Since Arizona passed Proposition 207 in November, she has been extremely busy filling the copious amounts of orders that come in from dispensaries “on the daily.”

This led her to increase her staff and extend the eight-hour workday to a 24hour operation. “We’re working so many hours, but you know what? We love what we do,” she says.

8

| APRIL 2021

Thomas recently appointed Parisa Rad as president of 420 Skin Care and 420 Medibles within the expansion of her businesses.

She uses her two companies to achieve her ultimate goal of helping others, as a percentage of all of the funds she makes goes toward her group homes to help her clients overcome addiction and secure well-paying jobs.

“That’s always been my plan and my vision for my company,” she says. “It’s not about money. It’s about helping. Money

will always follow.”

Thomas is a former nurse and health expert and has been operating group homes for 18 years. She also has two medical clinics where her clients come to classes throughout the week.

She and her staff stay busy on the medical and cannabis fronts of their efforts, “which is a beautiful thing,” she says. “I thank God we’re able to create jobs.”

Ra Bar

Skin Soap

Bath Bombs

Many of the recovering addicts she works with hold previous convictions, “and a lot of people won’t hire felons,” she says.

The year-long program she offers at the center teaches the clients a job trade like contracting or plumbing, which allows them to get hired and start job training.

Thomas says it’s important to connect her clients with jobs that pay decent salaries rather than minimum wage so they can have the resources to build their foundations.

She outsources her family network of contractors to assist with the efforts.

Some clients also return to school or get jobs with her friend’s trucking company, she adds.

“We just love changing lives,” she says.

Seeing clients’ transformation from the start of the program to the end is “what keeps a smile on my face and keeps me going,” she adds.

Thomas says she works over a dozen hours a day, and “it’s not because I have to; it’s because I want to.”

She loves to be “hands-on” across all her efforts, whether it’s helping to make edibles or working at her group homes.

She is fueled by her passion, she says. “You gotta have passion in what you do in life, period. For me, to be at two different stressful companies, you definitely have to love what you do.”

Her passion for skin care started when she was working at her group home 18 years ago. After continuously buying soap and lotion products for her clients, Queen...continues on page 9 www.LovinLife.com

Queen...continued from page 8 she says she thought to herself, “There’s gotta be a way to learn how to make this stuff.”

She purchased a plane ticket to Florida to attend a week-long course she found online, which taught her the ins and outs of creating and mixing soaps and lotions.

“I just fell in love with it,” she says.

Thomas took it a step further and found a way to add CBD to the mix.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring substance found within the marijuana plant. The nonpsychoactive compound’s health benefits are known to provide relief for back pain, inflammation, insomnia and anxiety.

“I started using me as a guinea pig, because in this case if I broke out, that’s on me,” she says with a contagious laugh. “I was considering myself as a mad scientist at the time, and I fell in love.”

She began distributing her handmade CBD creams to her mom and other older loved ones to give them relief from arthritis and shortly started receiving satisfied reviews and requests for more, she says.

Thomas looked to industry trends and decided to start making creams with a higher potency of CBD, she says. She

started selling creams containing around 300 milligrams of CBD and now provides amounts like 500 or 1,000 milligrams.

Keeping prices low is a priority, she says. “I want to be able to help all — rich, poor, middle class, I want to help everybody.”

She used her learned skills to start making new products to set herself apart from others in the industry, looking to the beauty preservation ingredients traditionally used by ancient Egyptians.

She loves Egyptian culture because “it’s all about the queens,” she says.

Thomas strives to always set herself apart from the rest. Anybody can make a cream, but what makes hers different is the ingredients, she says.

“Back in those days, the queens took milk baths, but the milk that they were using was goat milk, and then they put the flowers in the water and they put all the different types of essential oils in the water.

“So that’s what I make my product out of, from the Egyptians,” she says.

Her milk baths, bath salts as well as bath dusts make the water colorful, and “it just relaxes the body and it leaves your skin so silky and soft.”

Her 420 Medibles also incorporate Egyptian influences. The marijuana-infused treats she sells are wrapped in “gorgeous” packaging showing imagery of Egyptian gods and goddesses, she says.

They can be purchased at dispensaries across the Valley.

The “Khonsu Krisp” rice and marshmallow bar honors the Egyptian God of the Moon, and the “Ma’at Sandwich” made of marshmallows and graham crackers honors the Egyptian Goddess of Truth, Justice, Harmony and Balance, which are part of her “OMG Deity Collection.”

While women have worked their way to establish themselves as a powerful force within the industry, “being a woman of color is very hard,” she says.

“I have to work extremely 10 times harder than another female that’s coming into this industry. It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.”

She formerly served as the director of community outreach for Women Grow, a national organization focused on elevating aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs. She was also co-market leader of what used to be the Phoenix chapter of Women Grow.

Thomas is 53 years old, “but my work ethic? I’m 25.”

She resides in Litchfield Park and originally hails from South Central Los Angeles. “I will never forget where I came from,” she says.

“I did not grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth,” she says. Rather, her family members taught her the value of earning her own living and paving her own road to success, she adds.

Thomas plans to open her own dispensary in the future and has a goal of owning dispensary locations in multiple states.

She says this is important because it will “let our people know, as far as people of color know, that there is room out there for us in this industry, because a lot of them are still feeling left out.”

While these institutional barriers can be extremely difficult to overcome, “I always tell people, ‘A closed mouth don’t get fed,’” she says.

However, ultimately her goal is to create jobs for the clients in her program “because they do have a voice.”

Thomas taught her kids the value of helping others and encourages everyone to give back when they can.

“When I do leave this earth, they can always say I was out there for the people — for all the people.”

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Katie Mollica offers health tips for those 50 and older

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Katie Mollica says the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way those older than 50 think about their health and fitness.

“You start to fear that you could get sick,” Mollica says. “A lot of times people worry if someone around them recently passed away. That inspires them to get their stuff together and start moving more, to be a little more active.”

Mollica and her partner, Wyatt Richardson, recently opened Central Phoenix’s Anato-Me, which offers results-driven fitness routines. They focus on empowering the community through intentional strength and functional training.

“Probably 10% of our gym is over 50,” Mollica says. “I think they really enjoy being mixed in with everyone else. They continue to get motivated and really empowered. That youthful energy is inspiring.”

Mollica offers the following tips for those 50 and older who wish to get in shape: • Make sure to get up and move every 20 to 30 minutes every day, rather than 10 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

“Don’t say, ‘I’m very active. I go here, and I run errands.’ You build up that endurance if you’re active for 20 to 30 minutes straight, whether it’s walking, swimming or pickleball.”

