50plus Life Cumberland County – January 2023

staying young on the slopes

New Year’s Resolutions: Why They Fail and How You Can Succeed

By Kimberly Blaker

The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. – Melody Beattie

The new year is a great time to take inventory, set goals, and take charge of your life. But if you’re like most, making resolutions is much easier than keeping them.

Rather than focusing on the idea of a new beginning, which can lead to disappointment at the first slip, keep in mind that self-improvement is an ongoing endeavor. Setbacks are not failures; they bring wisdom and insight for future success.

Before making a split decision on this year’s resolutions, make a list of goals and changes you’d like to make. Then review your list, and cross off any you don’t feel genuinely devoted to.

Maybe you want to resolve to spend more time with your family, quit smoking, or lose weight. You’re more likely to succeed if you feel a strong personal commitment rather than “I should.”

One reason people don’t keep resolutions they make is the resolutions are often made to silence the pestering of a loved one. If you decide to quit smoking to get your husband off your back, you’re less likely to succeed. If you choose to quit smoking to feel healthier and be able to enjoy physical activity without being winded, you’re more likely to experience success.

Choose one or perhaps two of the resolutions on your list that you feel most committed to. Then choose one or two you feel confident you can do with ease. These last couple can be used as positive reinforcement for the more challenging first choices.

Next, make a clear plan for adhering to your resolutions. Put each resolution in writing, and write down the steps to achieve them.

Let’s say your resolution requires a routine or schedule, such as an exercise routine, a new diet, or steps toward completing your education. Create a goal chart, a detailed plan, and a checklist to track your progress.

Also, post notes in strategic places, such as the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or steering wheel, as reminders of your resolutions with tips on how to overcome temptation.

Make sure your family understands the importance of your resolutions. Family support and their positive reinforcement can be most helpful. If your resolution is something your family has been nagging you about, ask for their encouragement. But explain that pressure and pestering, particularly during setbacks, could undermine your resolve.

Determine how each family member can help you to achieve your goal perhaps by taking on additional household chores or through affirmations of your continued success.

Adjust your environment to enable success. If eating healthier is your goal, don’t fill the cupboards with junk food for other family members. Find healthy snacks they’re willing to substitute.

If you’re trying to quit smoking, avoid people, places, and things that

remind or tempt you, at least until you have it well under control.

Don’t go it alone. If you have a friend with a similar resolution, make a pact. Work together to create a plan, and then make a point to check in with each other regularly for encouragement, praise, and support. If you resolve to get more exercise, do it together. Having a commitment and someone to accompany you will go a long way in helping you succeed.

Finally, reward yourself, not just once you’ve achieved your goal, but periodically for your success so far. Small, periodic rewards can be motivation enough to keep you strong when you’re ready to throw in the towel.

Remember, whatever New Year’s resolutions you choose, success awaits you if you resolve never to give up trying.

Kimberly Blaker is a freelance writer. She also owns an online store, Sage Rare & Collectible Books, specializing in out-of-print, scarce, signed, and first editions and fine bindings at sagerarebooks.com

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Cover Story Staying Young on the Slopes

By Gabriele Amersbach

When Jack Billmyer was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs in 1972, the military decided to get serious about keeping young recruits out of trouble. Billmyer and the other young soldiers, who were the last Vietnam War draftees, were sent to learn how to ski.

which he has embraced.

“The old straight skis had a uniform width from tail to tip. Now I especially enjoy parabolic skis, which feature a deeper side cut, where the tip and tail are wider than the middle,” he explains.

“This type of ski provides much more edge to make contact with the snow. As such, your skis are easier to control with less exertion, and it’s easier to turn, which makes the sport so much more effortless.”

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“Since I decided to sign up for an extra year, I had the choice of which station to choose. I chose Colorado,” says Billmyer. “We were all young and single. The military wanted to keep us busy. They paid for ski equipment and lunch and sent us to Broadmoor, near Denver, now an Olympic training facility.”

As a result, “we drank a lot of beer and learned how to ski,” he remembers. “Everything was ridiculously cheap. We didn’t wear ski clothes then, just blue jeans and sweatshirts, with very long skis. I found it to be fun.”

The rest of the time in the Army he learned air defense, artillery, and management skills. While he never put his air defense and artillery skills to use, he developed a lifelong love of skiing.

“Now, I ski pretty fast. When you’re on a big mountain with big snow, you get the biggest charge,” he says with an enthusiasm that still infuses his description 50 years later.

‘Try to Catch Me’

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While skiing continued to be a passion, Billmyer moved back to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and began work at a local building company. During the recessions of the late ’70s, he created his own building and renovation company, Jack Billmyer, Inc., in Hershey. He continues his work even at 70.

Billmyer gives skiing credit for his high energy and good health.

“I wear a t-shirt that says, ‘I know I’m an old skier; try to catch me,’” he says. “I remember my parents and grandparents — they looked old. I feel like there’s a lot of life in me yet and feel like I’m in my mid-30s.”

For Billmyer, skiing is the ultimate workout, although the sport has undergone many changes,

Billmyer has not switched to snowboarding because he would have to start from scratch with new equipment, although he notes that snowboarding saved the industry when skiing became less popular in the late ’70s.

“Over the years, I’ve built up top-of-the line equipment that most people don’t have,” he says. But since he skis nearly every weekend in winter, for Billmyer, the investment is worth it.

Locally, Billmyer and his wife, Linda, ski at Roundtop in York and at Elk Mountain in Union Dale, Pennsylvania. They also enjoy skiing in the Poconos, the Rockies, and Canada.

He explains that between climate change and local weather patterns, the local ski industry relies on machines that make snow.

“The local resorts blow snow at 30 degrees. Without that, we wouldn’t have a ski industry, though you feel the small, round spheres the machines make underneath your skis,” he says.

“However, skis function better on natural snow — Western or Canadian snow is a totally different base. That kind of powder skiing you don’t get here. You don’t feel anything underneath your skis — it’s so soft.”

You Can Be 70 and Ski

According to Billmyer, no matter where you ski, the sport fosters an active lifestyle.

“If you surround yourself with people who exercise and watch their diet, they want to get out more, and life is more fun!” he says with conviction.

Consequently, Billmyer and his wife are active in the Lebanon Ski Club, where they meet

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Shredding the slopes at Aspen Snowmass ski resort in Colorado.

likeminded people who also enjoy skiing, bicycling, and hiking. Currently, he serves as the club’s president.

He is eager to expand membership but notes: “People in ski clubs tend to be over 50. Younger people often don’t have time and money for a club as they build their careers and raise children.”

While Billmyer would enjoy attracting more members of all ages, he points out that skiing can be especially beneficial to older adults.

“You can be 70 like I am and ski. The sport really promotes getting in better shape,” he says.

Since he also teaches skiing parttime at Roundtop, he understands that to get comfortable with skiing, “you have to get outside of the comfort zone, be willing to try new things, and stop worrying about getting hurt.”

The best way to overcome the fear everyone initially feels is to take lessons.

“We promote learning from the ground up with a two-hour lesson,” he says. “It takes commitment. You may not be an expert after a lesson, but come out and learn, and you will become a skier forever.”

Billmyer does admit skiing is not an inexpensive sport, but there are ways to make it reasonable. For a two-hour group lesson, you can expect to pay about $100 locally, which can include helmet, poles, skis, and boots.

A day of local Pennsylvania skiing will cost about $60, but in places like the Rockies, daily ticket costs are considerably higher. However, a group rate with a ski club can offer substantial discounts for rooms, equipment, and lift tickets.

Billmyer also advises, “Rent equipment until you decide you like it. For example, most rental shops will allow you to test skis on the slopes. Then, if you decided to buy the skis, they’ll take off the rental cost.

“The first piece to buy, however, is good boots! Most people stop skiing if their feet hurt. So you may want to bring your own jacket and boots and rent the appropriate skis based on the condition of the slopes.”

Making Winter Fun Again

When you’re finally speeding down a hill, you may find the costs are

worth it.

“Rather than waiting for spring, skiing makes winter a whole lot more exciting,” Billmyer says. “You have things to look forward to.”

This season he and his wife have trips planned to Elk Mountain, Vermont, and then, later in the season, California and Colorado.

“Skiing is athletic — the more you ski, the better you get. I fall rarely — usually I’m just goofing around. I don’t have any fear,” he says.

Billmyer does understand that some people go down hills that are beyond their skill level, especially in the Rockies, where skiing can be more challenging.

“People do get stuck,” he says. “I am a people person and often help stuck skiers get down the slope. I’ve met people from all over the world.”

With a passion that reflects his love of the sport, Jack Billmyer inspires those of us for whom winter means dull weekends indoors, with too much TV and comfort food.

“Give skiing a try! It could change your life. You might stop complaining about winter and start saying how much fun it is.”

Billmyer after completing the NASTAR racecourse at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.

Billmyer instructing first-time skiers at Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry, Pa.

Did a Holiday Visit with an Aging Parent Spark Concern?

Adult children who spent time over the holidays with their aging parents may in some cases have returned home haunted by agonizing questions.

Are their parents experiencing health problems?

Are they still mentally on top of things?

Is it time to start thinking about longterm care?

“The holidays and their aftermath are the busiest time of year for long-term care admissions,” says Chris Orestis, president of Retirement Genius a nd an authority on retirement planning, long-term care, and financial health.

“Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, families got together and many were seeing Mom or Dad for the first time in months. Some discovered that their parent’s health has declined, and he or she should not be left to live on their own any longer.”

If you are concerned about aging parents, Orestis offers a few observations you may have had during that holiday visit that are worth following up on:

daily living,” Orestis says. “That includes such things as the ability to dress, eat, shower, or use the toilet independently.”

Mental deterioration. It’s easy and tempting to blow off loss of memory or confusion about names, dates, and locations as just a “senior moment,” Orestis says.

“But cognitive deterioration is an important warning sign that you should be on the lookout for dementia and Alzheimer’s,” he says. “These conditions can worsen quickly and can lead to many physical breakdowns and safety issues.”

Lifestyle deterioration. Maybe your parent was one of those sticklers for the adage “a place for everything and everything in its place,” but now the home isn’t kept so neatly.

“You may even have encountered things that were oddly out of place, such as a houseplant in the refrigerator or pots and pans in the bathtub,” Orestis says.

“Even more concerning, you might have seen signs of physical damage because they crashed the car into a fence or the wall of the garage, or there were burn marks on the kitchen wall from a flash fire.

“It’s important to remember that long-term care is not only a matter of healthcare, but also a matter of safety.”

Certainly, seniors want to remain independent as long as possible, and they don’t want to become a burden on their family, either physically or financially,

As a result, they may try to avoid discussions about their health, mental capabilities, and the possible need for assistance. Family members may be inclined to avoid these conversations as well.

“For some people, the need for long-term care can be brought on from a sudden event, such as a fall, stroke, advancing dementia, or other health-related malady,” he says.

“For others, it can slowly creep up over time, and without realizing it, one or more loved ones have become caregivers. Confronting the fact that a person has transitioned in life from being independent to dependent in one way or another

But eventually, if it becomes clear professional long-term care is needed, family members should discuss a plan for making that happen. After that, the conversation should take place with the loved one in question, who may be apprehensive or even resistant, Orestis says.