• Add resistance training — bands, dumbbells, any programs that can be done at home. “You can also visit a community gym and lift for 20 minutes a day, in addition to 10 or 15 minutes of walking. Step one is to get the body moving. Step two is to really get accustomed to that and add resistance.”

• Recruit an accountability friend or buddy to work out with. “Your neighbor and you make a date every single day.

This is something I’ve witnessed that really works to inspire people.”

• Have something to look forward to, like a large trip. “A lot of people before COVID-19, vacations were a big inspiration.”

Born and raised in Phoenix, Mollica is a lifelong athlete. She always wanted to do something surrounding athletics. She started as a spinning instructor while she was working a full-time desk job.

“I realized life is a little too short, and I wanted to do what I love,” she says.

“That’s going to make me fill my cup. I jumped out of my full-time job to be a full-time fitness professional.”

Mollica and her boyfriend, Richardson, purchased the gym in August 2019.

“When we opened Anato-Me, our mission was to offer our community a life-

style fitness program that focused on driving them to be the strongest version of themselves,” Mollica says.

“With over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry, teaching everything from yoga to spin to personal training, I felt there was this missing piece to group fitness in regard to strength training. It’s been my favorite and most effective way to train my own body, and I wanted to bring that to a larger audience. We created a space where people are learning how to perform exercises that drive results, nourish their bodies and become fundamentally stronger than they were before, all in a class setting.”

For members who are seeking help with nutrition, Anato-Me has an in-house director of wellness who is also a nationally certified psychotherapist.

Katie Mollica and her partner, Wyatt Richardson, recently opened Central Phoenix’s Anato-Me, which offers results-driven fitness routines. They focus on empowering the community through intentional strength and functional training. (Photo by Shelby Mazza)

10

| APRIL 2021

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APRIL 2021 |

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Cluttered House, Cluttered Mind Mary Vraa wants clients to feel free when relocating

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Mary Vraa was working in the home mortgage field in 2016 when many of her colleagues, who were around retirement age, called it quits due to the stress of trying to rebound after the 2009 market crash.

“They then closed out parts of our business and my whole division was closed out,” says Vraa, a Cave Creek resident.

“I was pretty shocked by that. I thought I was going to retire with them.”

But the change was fortuitous. After a year-long renovation of her home, Vraa forged a close relationship with her interior designer, Wendy Woodard.

“She called me up out of the blue to ask if I wanted to go on a road trip to Ojai, where she was working on a house,” Vraa says. “We just really clicked. We had such a blast. We sketched out an idea for a small business helping seniors with downsizing and transitioning to an older adult community.

“Between my project management background and Wendy’s fabulous skills, we thought it would be a great approach.”

Furthermore, Vraa wrote a book about her occupation, “PopUpurge: Release Midlife Clutter & Reclaim Inner Clarity.”

Geared toward women in their 50s, “PopUpurge” is a guide for discovering a new and fabulous midlife chapter, she says.

“Once the kids are grown and on their own, you can refocus on where you want to be … but where is that now? Not quite sure?” she explains.

When clients accept that clutter is not just in the closet, they realize that it’s really the emotions wrapped around the items that have them stuck.

“What really hit me was how hard it was for our clients to make these decisions to let things go,” says Vraa, 58. “It can be under a tight time constraint. You have to commit to a living space. You can’t straddle both forever.”

Vraa has experienced many of life’s customary heartaches herself, including divorce, cancer, job loss and loss of a loved one. She moved on to a new chapter in her life.

Mary is a certified senior move manager and master life coach. Now, through her writing and speaking, she continues

12

| APRIL 2021

to guide women with decluttering for their next life chapter.

“I’ve been amazed by the things people have,” she says. “They had ‘As Seen on TV’ things, every piece of artwork their kids made for them, or this was from grandma or Uncle Bob. I’d come home and say to my husband, ‘People have to start sooner.’”

Some of the Vraa’s clients have held on to things from negative situations in their lives, like a former relationship that ended poorly.

“Who wants to look at that?” she says.

“Why would you want something that reminds you that it ended badly?”

Two books really inspired her — “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo and “The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” by Margareta Magnusson.

“When you hit 50, you have to start looking at what’s around in the house and start to make decisions,” she says.

“The premise is you don’t want to leave a big mess behind for people you love. By going through all your stuff, you validate where you’ve been.

“With Marie Kondo, I do like the idea that your house is going to be beautiful.

If I kept everything that sparked joy, I wouldn’t know what to let go of.”

Vraa prides herself on having patience with her clients. She encourages them to go to the closet and pull things out. Vraa then asks her clients, “What do you think about this?”

“Some things they just really needed to

talk about and then they’re alright with just letting it go,” she says. “When I walk into somebody’s house and look around, I get a sense of who the person is. What’s featured there tells me what their interests are and hopefully their inspirations, what’s mattered to them. We’ll prioritize that.”

It’s uncomfortable to live in a warehouse-like setting, she says. With the cluttering, clients need to have things that are familiar as they step into the unknown. It’s all about change.

“The 50s are a really liberating decade,” Vraa explains. We’re in a position to do things just for ourselves. We’ve raised a family, supported a spouse or partner with their endeavors. We’ve worked.

“Without having to have those foremost, you have to think of what do I want to do now? Maybe it’s a passion you shelved some time ago. When you start to go through your stuff, you’re going to figure that out.”

Mary Vraa finds her 50s to be a “really liberating decade.” She wants others to feel the same way.

(Photos courtesy of Mary Vraa)

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Residents snap up Gold Bars issued in 6 States Heavy Gold Vault Bricks loaded with valuable Jumbo State Bars layered in 24 Karat Gold are up for grabs as thousands stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold bars; now residents in 6 states can claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable bars found inside just by covering the minimum gold fee set for state residents within the next 48 hours “It’s like a modern day gold rush,” said Mary Ellen Withrow, emeritus 40th Treasurer of the United States of America.

That’s because actual Gold Vault Bricks™ still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold bearing the name of the First Bank of the United States of America™ and the state they were once destined for are up for grabs as thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold. Now any resident of those states can claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable gold found inside. That’s four massive bars weighing a full 20 ounces of high demand bullion copper layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold in all.