“That conversation should be handled with compassion and delicacy,” he says. “Emphasize that not only will this move improve their health and safety, but there will be numerous opportunities for social activities, games, art, entertainment, and great food.

“The key is for the family to come together. Look for the signs that care is needed, formulate a plan, communicate effectively with your loved ones, and change the perspective about long-term care from a negative to a safe, healthy, and enriching experience in the continuing journey of life.”

Chris Orestis, CSA, is president of Retirement Genius (retirementgenius.com) and is a nationally recognized financial, health/long-term care, and retirement issues expert. Orestis is author of Help on the Way, A Survival Guide to Aging, and Retire . He has over 25 years’ experience in the insurance and long-term care

The Healthy Geezer Take Balance issues Seriously

Q. I’m 79, and I’ve taken a couple of spills in the last few months. I’m concerned that I might not be as steady on my feet as I used to be. What should I do about this?

About 1 in 10 people over 65 experiences difficulty with balance. More than 40% of Americans will go to a doctor complaining of dizziness. Getting older is only part of the problem. Inner-ear disturbances are the primary cause.

Losing balance when you’re older is serious stuff. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, each year, more than 1 in 3 people over 65 years suffers a fall.

Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults. And, even if the fall doesn’t kill you, you could fracture a hip, and then a whole bunch of problems can cascade over you — limitations on activities, isolation, loss of independence, depression.

Not all balance problems have the same cause. Here are several major ones:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). With BPPV, one of the most common causes of balance problems, you get vertigo when you change the position of your head.

You may also experience BPPV when you roll over, get out of bed, or when you look on a high shelf. BPPV is more likely in people over 60.

Labyrinthitis. This is an infection or inflammation of the inner ear. The labyrinth is the organ in your inner ear that enables you to maintain balance.

Ménière’s disease. Ménière’s also can give you intermittent hearing loss, a ringing or roaring in the ears, and a feeling of fullness in the ear.

Other causes may involve another part of the body, such as the brain or the heart. Aging, infections, head injury, certain medicines, or problems with blood circulation may also cause problems with balance.

Blood-pressure medications and some antibiotics can cause balance problems. If you are taking any drugs in these categories and feel off-balance, it’s worth discussing with your doctor.

Some people may have a balance problem and don’t know it. Balance disorders can be difficult to diagnose because patients sometimes can’t describe their symptoms well.

These disorders can be signs of other health problems, so it’s important to have them checked out.

If you can answer any of the following positively, discuss the symptom with your doctor.

Do I feel: Unsteady? Disoriented? As if the room is spinning? As if I’m moving when I’m still? As if I’m falling? As if I might faint?

Also, do you ever lose your balance and fall? Or, do you experience blurred vision?

Persistent balance problems are not something you should pass off as a harmless part of the aging process. They should always be examined carefully.

Fred Cicetti is a senior and health writer with more than three decades of experience. The Healthy Geezer is devoted to the health questions of seniors who are wondering what is going on with these bodies of ours.

Fred Cicetti

The Beauty in Nature observing Bald Eagles

Happily, bald eagle populations have increased greatly throughout North America, including in southeastern Pennsylvania, because of the ban on the use of DDT since 1972.

Additionally, bald eagle eggs from Canada have been hatched in the Lower 48; the resulting chicks are raised by humans disguised as bald eagles in nests located on towers on islands on rivers, including the Susquehanna.

Those youngsters, imprinted on islands throughout the United States, returned to them as adults to raise their own young.

Stately bald eagles today, like all owls, hawks, and eagles, are protected by laws, and people have been educated about them. And the eagles adapted well to human activities, around larger bodies of water and in farmland, to their benefit.

Bald eagles are large, elegant birds, dark as immatures but sporting white heads and tails when fully adult at 5 years old. And these common birds are easily observed “in the flesh” in the wild and on computer screens, due to live cameras.

Many bald eagles today winter along their traditional habitats of rivers and estuaries, where they prey on larger fish, coots, ducks, and other creatures. And they scavenge dead animals as well.

Winter gatherings of majestic bald eagles are enjoyed at the Mississippi Flyway in Wisconsin and Blackwater Refuge in Maryland through live cameras and computer screens.

Locally, scores of eagles winter below Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in northern Maryland and Safe Harbor Dam on the Susquehanna in Lancaster County. These birds are readily seen live in the wild. And one can view online videos of bald eagles wintering at Conowingo.

Earth’s gravity, pulling water down turbines in the dams, generates electricity, and the water rushes out below the dams. That turbulence keeps those parts of the Susquehanna’s water open when the rest of the river is frozen “wall to wall.”

Fish, therefore, are available to hungry bald eagles, cormorants, gulls, herons, and other fish-catching birds all winter. It’s interesting to see these birds catching fish, whether viewed in person or online.

Many other bald eagles adapted to wintering on farmland, including in

southeastern Pennsylvania, in recent years. There they ingest fish, rabbits, and other kinds of wildlife. And they scavenge dead farm animals, particularly chickens, disposed of in fields and road-killed creatures on rural roads. It’s exciting to see eagles lift off roads before approaching vehicles.

Bald eagles raise young through much of North America, including in southeastern Pennsylvania, particularly along the Susquehanna River. But other pairs nest near creeks in cropland here.

Some bald eagle pairs begin courting in November. They soar together, and perch together, in trees and on their stick cradles, high in treetops or power towers. Some of those pairs are seen live in the wild or online because of live cameras focused on their large stick nurseries.

Baby bald eagles hatch in March locally and fledge in June, when prey is abundant. Four or five years later, they are paired and ready to rear their own chicks.

The magnificent bald eagles have increased tremendously throughout North America. And today they are easily enjoyed through live cameras and computers.

Clyde McMillan-Gamber

The History of Ordinary Things Remembering Paper Dolls

The oldest known paper-doll card was printed around 1650 with two female figures and numerous dresses, headgear, hairstyles, and accessories.

In the 1700s, paper dolls, jointed and mounted on sticks, were called “pantins,” meaning dancing, or “jumping-jack puppets.” These were among the first mechanical toys.

The early paper dolls were printed in an outfit rather than having removable clothes. By the mid1700s, paper dolls were wearing underwear for changeable wardrobes. These were held on with sealing wax. The advent of lithography in 1796 reduced the cost of printing, resulting in the production of elaborate outfits.

In 1810, S. & J. Fuller Publishers of London produced Little Fanny, the earliest paper doll made for children. It came with a book by the same name. Fanny acted out the scenes with costume changes as the story unfolded.

In 1812 the first American-manufactured paper doll acted out The History and Adventures of Little Henry by J. Belcher. The purpose was to teach the story’s

Big Spring Senior Center – 8:00 - 3:30

91 Doubling Gap Road Newville, PA 17241

Director: Cathy Graver Phone: 717-776-4478

E-Mail: Bigspringseniorcenter@gmail.com

Website: bigspringseniorcenter.weebly.com

Mechanicsburg Place – 8:30 - 2:30

97 West Portland Street

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

Manager: Nori Hoffman Phone: 717-591-5581

E-Mail: nhoffman@MessiahLifeways.org

Website: messiahlifeways.org/lifestyle/mechanicsburg-place Facebook Page: facebook.com/groups/mechanicsburgplace

morality lesson by acting it out.

The first celebrity paper doll was modeled after Swedish ballet star Marie Taglioni in 1835. In 1840, Godey’s Lady’s Book included paper dolls. By the midcentury, newspapers and magazines printed paper dolls and their accessories as promotional items.

Popular figures from entertainment, comics, storybooks, royalty, and history helped sell clothes. They were also used as advertising cards handed out at the store or inserted into a product’s packaging. Paper dolls enhanced sales for coffee, flour, chocolate, sewing machines, nail polish, underwear, fabrics, cars, soaps, and threads.

Some sponsors required that you send in a label for the doll. For decades, companies like Pillsbury Flour, Hood’s Sarsaparilla, Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Flour, and McLaughlin’s Brand Coffee included paper dolls with their products.

Kewpies, created by Rose O’Neill, began as paper dolls before they became porcelain dolls. The Betsy McCall paper doll made her debut in the McCall’s

please see DoLLS on facing page

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS

• A nutritious noon meal served daily

• Educational classes

• Exercise classes like Tai Chi, Zumba Gold and Yoga

• Health and Wellness programs offered such as Healthy Steps in Motion and Chronic Disease Self-Management

• Arts and Crafts

• Bus Trips

• Billiards League

• Center-to-Center competitions in Wii Bowling and Trivial Pursuit

Transportation is available to and from the Centers by rabbittransit but must be registered with rabbittransit prior to booking a trip.

Carlisle Senior Action Center – 9:00 - 2:00

20 East Pomfret Street

Carlisle, PA 17013

Director: Teresa Goodliff Phone: 717-249-5007

E-Mail: Teresa.Goodliff@USE.SalvationArmy.org

Branch Creek Place – 8:30 - 3:00

115 North Fayette Street

Shippensburg, PA 17257

Manager: Diana Nazario Phone: 717-300-3563

E-Mail: Diana.Nazario@mennohaven.org Facebook Page: facebook.com/branchcreek.place.58

Mary C. Schaner Senior Center – Enola Senior Center – 8:00 - 3:00

98 South Enola Drive

Enola, PA 17025

Director: Terry Magaro

Phone: 717-732-3915

E-Mail: tmagaro@eastpennsboro.net

Website: cms9.revize.com/revize/eastpennsborotwp/residents/ schaner_adult_center/index.php

West Shore Senior Citizens Center – 8:30 - 2:30

122 Geary Avenue

New Cumberland, PA 17070

Director: Erin Grable

Phone: 717-774-0409

E-Mail: egrable@MessiahLifeways.org

Website: messiahlifeways.org/lifestyle/westshore Facebook Page: facebook.com/122WSSC

Doris Montag

Paper dolls of American actress and opera singer Kathryn Grayson, 1940s.

Restart Your Career after 50

Starting a new career is always difficult, but the challenges can be even more daunting when you’re over 50. Don’t be discouraged, though. AARP has some advice for getting hired when you’re no longer a spring chicken:

Review your résumé. Remove any mention of age from your résumé. Take out graduation dates and list job experience from just the last 15 years. Update your email address so you’re not using an old AOL or Yahoo account.

Emphasize your job skills. Instead of just listing job titles and responsibilities, fill your résumé with the actual skills you’ve acquired throughout your career. Résumé-screening software will look for keywords, so find out what employees are looking for, and

from facing page

magazine in 1904.

In 1828, McLoughlin Brothers became the largest paper-doll manufacturer in the world, selling ornate, woodblock-printed paper dolls. McLoughlin created the tabbed paper-doll clothing to hold outfits onto the dolls. In the 1920s, McLoughlin Brothers was sold to Milton Bradley.

In more recent times, dolls have been made of felt, magnetic, or cling materials to hold the clothes to the doll.

Typically, women of leisure were featured in the paper-doll form. Brides and comic book characters were common figures. Paper dolls encouraged children’s imaginations, and kids of all economic levels could take part.

The Great Depression proved to be a boon for paper dolls because they were inexpensive or could be handmade at home. Ingenious mothers taught children to make “catalog dolls” from free department-store catalogs. Children would carefully cut around a model and then find clothing that could fit the model.

use the right vocabulary to attract their attention. Look for words or phrases that come up often in job postings, and incorporate them into your résumé.