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(Continued on next page)

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| APRIL 2021

Who gets the Jumbo Gold Bars: Listed below in bold are the states that get the gold. If you live in one of these states immediately call the State Distribution Hotline at: 1-800-749-6917 GB2222

AK AL AR Arizona California Colorado CT DE FL GA

HI IA ID IL IN KY KS LA MA ME

MD MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE Nevada

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(Continued from previous page) ounce which totals $2,480 if any remain.

“As special counsel to Federated Mint I earn my pay delivering breaking news.

And today’s announcement confirming the release of Gold Vault Bricks to the general public is as big as it gets. Believe me, I know how valuable these Gold Vault Bricks are to resellers, collectors, dealers and anyone else who gets their hands on them,” Withrow said.

“So my advice is this, anyone who gets an opportunity to get their hands on one of these Gold Vault Bricks better jump at the chance while they have it,” Withrow said.

“These Gold Vault Bricks loaded with massive 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold make the most impressive gifts for Christmas, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and any other occasion, especially for that hard-to-buy-for person,” Withrow said.

According to Ms. Withrow, since thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold, today and tomorrow are intended as a “special 48 hour release” for the benefit of persons living in; AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM and UT. This gives residents of those states a fair chance to claim the Gold Vault Bricks and all the valuable gold loaded inside for themselves.

But, Ms. Withrow added, “The Gold Vault Bricks are only available as inventory permits during the special 48 hour release so there’s no time to waste.” The emeritus Treasurer added, “Remember this, these Gold Vault Bricks contain a full 20 ounces of high demand bullion copper layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold and we have no power to stop dealers, resellers, collectors and the like from buying up all the Gold Vault Bricks they can get their hands on and reselling them for a big profit,” Withrow said.

Anyone who fails to obtain them during this special 48 hour release may be forced to buy them later in the secondary market from a dealer, reseller or collector at a hefty premium. ”We already know the phones will be ringing off the hook. That’s why hundreds of agents are standing by to answer the phones beginning at 8:30am this morning.

We’re going to do our best, but with just 48 hours to answer all the calls it won’t be easy.

So make sure to tell everyone to keep calling if all lines are busy. We’ll do our best to answer them all,” Withrow said.

“That’s why Federated Mint set up the State Distribution Hotlines in order to make sure residents in the 6 designated states listed in today’s newspaper publication can get them now,” Withrow said.

The only thing readers of today’s newspaper publication need to do is make sure they live in one of the 6 states listed in today’s newspaper and call the State Distribution Hotlines before the special 48 hour release ends midnight tomorrow. ■

NEVER BEFORE SEEN: THESE FIRST BANK OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA JUMBO GOLD BARS ARE THE ONLY ONES KNOWN TO EXIST

VALUABLE: THESE ARE THE FOUR 5-OUNCE JUMBO GOLD BARS SEALED AWAY IN EACH GOLD VAULT BRICK BEARING THE STATE DESTINATION

How much are the Gold Vault Bricks worth: The answer is, it’s impossible to say. But, it would be foolish for anyone to try and determine the value of these Gold Vault Bricks based on today’s price of gold. Here’s why. Gold, silver and all precious metal values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But what we do know is that these are the only Gold Vault Bricks still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars known to exist. In fact, the value of the pure 24 Karat Gold layered content is just a bonus for anyone lucky enough to get one of these Gold Vault Bricks because there’s no telling how much the actual collector value could be worth. That makes the minimum gold fee set for state residents of just $49 per ounce which totals $ 980 for the full 20 ounces locked away inside these Gold Vault Bricks a real steal since residents living outside of the designated 6 states must pay $124 per ounce, which totals $ 2,480, if any remain.

Why the vault fee is so low: Since thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold, Federated Mint has re-allocated Gold Vault Bricks to be sent out in the next 48 hours. That means the gold is up for grabs and now residents in 6 states can claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable bars found inside. These are the only Gold Vault Bricks known to exist and everyone wants them. That’s because they’re still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold bearing the name of The First Bank of the United States of America and the state they were once destined for. That’s four massive bars weighing a full 20 ounces of 24 Karat Gold and valuable bullion copper in all. And here’s the best part. If you live in one of the 6 states listed in today’s publication you cover only the minimum gold fee set for state residents of just $49 per ounce. That’s a real steal because residents living outside of the designated 6 states must pay $124 per ounce if any remain.

■ FIRST LOOK INSIDE THE GOLD VAULT BRICKS: Pictured above are the Gold Vault Bricks containing the only Jumbo State Gold Bars known to exist bearing the name of the First Bank of the United States of America and the state they were once destined for. State residents are rushing to get them because the Gold Vault Bricks are still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold. To claim you Vault Brick, just call 1-800-749-6917 GB2222 before the deadline ends.

Everyone lucky enough to get them better hold on to them because there’s no telling just how much they could be worth.

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FEDERATED MINT, LLC IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. MINT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, A BANK OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IF FOR ANY REASON WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM SHIPMENT YOU ARE DISSATISFIED, RETURN THE PRODUCT FOR A REFUND LESS SHIPPING AND RETURN POSTAGE. THIS SAME OFFER MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE AT A LATER DATE OR IN A DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. FEDERATED MINT, PO BOX 1200, MASSILLON, OH 44648 ©2021 FEDERATED MINT www.LovinLife.com

APRIL 2021 |

15

Bucking Trends With KNIX, Jim West watched it make broadcast history

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Jim West considers himself lucky — in the right place at the right time.

In the late 1970s, he worked for KNIX when country legend and “Hee Haw” star Buck Owens owned it. West had a frontrow seat to ratings victories just after “Urban Cowboy” hit the silver screen.

A Gilbert resident, West recalls his time in country radio in the new book, “KNIX: The Buck Owens Years,” with a foreword

by Owens’ son, Michael. Heavy on photographs, the paperback outlines the Owens years chronologically.

“The station is still active today, but there are many, many listeners who remember when this radio station was No. 1 in the ratings for nearly 20 years. It’s a unique story. My connection was as an on-air talent for eight years,” West says.

A Tucson native, West began his broadcasting career while serving in the Air Force, from which he was discharged in 1976. He worked in the Tucson market for a couple years, before receiving a call

from the KNIX program director in 1977. He didn’t get a job, due to an unexpected hiring freeze.

However, Larry Daniels, KNIX’s radio programming executive, phoned two years later, and West was hired.

The Owens family had the ratings juggernaut until 1999, when he sold it to the company that became Clear Channel and later I Heart Radio.

“The station is still popular,” West says. “I decided this book was going to be focused on the early years when it became successful. Early on, the station was a tax write-off because it wasn’t making money.”