Network with younger people. Without neglecting contacts you’ve known for decades, build relationships with younger people who know your work and can point you toward opportunities to use your skills. Learn from them so you can stay on top of current trends in technology and your industry.

Highlight your mentoring skills. You may appeal to employers by showing that you’re capable of guiding younger people. Market yourself as a mentor by discussing how you’ve coached people to improve their own skills. This shows that you can work with people of every generation.

The Golden Age of Paper Dolls was during the 1930s1950s. Paper dolls from different decades reflect the idealized role of women in each period. As women entered the workforce, paperdoll manufacturers adapted with dolls’ wardrobes, from college student to movie star to World War II WAC.

The first Black paper doll on the mass market was Torchy, a character in the Heartbeats comic series, in 1950. Jackie Ormes, the cartoonist behind Heartbeats, addressed difficult topics, such as racial and social injustice, in the series. She put Torchy into modern, stylish clothes and historical costumes.

As the times changed, career and leisure wardrobes kept pace with active women, but the two-dimensional doll fell out of favor after 1960.

These 1940s paper dolls of four first ladies could be paired with their period dresses from the late 1800s.

Kids also traced images from books or created their own figures and outfits. Paper dolls were well established as a cheap way for young people to play makebelieve.

The blame for this decline is often put on Mattel’s Barbie (1959), a full-figured doll. Barbie served the same makebelieve purpose as paper dolls but had increased commercial opportunities. But that is another story!

Doris Montag is a homespun historian and an exhibit curator who researches and displays historical collections of ordinary things, such as can openers, crochet, toy sewing machines, hand corn planters, powder compacts, egg cartons, and more. Contact or follow her on Facebook, HistoryofOrdinaryThings.

DoLLS

Savvy Senior

Auto Aids that Make Driving Easier and Safer

Dear Savvy Senior,

Do you know of any car gadgets that can help older drivers? I drive a 12-year-old car and have arthritis in my neck, back, and knees that limits my mobility, making it more difficult to get in and out of the car and look over my shoulder to back up.

– Almost 80

Dear Almost,

To help keep older drivers safe and extend their driving years, there are a number of inexpensive products you can purchase that can easily be added to your vehicle to help with many different needs.

Here are some popular auto aids to consider.

Entry and Exit Aids

For mobility-challenged seniors who

have a difficult time entering and exiting a vehicle — especially cars that are low to the ground or high vehicles, such as SUVs or pickup trucks — there are a variety of support handles and special seat cushions that can help.

Some examples include the Stander (stander.com) “HandyBar,” which is a portable support grab bar that inserts into the U-shaped striker plate on the doorframe, and the “CarCaddie,” a nylon support handle that buckles around the top of the door window frame.

Stander also has an “Auto Swivel Seat Cushion” that rotates 360 degrees to help drivers and passengers pivot their bodies into and out of their vehicle.

Rear Vision Improvements

To help those with neck and back range-of-motion problems, which make looking over the shoulder to back up or merge into traffic difficult, there are special mirrors you can add as well as backup cameras.

To widen rear visibility and eliminate blind spots, Verivue Mirrors (verivuemirrors.com) offers the popular “Universal 12-Inch Panoramic Rearview Mirror,” which clips on to existing rearview mirrors, along with a variety of “Blind Spot Mirrors,” which are small convex mirrors that stick to the corner of the sideview mirrors.

Another helpful device is the “Auto-vox CS-2 Wireless Backup Camera Kit” (auto-vox.com). This comes with a night-vision camera that attaches to the rear license plate and a small monitor that mounts to the dash or windshield. When the vehicle is in reverse, it sends live images wirelessly to the monitor so you can see what’s behind you.

Seatbelt Extenders

For plus-sized people or those with mobility problems, there are seatbeltextension products that can make buckling up a little easier. For example, Seat Belt Extender Pros (seatbeltextenderpros.com) offers vehicle-specific “Seat Belt Extenders” that fit into the seatbelt buckle receiver to add a few inches of length, making them easier to fasten.

They also sell a “Seat Belt Grabber Handle,” which is a rubber extension handle that attaches to the seatbelt strap to make it easier to reach.

Gripping Devices

If you have hand arthritis that makes gripping difficult or painful, consider the “SEG Direct Steering Wheel Cover,” which fits over the steering wheel to make it larger, softer, and easier to grip.

And for help twisting open tight gas caps, the “Gas Cap & Oil Cap Opener” by Gascapoff is a long-handled tool that works like a wrench to loosen and tighten gas caps.

Jim Miller

The Reel Deal A Man Called Otto

Tom Hanks as a bad-tempered neighbor from hell? Now that’s hard to imagine!

But in A Man Called Otto, Hollywood’s Mr. Nice Guy becomes irascible Otto Anderson, a bitter and isolated widower.

Adrift and depressed, Otto seems to hate everyone and everything in his orbit, and he makes it clear that he wants only to be left alone to rigidly enforce the association rules on the block where he lives.

In his railing against his immediate world, Anderson seems to almost take a perverse pleasure in harassing and criticizing his exasperated suburban neighbors.

Nobody, it seems, is immune from his oftenirrational wrath. In one scene, he yells at a UPS delivery driver, “You can’t use this road without a permit!” As she drives away, Otto runs alongside her vehicle, shouting, “The other guys don’t do this, the guys with the white truck!”

When not spewing copious amounts of venom, he spends time at the gravesite of his wife, where he leaves flowers and has poignant, one-way chats with her.

Anderson appears to be permanently set in his ways, but things change after a boisterous young family moves in next door. The curmudgeon meets his match when he is forced to deal with quick-witted (and pregnant) Marisol (Mariana Covino), a single mother with two spunky young daughters.

Otto eventually becomes involved with the trio on a regular basis. Their

Many of these products can be found in your local auto supply stores or online at the manufacturer’s website or at Amazon. Just type the product name in the search bar to find it.

Professional Help

If you need more assistance, consider contacting a driver rehabilitation specialist who is trained to evaluate older drivers and provide safety and driving equipment suggestions.

In addition to the types of aids mentioned in this column, there’s also a range of adaptive driving equipment that can be professionally installed on a vehicle — like swing-out swivel seats, pedal extenders, hand controls, and more — to help people with various disabilities.

To locate a driver rehabilitation specialist in your area, visit the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists at aded.net or the American Occupational Therapy Association’s search page at myaota.aota.org/driver_search.

spending time together slowly evolves into an unlikely friendship that flips the grump’s world on its head, changes his perception of life, and even causes him to stop attempting his planned suicide that the pesky new neighbors keep interfering with.

At one point, Marisol tells him, “You think you have to do everything on your own. Guess what? No one can.”

And even though he chases off dogs who might pee on his lawn, Anderson does allow a scroungy gray cat to adopt him.

“This film is about community and family,” Hanks told People magazine. “The way you treat your own neighbors, the way people can come together in any time of crisis.”

A Man Called Otto is an adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling 2012 Swedish novel A Man Called Ove, which as a movie became a box-office sensation in 2015. (At the 89th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.) Ove is now the third most-watched Swedish movie in that country’s history.

The current offering was directed by Mark Forster (The Kite Runner, World War Z ), with David McGee (Life of Pi) handling the scriptwriting.

A Man Called Otto premieres nationwide Jan. 13.

Randal C. Hill enjoys getting sneak peeks of forthcoming movies from his home on the Oregon coast. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

Randal Hill

image copyright (©) Sony Pictures or related entities.

Used for publicity and promotional purposes.

By Nancy J. Schaaf, RN

Mention air pollution, and most people, including me, think only of outdoor air quality. We rarely question the quality of air in our homes, but we should.

The concentration of air pollutants in our homes can be two to five times higher than what is typically found outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Have you thought about the indoor microbiome in your home? The indoor microbiome is a complex community comprising all the living microorganisms in an indoor environment — think bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other singlecelled organisms — as well as people, pets, pests, air, and water.

What contaminants are in our home, and how did they get there? The matter inside our home includes more than just dust and dirt from people and pets shedding hair and skin. About a third is from outside, either blown in or tracked in on the soles of our shoes.

When we’re outdoors, many gross substances attach to the bottom of our shoes. Just think how much visible dirt is on the soles of our shoes, such as mud, sand, gravel, debris from outdoor parks, and stuff from all the other filthy places we walk on in a day. Spit, gum, and bird droppings can be found on city sidewalks. Public restrooms floors are covered in contaminants.

Numerous tests have shown that bacteria, fungi, and viruses on the bottom of shoes do not wear off the more we walk. Those contaminants cling to shoe soles and eventually end up on our home’s tile, wood, and carpet floors.

Scientists discovered that whatever microbe is on the soles of our shoes transfers to our floor 90% of the time. And if we have carpet, that number is 99%.

When we wear shoes indoors, we spread all those icky substances throughout our home, contaminating indoor air and exposing us to harmful germs. Consequently, we need to do more frequent cleanings.

To wear or not wear our street shoes in our homes is a significant decision. It is customary in many cultures to remove shoes before entering a home. Doing so keeps the indoor space clean and could help keep everyone inside healthier.

The most obvious benefit is that dirt and other contaminants will not dirty our floors, which translates to less time spent cleaning and vacuuming.

But walking barefoot inside poses some health risks, too. Being shoeless or wearing smooth-sole slippers inside may make us more prone to accidents. More than half of older-adult falls happen to barefoot individuals or those only wearing socks or slippers.

Older adults should consider sneakers or other sturdy shoes that are only

please see SoLES on facing page

On Life and Love after 50 A Widower Decides to Start Dating

I admit that I’m a tad uncomfortable writing about senior sex. However, a widower named Greg emailed me with such a poignant message about senior sex and commitment that I’m stepping out of my comfort zone today to share his email with you.

Greg wrote, “I’m in my early 60s and widowed. I am starting my own journey after losing my wife to cancer earlier this year. Together for 44 years and committed to each other since we were teenagers and married soon after college, we were inseparable from the tender age of 17.

“Our relationship started so young, we were the only ones each of us had been intimate with, and we loved and valued that bond.

“She fought cancer hard for five years, and during that long goodbye she made me promise that I would find love again.

“As two people in love with active sex drives, it was difficult for both of us when my wife’s illness prevented any kind of physical intimacy. But sex was only one part of our relationship, and the other parts grew stronger to compensate. My love and commitment toward her were reasons enough for me to put my sexual urges on the backburner as I focused on caring for her.

“After her passing I knew there would be a time when I would resume being sexually active but had no idea when I would feel ready and when I would find a woman I was attracted to.

“It’s a few months after my wife passed, and I am dating a wonderful woman. As you would expect from two healthy adults who are attracted to each other, we have become physically intimate. The attraction is not just physical but also emotional, and we are dating exclusively.

“That required a certain amount of trust from us both, since neither one

worn indoors to reduce the risk of falls in the home. We can leave our outdoor footwear at the door, then slip into something comfy while protecting indoor air quality.

First, we need to remove our shoes at our home’s entrance. This is a difficult habit to acquire, so design experts suggest creating a friendly entryway space. Include a bench to sit on to put on and remove shoes, and add shoe-storage shelves or baskets where we can place our footwear for safekeeping and to keep them out of the way.

We will also want to encourage guests to remove their shoes. One way to help enforce the shoeless rule is to hang a sign inside the door or on a welcome mat. Include a message, “Leave your worries and your shoes at the door.”