Then things turned around right about the time John Travolta and Debra Winger’s “Urban Cowboy” was released.

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after that,” West says. “That helped the station as well. In 1980, we hit No. 1 — and for the next 20 years. It was an incredible run.”

To maintain its No. 1 spot, the on-air personalities hit the nightclubs for meet and greets, getting the word out about the station.

“We were shaking hands and kissing babies,” he says. “We’d see bumper stickers everywhere. We gave cash to people.

They thought that was the greatest thing.

“Country fans are the greatest in the world, as far as loyalty. They have their favorite radio stations. Nobody wanted to leave it. It was such a well-run radio station.”

The office had its own gymnasium, which was unheard of in the early 1980s.

Management considered building a swimming pool, too.

“They took care of their employees,” he says. “The management, Michael Owens, Buck’s son, was the general manager.

We went out on holidays, like Christmastime, and took us up to resort hotels for the weekend. The bottom line was we worked hard, and we played hard.”

Owens understood the business and how to treat his employees. That, West

Jim West of Gilbert recently released his book “KNIX: The Buck Owens Years” about his time at the station. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

says, led to the radio station’s success.

“A lot of us would consider us being in the right place at the right time,” he says.

“The radio station was so popular the folks in Nashville and the country music industry put us on a pedestal to show other radio stations around the country how to do it, how to become successful.”

West says he’s proud and glad to have been a part of broadcasting history. Many of his former co-workers feel the same way.

“We feel fortunate that we were in the right place at the right time,” he says.

“KNIX always looked good on a resume.

They did it right. They had the right tools, the right people, the right approach and the right strategies to gain listeners.

“I wrote this as a tribute to the radio station. I have great memories of it.”

“KNIX: The Buck Owens Years” by Jim West

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Additionally, at the end of clinical trial and after seeing the Worse, because the bladder fails to empty completely, you feel like you need to go all the time! And as old urine just sits results, 84% of the participants taking UriVarx™ said it significantly there, it can seep into your blood stream, causing painful improved their quality of life.

“The clinical findings are incredible, but people still wonder if infections which need multiple rounds of antibiotics to get it will really work” explains lead developer for Urivarx. “It’s normal rid of. to be skeptical, but we’ve seen thousands of UriVarx™ users get “URIVARX TARGETS A FAILING BLADDER results exactly like the participants in the study. It’s an amazing IN A WHOLE NEW WAY” In its most recent clinical trial, scientists discovered a trio of product.”

EXCITING RESULTS FROM URIVARX USERS science based compounds that actually strengthen the tiny Many UriVarx™ users say their bladders have never been stronmuscles surrounding the bladder. So effectively that they were ger. For the first time in years, they are confident and in complete shown to decrease adult diaper use by a staggering 400%.

Even more surprising, these three compounds also had a control. Adult pads and diapers are no longer a big worry.

“It’s exciting to hear all of the positive feedback” explains a rejuvenating effect on the bladder, allowing it to work like it spokesperson for the company. was years younger.

BLADDER PROBLEMS GONE

With daily use, UriVarx™ can restore strong bladder control and help users overcome leakage without the negative side effects or interactions associated with drugs.

Leakage sufferers can now put an end to the uncontrollable urges, the embarrassing accidents, and enjoy an entirely new level of comfort and confidence.

HOW TO GET URIVARX This is the official release of UriVarx™. As such, the company is offering a special discounted supply to anyone suffering from bladder issues who calls within the next 48 hours.

A special hotline number and discounted pricing has been created for all residents. Discounts will be available starting today at 6:00AM and will automatically be applied to all callers.

Your Toll-Free Hotline number is 1-800-440-2641 and will only be open for the next 48 hours. Only a limited discounted supply of UriVarx™ is currently available in your region.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FDA. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY.CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE TAKING THIS SUPPLEMENT. URIVARX IS NOT A DRUG.

www.LovinLife.com

APRIL 2021 |

17

Entertainment

Nothin’ Stupid Get a kick out of this Frank Sinatra tribute

BY LAURA LATZKO Frank Sinatra had a special way of captivating audiences with songs like “Fly Me to the Moon,” “New York, New York,” “I Get A Kick Out of You” and “My Way.” David Grapes’ and Todd Olson’s show, “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” hits the Phoenix Theatre Company’s outdoor stage at Central United Methodist Church from April 14 to May 23.

This will be the final show in the theater company’s 2020-21 outdoor season.

Similar to other shows, seating will be socially distanced, and masks and temperature checks are required for staff and audience members.

Directed by D. Scott Withers, the production will be set in an intimate, midcentury cabaret bar, in which the four performers — Jessie Jo Pauley, James D. Gish, Trisha Ditsworth and Matravius Avent — will sing musical vignettes about Sinatra’s life. The two couples recently performed together in February for a Valentine’s Day-themed show at Wrigley Mansion.

In July, Ditsworth and Avent did a livestream featuring standards from the Great American Songbook. The two were also supposed to be in Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of “Something Rotten!” but it was postponed due to COVID-19.

The couple met while performing in Phoenix Theatre Company’s “Memphis.”

They rarely shared the stage until they appeared in Arizona Broadway Theatre’s “Sister Act.” Ditsworth says during the COVID-19 pandemic, producers have been wanting to work more with couples.

“We can dance together,” Ditsworth says. “We can kiss. We can sing at each other. Even though work has been few and far between, we have actually only worked together this last year.”

With the Frank Sinatra show, the couple will perform well-known and more obscure Frank Sinatra music, including “That Old Black Magic,” “My Funny Valentine” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.”

Ditsworth says Sinatra’s special vocal quality made him stand out.

“I do love that classic style, that throw-

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| APRIL 2021

back style of singing where everything is so full and lovely,” Ditsworth says. “There’s just something about Frank’s voice that gives you that tingly feeling, that makes the hair on your arms stand up.”

The songs’ arrangements and the performance style will bring a new take to music that some audiences may know by heart.

“With this show, you are going to get singing and dancing and laughs — hopefully,” Avent says. “You’re going to get the Phoenix Theatre Company experience that people have come to expect when they come to a show.”

The couples will perform solos and duets, as well as a few group numbers. The production is broken down into different themes, such as songs about cities or about love.

Ditsworth and Avent are familiar with Sinatra’s music, although a few songs are new to them. Avent has done Rat Pack tributes in the past, and Ditsworth has performed in jazz shows.