Making guests feel more comfortable with having their shoes off is a significant first step toward ensuring their cooperation. Offer guests indoor slippers, keep the floors visibly clean, and use shoe covers for people who are not quite ready for our new shoeless lifestyle.

An old African proverb states: “When you leave your shoes at the doorstep,

of us is interested in casual sex and had only known each other for a short time. We are both committed to the relationship and both hopeful it will work in the long term.

“At first, this intimacy was difficult for me as I was feeling guilty and unfaithful, even though I understood I was no longer married. I had always expected I would only have one sexual partner in my life and appreciated that idea, which is rare in the world.

“I will always love my late wife, but I have also come to realize that this does not prevent me from loving someone new.

“For me it was a physical attraction, emotional closeness and trust, and a desire to become intimate with a woman again that allowed me to take the leap.”

Tom’s response: I take my hat off to Greg for such a mature outlook on a sensitive and sincere life experience. His message is a topic many widowed and divorced people will eventually ponder.

I am confident that Greg’s story will help other seniors who are faced with a similar decision of loving and having intimacy again after the loss of a partner. Greg’s story about the guilt he felt will help others deal with that emotion as well.

Greg’s story encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and follow my journalistic commitment to reporting on a sensitive senior dating subject that will help older singles find true love again.

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to findingloveafter50.com.

you leave your troubles behind.” Removing shoes before entering a home is also an easy and courteous method to keep floors free of bacteria, chemicals, and other harmful substances found on our shoes’ soles.

Tom Blake

Winter with the Grandkids: indoor and outdoor Cold-Weather Fun

By Kimberly Blaker

If your grandkids are like most, weekends and school snow closings are the highlights of the winter season. Get into the spirit with some of these fun outdoor activities. After you’ve expended your energy outdoors, there’s plenty of fun to be had indoors as well.

Outdoor Winter Frolic

Take a snowshoe hike. Buy or borrow snowshoes for the family, and go on a trek through the woods or a field. Take your compass. But also tie brightly colored strips of fabric to tree branches to mark your path.

Look for animal tracks and burrows; identify trees by the bark and shape of their trunks; learn how to tell the time or direction by the position of the sun; and other nature and survival activities.

Visit an ice sculpture show. Look for these captivating displays on college campuses, in city parks, and in indoor arenas. Check with your local and nearby chamber of commerce or state travel bureau for events listings.

Visit a zoo. During the winter months, zoos often bring guest animals and offer special exhibits. Arctic and cold-climate animals may be more active, and indoor exhibits are easier to view because of smaller crowds.

Take a winter carriage ride. Look for horse-drawn carriages in tourist or trendy towns and quaint villages. Bundle up, and take warm blankets and hot beverages. Then enjoy a cozy ride through a snowy, festive town.

Enjoy a winter fest. Visit your chamber of commerce or state travel bureau website for a list of winter festivals and events. Activities to look for include light displays, fireworks, winter sports competitions, recreational activities, exhibits and ice sculpture displays, sleigh rides, snowshoe tours, and more.

Make an ice tree. Instead of throwing out your holiday tree, turn it into a winter display. Stand it in your yard, turn the water hose on low, and spray upward and toward the trunk of the tree. As ice forms, continue spraying until you achieve your desired effect.

Go sledding. If you have small hills in your backyard, use a trash bag for sliding down them. Better yet, head to some real hills with your toboggan or sled.

Indoor Activities for Blustery Days

Head to a museum. Most cities, even small towns, have a historical museum. Hands-on science, art, or natural history museums are found in most metropolitan areas or at nearby universities.

please see WiNTER on facing page

The Bookworm Sez

Charlie’s Good Tonight

The music really starts you up.

The first few notes pull you onto the dance floor. Guitar strings speak to your feet, a drum seems attached to your hips and demands that you move to the song. It makes you feel so alive.

You can dance, and though you can’t always get what you want, you can get Charlie’s Good Tonight by Paul Sexton.

Born in the middle of World War II and raised partly by his grandparents, Charlie Watts was always a musician at heart. He grew up loving jazz on records and radio, but his “first faltering steps as a musician” were with a banjo. Later, when he was a young teenager, his father and grandmother bought him a secondhand drum kit.

That changed everything.

He practiced and found places to watch his favorite local groups’ drummers; by 1958, he was performing in jazz bands occasionally, mostly in and around North London. He went to art school, worked as a designer for an advertising agency, and he played the drums, almost always just for fun.

In 1959, he met Brian Jones, who soon introduced him to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and “Seeds were … sown.” Watts really didn’t have a passion for the stage, but he “liked their spirit,” so he took the Rolling Stones up on their offer to join the band.

The secret, says Sexton, was that Watts hated traveling, performing, and being in front of crowds. He was “the studious one,” the collector who loved fine clothes, books, sketching, vinyl records, his wife and daughter, and the Arabian horses on his farm.

Onstage and off, he was unflappable, dependable, and constant, but Sexton

WiNTER

from facing page

Grab your roller blades or skates and head to your nearby indoor rink. These arenas are updated for today’s kids and are a blast for grandparents and kids alike. If you’ve never roller-skated, take a class at the rink.

Create an indoor snow family. Buy black and white clay from an arts and crafts supply. Roll snow people out of the white clay, and shape hats with the black. Make arms with tiny twigs, scarves from narrow fabric strips, eyes and buttons from whole pepper, and noses from broken, orange-colored toothpicks.

Tour a manufacturing plant. Tours are often available to the public even if they aren’t well-publicized. Just call to find out.

View the winter sky. Visit a planetarium to see constellations and some of the brightest stars of the year.