“Certain songs are going to be so fresh in my mind, but then I’m going to have to recreate them in the style of this show,” Ditsworth says.

Although she is familiar with Sinatra’s work, there were a few surprises for her, like Sinatra’s disco songs.

Avent says he has enjoyed delving into Sinatra’s deeper tracks. In the show, none of the performers will portray Sinatra as they perform his music. They will sing his songs and share tidbits about the singer’s life as themselves.

“There isn’t that pressure to sing it just like him, but we are going to honor him and his career,” Ditsworth says.

“The writers were smart in that. They were clear about not impersonating Frank Sinatra. That gives us the liberty to be ourselves and make great music. Frank Sinatra’s voice is one of a kind. There’s no

During its outdoor season, Phoenix Theatre Company’s actors and staff have maintained social distancing, worn masks and undergone testing. (Photos courtesy of the Phoenix Theatre Company)

replicating that, even if we tried,” Avent adds.

Sinatra had certain movements that the performers will recreate in their own ways.

“Frank Sinatra just had an ease about him when he performed. That’s what you think about when you think Frank — class. That is something that we all as performers can bring to the show,” Avent says.

The show does stay true to Sinatra’s style of performing.

“The writers were very specific about how these songs should be portrayed,” Avent says.

“They allow for a little bit of liberties, but everything will definitely have the Frank Sinatra feel. Even our director was

talking about that. There are certain things that Frank did, like rhythmic things or phrasing type things that specific to that era and Frank.”

“These songs bring back so many great memories for lots of people,” Ditsworth adds.

MORE INFO

What: “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” When: Various times, Wednesday, April 14, to Sunday, May 23 Where: Phoenix Theatre Company’s outdoor theater at Central United Methodist Church, 1875 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix Cost: $59 Info: 602-254-2151, phoenixtheatre.com www.LovinLife.com

‘Now and Then’

Paul Stanley studies the past while exploring the present with Soul Station

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Long before Paul Stanley found success with Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Kiss, he was checking out the heavy hitters like Otis Redding in concert.

The experience was eye-opening, he says via Zoom.

“It really showed me that greatness has no color, has no ethnicity, has no shape, has no size,” Stanley says. “You are aware when you’re in the presence of greatness, and it’s not something that’s easily defined there.

“There have been moments like that in my life where I have been very lucky, and Otis was certainly one of them.”

Stanley took experiences like that and rolled it into the band Soul Station, which just released its first full-length album, “Now and Then,” which covers the Temptations, the Delfonics, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Five original tracks fit snugly with the covers.

Soul Station, Stanley’s 15-piece ensemble group, has toured the United States and Japan, but it wasn’t until recently that it could enter the studio together and record “Now and Then.”

To help Stanley create the sound, he recruited the likes of Rafael “Hoffa” Moreira (guitar and backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (musical director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums and backing vocals), Ray Yslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals), Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon

www.LovinLife.com

Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).

“We have such a ball,” he says. “We’ve been doing this for years now. We’re not a band that got together in the studio and wants to go play live. We’re a live band that’s gone into the studio, which comes across.

“We get along so great. We’re constantly texting each other or calling. It shows how exciting friendships can be when you’re not all bringing the same thing to the table. If you watch the videos, there is a lot of smiling because we have a ball.”

Stanley says the group found it satisfying to take on classic hits like “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” and “The Tracks of My Tears.”

“I’ve loved the songs since they came out,” he says. “I grew up with all this music, and I’ve always sung these songs at home.

“I’m not Eddie Kendricks, and I’m not Al Green. I’m not Levi Stubbs. I’m me. I believe that if you understand a song, if you can get into the intent of the song and the emotion behind it, you should be able to sing it — if you’re a singer.”

Soul Station

paulstanley.com Soul Station just released its first full-length album, “Now and Then,” which covers the Temptations, the Delfonics, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. (Photo by Oliver Halfin)

Stanley wanted to focus on and respect the melodies, so he didn’t change much when he recorded the songs.

“I also didn’t want to do paint by numbers,” Stanley says. “This wasn’t impersonations. This was me singing those songs, and from the response I’ve gotten from people who I look up to, mission accomplished.”

Songs like “Just My Imagination” proved to be challenging, but the mission was definitely accomplished, based on a conversation had with Otis Williams.

“Subtle songs can be like threading a needle,” he says. “There’s not a lot of leeway on either side. ‘Just My Imagination’ is a beautiful, beautiful song. It’s eloquent. Otis Williams is the keeper of

the flame for the Temptations. He says to me, ‘I’ve listened to your version over and over, and it’s as good as ours is.’

“You have to put that into perspective.

I certainly do. Our reverence, our respect and our dedication to performing these songs come across. If Otis says that, then I would say that the defense rests.”

He’s hoping Kiss fans will love the music as much as he does.

“I hope they can be shown that there’s only two types of music — that’s good and bad,” he says. “If you only listen to one kind of music, it’s like eating one kind of food over and over and over.

“There’s a lot of great music out there, and it doesn’t necessarily all fall into the same category.”

APRIL 2021 |

19

Dining

Daily Dose Midtown Bar and Grill serves a variety of menu options for guests. (Photos courtesy of Daily Dose Kitchen and Bar)

Doggy Delight Daily Dose has the remedy for pandemic boredom

BY LAURA LATZKO Restaurants are reopening after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted COVID-19 restrictions.

Others are being cautious while offering fun options for customers.

The Daily Dose Kitchen and Bar — a locally owned restaurant with locations in Old Town Scottsdale, Midtown Phoenix

During Daily Dose’s Doggy Date Night, pets receive homemade biscuits from Dogs Eating Cake.

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| APRIL 2021

and Tempe — is hooking up pet parents with a night out.

Every third Thursday through June, the Daily Dose’s Midtown Bar and Grill at 20th Street and Highland Avenue will hold its Doggy Date Night with social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines in place.

On the menu is special $6 doggy entrees, including a burger patty and pieces of bacon, grilled chicken with a grain blend, and scrambled eggs with bacon. To wrap it up, they get all-natural treats from Dogs Eating Cake.

Co-owner JenLyn Long says the monthly event takes place on a pet-friendly patio.

“We want establish it as something to do, a fun thing to

look forward to,” Long says. “It gives you a reason to go out during the week, meet other people with dogs and have a nice time.”

Doggy parents have options like turkey meatballs with goat cheese, loaded fries, nachos, chorizo mac and cheese, classic or specialty burgers, Southwestern veggie chili, roasted baby back ribs, homemade onion rings or panko-crusted chicken fingers.

Daily Dose also serves signature cocktails such as hibiscus, spicy watermelon and pineapple margaritas, as well as lime rose mojitos.

A portion of the proceeds from the monthly event will go to the Arizona Humane Society, which also benefited from the chain’s Doggie Bag Dine Out. Daily Dose also has a healthy partnership with Habitat for Humanity. It sells discounted

lunch boxes to those working with the organization and donating a portion of proceeds back to the nonprofit.

The three Daily Dose restaurants are known for their “urban mom and pop” ambiances and for foods such as cinnamon roll pancakes, banana bread French toast, breakfast nachos and the hangover sandwich.

Long and her husband, Matt, opened their first restaurant in Scottsdale in 2008 and followed with Phoenix and Tempe in 2012 and 2020, respectively.

Long says Daily Dose is committed to offering fresh food.

“My husband is great in the kitchen,” she says. “We make our own sauces. We make our own salsa. We roast our own garlic.”

The restaurant chain recently reopened dinner at its Midtown store from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays to bring in revenue after the pandemic restrictions. Long hopes Doggy Date Night will show patrons what the restaurant has to offer.

“We are trying to give people a good reason to come out, bring their dog and enjoy dinner,” she says. “We want to help the Humane Society at the same time that we give them a reason to come out during the night.”

MORE INFO

What: Doggy Date Night When: 3 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through June Where: Daily Dose, 1928 E. Highland Avenue, Suite F107, Phoenix Cost: Varies Info: 602-274-0334, dailydosegrill.com

Pets and their owners can dine together on Daily Dose’s patio during Daily Dose’s Doggie Date Night during the third Thursday through June. www.LovinLife.com

What’s Cooking?

Million Dollar Pasta Bake

Retire In Style at

BY JAN D’ATRI When a dish is named Million Dollar Pasta Bake, you can probably count on it being worth every penny in flavor.

So, it is with this recipe. The dish has been around for decades, but it’s making quite a revival on social media. It seems as though we’re all looking for a little extra comfort in our foods these days, and a cheesy, meaty lasagna-like casserole checks off that box quite nicely.

I’ve made a regular-size batch, and I’ve also doubled the recipe for great makeahead portion-sized meals that can be

frozen and enjoyed later. I’ve also prepared the Million Dollar Pasta Bake with ground beef, turkey and chicken. Whichever protein you prefer, the outcome tastes pretty much the same.

This recipe is a lot like lasagna but much easier to prepare, with its delicious layers of homemade meat sauce, a sizable layer of pasta enrobed in four cheeses, and more meat sauce and cheese on top. If you’re looking for a real satisfying and hearty comfort food classic, you can’t go wrong with a Million Dollar Pasta Bake.

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Million Dollar Pasta Bake Ingredients: • 8 ounces (1/2 pound) spaghetti noodles • 1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped fine • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 6 tablespoons butter, divided • 1 pound ground beef (or turkey) • 1 (26-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese • 1/2 cup sour cream • 1 (8-ounce) package cottage cheese or ricotta • 8 ounces mascarpone, optional • 2 cups shredded mozzarella • 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet with 3 tablespoons of butter, sauté onion and garlic until softened. Add ground beef or turkey and cook until browned.

Add pasta sauce, stir to combine, and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Cook noodles as directed on the package.

While your noodles are boiling, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese or ricotta in a bowl until smooth. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain and return spaghetti to pot. Add cheese mixture and gently stir to fully combine.

Add 3 tablespoons of butter (in small pieces) to the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Add a light layer of meat sauce, and then spread the enrobed spaghetti over top in an even layer. Add the remaining meat sauce over the spaghetti.

Spread mozzarella evenly over spaghetti.

Sprinkle Parmesan over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly on top.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to set up before serving.

Watch my how-to video for Million Dollar Pasta Bake at jandatri.com by searching for “Million Dollar Pasta Bake.” www.LovinLife.com

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APRIL 2021 |

21

Columns

Hospice Is Hope

Celebrating National Volunteer Week — 365 days a year The silver lining in these challenging times is a collective recognition of the amazing work our health care workers do day in and day out. They deserve all our accolades and prayers, for this crisis is far from over.

Yet right on their heels is another group that has perhaps become society’s newest brand of hero: volunteers. Those selfless souls are stepping up to help people sheltering in their homes often without a support system.

At Hospice of the Valley, we treasure our volunteers every day of the year, not just during National Volunteer Week (April 18 to April 24). Some 2,000 strong, they offer companionship, kindness and compassion. Their only compensation is the reward of knowing they have brightened someone’s day and eased a heavy heart.

“I feel my visits are a shining light that relieves the amplified isolation my patient is feeling due to COVID-19 and her terminal condition,” says Diane Walton, a volunteer who has given back to our nonprofit organization for 16 years.

“Whether we’re playing cards, purging photos or organizing drawers, my sole motivation is to improve the quality of

her day. Whatever I can do, I am there.”

Sometimes a volunteer comes with a four-legged friend. During the pandemic, virtual pet visits have given patients like Barbara Peterson something exciting to look forward to. With our nurse’s help, the 87-year-old was able to FaceTime with her beloved pet therapy team — volunteer Tracy Howell and Roger the cat — for 45 minutes!

Sometimes a volunteer comes bearing blooms. Once a week, Jennifer Bortz, a neuropsychologist with “a long history in the flower business,” teams up with a fellow Dove Petals volunteer to arrange flowers donated by supermarkets. The beautiful arrangements are then gifted to patients. “It feels good to know we bring them something unique to enjoy,” she shares.

And sometimes a volunteer brings a bag of groceries. “I can’t even imagine how difficult it is for patients during these times, especially those with no family support. I feel blessed to be able to shop for them,” volunteer John Burgess says.

They also write beautiful sympathy cards, like the one volunteer Lisa Holliday remembers getting when her father died.

It was signed by everyone who cared for

him five years ago. The personalized message was comforting. “It was unexpected — and it was a blessing,” she recalls.

Some make bereavement calls to comfort homebound survivors.

Volunteer Belinda Brown, a retired paralegal, supports many widows who were married for decades.

“It’s a double whammy, because they lost their best friend and, with pandemic, they can’t have visitors and are more isolated than ever. Sometimes we talk for an hour,” Belinda says. “They’ve become just as important to me as I think I have become to them. It’s a really rewarding way of giving back.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by volunteers who know the importance of giving family caregivers a much-needed break.