Hold a winter movie fest. Invite friends over, rent a selection of movies, and have everyone bring their pillows or beanbag chairs. Don’t forget the buttery popcorn and hot chocolate.

says that Watts had his struggles. He might have been on the road performing, but his heart was at home, in front of a warm fire. Briefly, he fought addiction. And yet, he stayed and played, faithful despite those personal troubles.

And when he died, it “prompted overpowering, longlasting lamentation among millions of people who never even met him.”

In a very big way, Charlie’s Good Tonight is an outlier: It’s not filled with discography, too many little-known people, or gratuitous name-dropping.

That’s a nice lack, if you want to read a rock-solid — and rather curious — biography about another outlier: Watts, who was with the Stones for some three-quarters of his life and is said to have disliked it intensely. The surprise is that in author Paul Sexton’s account, Watts becomes somewhat of a sympathetic character.

Granted, he was wealthy and able to indulge in a number of peccadilloes, so it’s hard to feel too sorry for Watts. Still, insider tidbits and insights here paint a tale of reluctant fame that will make readers want to dust off their LPs and think twice about the realities of being in the limelight.

This book could be a nice cautionary tale for someone who’s pondering a life onstage. It’s a no-brainer for a Stones fan and will appeal to readers of musical bios. Get Charlie’s Good Tonight and get some satisfaction.

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

If you’ve had enough of winter, hold a Hawaiian luau instead. Choose summery or vacation-themed movies. Serve cold drinks with little umbrellas and fruit on top. And don’t forget the beach towels.

String a snowflake streamer. Make snowflakes by folding white paper several times and then trimming different shapes around the edges. Open the snowflakes and then string them on a piece of yarn, and hang it across the room.

Visit the library to snuggle up for a relaxing read. Choose several books to bring home. Don’t forget to check out music CDs, audiobooks, videos, computer games, and magazines for plenty of indoor entertainment.

Get away at a weekend resort. Check your travel agency for one of the many winter resorts for outdoor enthusiasts that offer activities and accommodations for the whole family. Try downhill or cross country skiing, snowshoe excursions, and more.

Kimberly Blaker is a freelance writer. She also owns an online store, Sage Rare & Collectible Books, specializing in out-of-print, scarce, signed, and first editions and fine bindings at sagerarebooks.com

Terri Schlichenmeyer

Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Life, The Times, and the Rolling Stones: the Authorized Biography of Charlie Watts

By Paul Sexton c. 2022, Harper 368 pages

‘Let’s Pull the Job!’

Las Vegas takes our money, sure, but what if the tables were suddenly turned and we took their money? Who wouldn’t enjoy that?

In 1958, actor Peter Lawford paid $10,000 for a story idea that a movie-director pal claimed to have heard from a gas station attendant. Lawford then approached his fellow members of the celebrated Rat Pack (the men preferred the more dignified nickname of The Summit), which included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop.

Lawford shared a proposal about using the idea for a heist-caper film set in Sin City. When he heard the concept, Sinatra joked, “Forget the movie; let’s pull the job!”

The Ocean’s 11 plotline became a setup for the five hard-drinking, chain-smoking, damechasing headliners to make whoopee onscreen, which they did with ease and aplomb as they adlibbed many of their lines.

The premise of the gather-the-guys yarn stars Ol’ Blue Eyes as leader Danny Ocean. He has assembled a squad of Army-veteran paratrooper pals for a civilian commando raid in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.

Each participant exudes a different level of passion, and each has a personal reason to be involved. One hopes to help his wife stop stripping for a living. Another is terminally ill and wants to provide for his kid’s college tuition. Yet another sees a chance to buy his way out of a mundane life that includes driving a truck.

The plan was to simultaneously cut off the electricity at midnight at five major casinos: the Sahara, the Riviera, the Desert Inn, the Sands, and the Flamingo. The thieves would then break

into casino cages, stuff $5 million in cash into trash cans, and have one of the raiders drive a treasure-laden garbage truck out of town and into hiding.

But, to prove that (Hollywood) crime never pays, one of the 11 scofflaws unexpectedly dies, and a monkey wrench is tossed into the mechanism of the “perfect” plan.

Sinatra and Martin earn the lion’s share of screen time together, with Sinatra once saying, “You know, sometimes I think the only reason I got into this caper was to see you again.”

Cameo appearances weave through the story and include such icons as Shirley MacLaine, Red Skelton, Angie Dickinson, and George Raft.

Filming often took place in Las Vegas in short bursts during the daytime before the superstars appeared onstage to perform for the likes of JFK and other celebrities of the time.

The original Ocean’s 11 became one of Warner Brothers’ most profitable pictures upon its August 1960 release. And while some movie critics harrumphed that the tale was immoral, most reviewers declared it a romp — and quite a clever scheme.

The original Ocean’s 11 is now a low-tech time capsule that delights to this day, and it allows us to appreciate larger-than-life fellows with oversize personalities who try to live life by their own rules.

Check out this classic; it’s one of the reasons we once loved going to the cinema.

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

Randal C. Hill

Credit: Warner Bros.

Theatrical release poster for the 1960 film Ocean's 11.

April 11 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hershey Lodge 325 University Drive Hershey

May 10 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wyndham Resort (Formerly Lancaster Host) 2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster

June 6 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Church Farm School 1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton

Sept. 20 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

Sept. 27 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. York Expo Center Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Ave., York

Oct. 11 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Carlisle Expo Center 100 K St. Carlisle

April 15 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wyndham Resort (Formerly Lancaster Host) 2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster

May 6 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. York Expo Center Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Ave., York

June 3 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hershey Lodge 325 University Drive Hershey

Sept. 16 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road Lebanon

Oct. 28 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

Nov. 11 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Carlisle Expo Center 100 K St. Carlisle