“I give my patient’s husband the peace of mind to go to the grocery store, run errands or just take care of things around the house knowing his wife is being taken care of,” volunteer Sue Hanke says. “This has been a crazy time for everyone, and it’s nice when you can make a difference.”

Volunteers are the soul of our five White Dove Thrift Shoppes, which help support our charity care programs so no one who needs care is turned away. Teen volunteers have tapped into their imaginations to find new ways of serving. Srikar Potharaju is one of many who created

Hospice of the Valley volunteer Lisa Holliday helps write condolence cards to family members who have lost a loved one. | APRIL 2021 22

Teen volunteer Srikar Potharaju created a gardening video, among others, for Hospice of the Valley patients.

Dove Petals program volunteer Jennifer Bortz makes flower arrangements for Hospice of the Valley’s inpatient care homes.

BY LIN SUE COONEY

Director of Community Engagement, Hospice of the Valley

Roger, a therapy cat, is part of Hospice of the Valley’s Pet Connections program.

(Photos courtesy of Hospice of the Valley)

a “video library” showing patients how to play chess or garden. “I am thankful for the opportunity to make a difference and keep everyone safe!” he says.

Cindy Hacker epitomizes the heart of our volunteers when she says her goal is to nudge the needle in the direction of compassion. “I always experience an expanded sense of contribution, connection and gratitude. In a world where I feel mostly powerless to help alleviate suffering, that is no small thing.”

If you are interested in sharing your time, talent and heart with Hospice of the Valley patients and families, visit hov.org/ volunteer or call 602-636-6336.

Lin Sue Cooney is director of community engagement at Hospice of the Valley. For information on services and programs, call 602-530-6900 or visit hov.org.

Hospice of the Valley volunteer Belinda Brown makes comforting calls to bereaved spouses. www.LovinLife.com

Puzzles

GOby FIGURE! Linda Thistle

ANSWERS ON PAGE 25

King Crossword ACROSS 1 Tub session 5 Petrol 8 Microwaves 12 Jai -13 Dadaist artist 14 Vicinity 15 Home to the Buccaneers 17 Fish feature 18 Evening hrs.

19 Whirl 21 Jazz genre 24 Crossword hint 25 Former mates 26 Turquoise-like color 30 Mimic 31 Rib 32 Ltr. holder 33 Pentagon VIPs 35 Broad 36 The Eternal City 37 Golfer’s wear

38 41 42 43 48 49 50 51 52 53

Calms Actor Holbrook Canal zone Dorm room sleepers Curved molding Corn spike Pakistani language Office plant Reuben bread Grate

DOWN 1 Cudgel 2 Pie -- mode 3 Highland hat 4 Zoo heavyweights 5 Yaks 6 Coach Parseghian 7 Small telescope 8 Capital of Croatia 9 Operatic solo 10 Hide 11 Auction

16 Sound booster 20 Year-end celebration 21 Tempo 22 Big fair, for short 23 Pager sound 24 Stop 26 Trucker in a union 27 Floral rings 28 Nullify 29 Always 31 Helen’s home 34 Impudent 35 Orville’s brother 37 Moving day rental 38 Starting 39 Olympic sled 40 Lusty look 41 Employ 44 Path 45 Epoch 46 License to drill?

47 Dine

SUDOKU TIME

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

SCRAMBLERS Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words.

Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!

www.LovinLife.com

APRIL 2021 |

23

The Healthy Geezer

Don’t go overboard with vitamins, minerals

BY FRED CICETTI

vitamins worth Q Are taking? very important to talk with A It’s your doctor before you take any

24

vitamin and mineral pills, especially if you take prescription medicines, have any health problems or are elderly. Taking too much of a vitamin or mineral can cause problems with some medical tests or interfere with drugs you’re taking.

Vitamins and minerals are “micronutrients” your body needs in small but steady amounts. Your body can’t make most micronutrients, so you must get them elsewhere.

Vitamins are natural substances found in plants and animals. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble.

Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed by your body. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they don’t have to be absorbed using bile acids (fluids used to digest fats).

Your body doesn’t store large amounts of water-soluble vitamins. The water-soluble vitamins you don’t need are removed by your kidneys and come out in your urine.

Your body has to use bile acids to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Once these vitamins are absorbed, your body stores them in body fat. When you need them, your body takes them out of storage to be used.

Here are some water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C, biotin and the seven B vitamins — thiamin (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B-5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B-9) and cobalamin (B-12).

Here are some fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E or K. Minerals come from the earth or from water. Plants and animals absorb them to get nutrients. The “major minerals” are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur and chloride. They are considered major minerals because adults need them in large amounts.

The “trace minerals” are chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. Your body needs them in smaller amounts. | APRIL 2021

It would be hard to “overdose” on vitamins or minerals that you get from the foods you eat. But if you take supplements, you can easily take too much. This is even more of a risk if you take fat-soluble vitamins.

Whole foods are your best sources of vitamins and minerals. They offer three main benefits over supplements: 1. They contain a variety of the micronutrients your body needs. An orange, for example, provides vitamin C but also beta carotene, calcium and other nutrients. A vitamin C supplement lacks these other micronutrients.

2. They provide dietary fiber, which is important for digestion and can help prevent certain diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Adequate fiber intake can also help prevent constipation.

3. They contain other substances, such as antioxidants, which slow down the natural process that leads to cell and tissue damage.

If you depend on supplements rather than eating a variety of whole foods, you miss the potential benefits of these substances.

For some people, including those on restrictive diets, multivitamin-mineral supplements can provide vitamins and minerals that their diets often don’t. Older people and pregnant women have altered nutrient needs and may also benefit from a supplement. www.LovinLife.com

Gardening

Spring flowers have interesting backgrounds

BY NATALIE GILLILAND

Poppies Flower Shop

If you are anything like me, as soon as the clock strikes April, I begin thinking about the poem “April showers bring May flowers!” While we do not get much rain in Arizona during the spring, the cooler temperatures sure have been nice. In the store, we are busy getting ready to stock all the lovely spring flowers that start blooming in April and May. One of the hallmarks of spring flowers is the daffodil.

Daffodils come in a variety of colors besides their famous yellow petals. They also come in white, cream, peach and even pink. Daffodils can be traced back to the early 17th century in the United Kingdom. However, it was not until the later 19th century when they began being farmed for the cut flower industry.

Initially, flower girls sold the wild blooms on the side of the road, until a potato farmer came along and realized he could farm them much like his potatoes. That is when he began growing and selling them in bulk using the weekly freighter to send the blooms from Penzance to London on a weekly basis. We are certainly grateful for this farmer, as we will enjoy the daffodil season in the next couple of weeks.

I have a lot of favorite flowers, but one of my top three is definitely the tulip! Tulips come in a wide variety of colors and types.

The parrot tulip is a great variety that we carry in the store. The parrot tulip has petals that resemble feathers and come in beautiful bold colors. While tulips are often associated with Holland, they actually originated in China.

They were introduced into Western society in the 16th century and even led to the first recorded economic bubble burst with a little-known event called “tulip mania.”

Tulips became such a hot commodity that their price rose to over 10 times the annual salary of an average artist around 1637.

They were so sought after that farmers www.LovinLife.com

had their planted bulbs stolen right out of their farms. What a wild history our sweet tulips have. Did you also know that tulips continue to grow while they are in water?

I have customers come in often with their vase of tulips that have slumped over asking me for help. The stems of the tulips continue to grow in water and often cause them to slink over the vase.

All they need is a stem cut and they are back in business!

I’ll admit, there is nothing more beautiful than a big, beautiful peony in full bloom. Peonies are requested nearly everyday (even during the cold winter!) in our store. If peonies were a floral currency, they would be the rare coin that you find in your great grandmother’s coin purse. They only bloom from April to June, and the full blooms have an even shorter season for the cut flower industry. The peony dates back to 1000 B.C. in China and did not make its way out West until the late 1700s. During that time, the peony was used primarily for medicine, helping to treat headaches and asthma. To this day, lightly sweetened peony petals are served as a dessert in China. Peonies come in nearly every color, except for blue. Watching the peony fully bloom in the spring and open from a tight ball into a fluffy, colorful flower is truly a gift.

It is evident I could talk about flowers for days and days. I love spring and the flowers it brings with it. Not only do we make beautiful bouquets with the freshcut blooms, but we also get to learn more about the different varieties and how they are cultivated. There is nothing more cheerful than to have a simple vase of fresh cut blooms in your home to wash away the April showers.

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When Marjorie and Steve were young, they didn’t think about owning a home, let alone retirement!

As they grew older, as we all do, they wanted the American dream, owning a home. That dream for Marjorie and Steve took hard work.

With a good job, paying the bills, mortgage and of course keeping up with the kids, their house is more than just a home. It is the family they’ve built and the life they have lived. It was worth it all.

Now nearing retirement age, they are looking forward to enjoying what they earned. Marjorie and Steve couldn’t wait to sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. But even with all their careful planning, unforeseen events and unexpected expenses diminished the assets they set aside for their retirement. The only realistic option they could see was to sell their retirement home in Sun Lakes.

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Marjorie and Steve’s credit card debt were not a part of their retirement plans, but Sun American Mortgage stepped in to help turn a bad situation into an opportunity for them to stay in their home. With 30 years of experience assisting Arizona seniors in similar situations Sun American Mortgage is a leader in the Reverse Mortgage industry.

Instead of selling their precious home they worked so hard for in Sun Lakes, Marjorie and Steve were able to turn to the equity in their own home to pay off their credit card debt and get back on track to retire better.

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Marjorie and Steve have options.

They can simply pay the interest, make a full payment every other month, make two payments every month, or never make a payment again for as long as they live in the house. The reverse mortgage gave them the flexibility to live the future they dreamed of, even though their retirement plans didn’t go quite as planned, they can… retire better.

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This material is not provided by, nor was it approved by the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) or by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

answers

Natalie Gilliland owns Poppies Flower Shop at Norterra, 2450 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 1147, Phoenix. For more information, visit poppiesflowershop.com, email info@ poppiesflowershop.com or call 480-649-7100.

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Better read this if you are 62 or older and still making mortgage payments.

More than 1 million seniors have taken advantage of this “retirement secret.”

It’s a well-known fact that for many older Americans, the home is their single biggest asset, often accounting for more than 45% of their total net worth. And with interest rates near all-time lows while home values are still high, this combination creates the perfect dynamic for getting the most out of your built-up equity.

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Call 800-791-4847 now. this unprecedented period. According to new statistics from the mortgage industry, senior homeowners in the U.S. are now sitting on more than 7.7 trillion dollars* of unused home equity.

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All things considered, it’s not surprising that more than a million homeowners have already used a government-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan to turn their home equity into extra cash for retirement.

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The cash from a HECM loan can be used for almost any purpose. Other common uses include making home improvements, paying off medical bills or helping other family members. Some people simply need the extra cash for everyday expenses while others are now using it as a safety net for financial emergencies.

If you’re a homeowner age 62 or older, you owe it to yourself to learn more so that you can make the best decision - for your financial future.

protection for homeowners, there are still many misconceptions.

For example, a lot of people mistakenly believe the home must be paid off in full in order to qualify for a HECM loan, which is not the case. In fact, one key advantage of a HECM is that the proceeds will first be used to pay off any existing liens on the property, which frees up cash flow, a huge blessing for seniors living on a fixed income.

Unfortunately, many senior homeowners who might be better off with a HECM loan don’t even bother to get more information because of rumors they’ve heard.

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*Housing Wealth for Homeowners - 62+ Reaches $7.7 Trillion in Q1 2020: NRMLA/RiskSpan Reverse Mortgage Market Index (RMMI) Q1 2000 - Q1 2020 Reverse mortgage loan terms include occupying the home as your primary residence, maintaining the home, paying property taxes and homeowners insurance. Although these costs may be substantial, AAG does not establish an escrow account for these payments. However, a set-aside account can be set up for taxes and insurance, and in some cases may be required. Not all interest on a reverse mortgage is tax-deductible and to the extent that it is, such deduction is not available until the loan is partially or fully repaid.

AAG charges an origination fee, mortgage insurance premium (where required by HUD), closing costs and servicing fees, rolled into the balance of the loan. AAG charges interest on the balance, which grows over time. When the last borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse dies, sells the home, permanently moves out, or fails to comply with the loan terms, the loan becomes due and payable (and the property may become subject to foreclosure). When this happens, some or all of the equity in the property no longer belongs to the borrowers, who may need to sell the home or otherwise repay the loan balance. V2020.12.22 These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency.

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NMLS# 9392 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 18200 Von Karman Ave, Suite 300, Irvine CA 92612. Licensed in 49 states. Please go to www.aag.com/legal-information for full state license information.

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