MODERN
September-October 2011
FREE
Living
The Magazine For Seniors 55+ And Their Families
PERIPHERAL
NEUROPATHY
It’s a painful and often misdiagnosed ailment.
But HealthSource of Marietta can help with a
high-tech, non-invasive program.
(See page 9)
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
www.seniorlvgmag.com
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
Am I ‘Over The Hill’ Yet?
I am a part of the “Greater Generation,”
as I was born during the heart of the Great
Depression in 1932. I grew up in rural Alabama,
the son of a struggling sharecropper. My youth and
background gave me little hope of a good future.
In 1951, at age 19, God blessed me with the
realization that my future rested solely within
my own two hands and ingenuity. I became
inspired, focused and determined. I resigned my
Birmingham grocery store job as produce manager
and buyer. Within three weeks, I hitchhiked to
Tuscaloosa and spent the entire $300 I had saved
in silver dollars on tuition and used textbooks for
my first semester at the University of Alabama.
Like most of my contemporaries, I grew up
working with the intention of retirement at the
advanced age of 65—if I lived that long. When I was
in my teens, age 65 was “old” and life beyond was
slow, short, painful and limited. The expression of
my youthful generation was that you would be “over
the hill” before or by the time you were 65; you could
expect little physical activity beyond fishing or just
sitting in the front porch swing or rocker and waving
at the driver of an occasional passing car or truck.
God blessed America, and after WWII, America
began to prosper. All of our lives improved to
a higher standard of living. Health and living
conditions improved to a point that we were
living longer, and with greater expectations.
This is a new day and time, but prior to a
couple of years ago, most Americans expected to
retire at least by age 65. There was also hope of an
active retirement life of travel, sports, recreation
or another entertaining/exciting venture, or simply
sitting at home if they so desired. They also had a
reasonable expectation of good health and mobility.
I was fortunate to retire a little early in 1994.
I have been blessed with an unusually active life.
I am also a cancer survivor and have been injured
in two automobile accidents—the first one, I was
hit by a drunk driver from the rear; the second (300
yards from the first accident site) was also a rearend accident where my car was totaled by an illegal
(alien) driver. The 2007 accident left me with a back
injury that painfully changed my life and slowed
my physical ability to a
crawl—using a cane.
by Lloyd Blackwell
Lloyd
Blackwell
Still, I am blessed. Among other duties, I still
teach, write, do family genealogy, tend my garden and
blueberries and fruit trees, go to church and Sunday
school, and take care of my large yard at home.
I was 79 years old in February of this year. In May,
I went to the Talladega Super Speedway in Alabama
where I drove a stock car to a top speed of 175.74
mph. My question: Am I over the hill yet? I really
need to know so I can adjust my lifestyle accordingly.
------------------Lloyd Blackwell has been called “one of the most
traveled persons on earth” by a CNN TV reporter after
he learned of his travels in 172 countries. Blackwell was
a lay missionary for 40 years and had on-the-ground
missionary involvement in 54 countries and 46 states.
He was referenced in a Baptist newspaper feature
article as: “…perhaps the quintessential volunteer
missionary among all Southern Baptists,” by Dr. J.
Gerald Harris, a highly respected Baptist newspaper
editor, author, writer, preacher and speaker.
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
MODERN
Living
Vol.6 • No. 9
www.seniorlvgmag.com
In This Issue
Am I Over The Hill?
By Lloyd Blackwell
Page 3
My Not-So-Smart
Phone
By Cathy Hall
Page 13
Old Stuff
Reminiscing with
June Parks
Page 14
Sept. - Oct. 2011
Advertisers Index
Alta Johns Creek............................................................... 17
Blue Ridge Railroad.......................................................... 15
Comfortable Chair Store.................................................. 14
Dallas Theatre................................................................... 15
Dr. Robert Sykes, DDS..................................................... 19
First Street......................................................................... 11
Golf Cart Mart.................................................................... 6
Georgia Follies..................................................................... 8
HealthSource Of Atlanta.................................................... 9
Home Health Options....................................................... 16
Homeplace Communities.................................................. 20
Internal Medicine Associates........................................... 13
Lanier Village...................................................................... 7
New Life Chiropractic........................................................ 5
Right At Home In-Home Care......................................... 14
Southeastern Railway Museum....................................... 15
Thrifty Meds...................................................................... 17
WinShape Homes................................................................ 2
Senior Living Magazine
P.O. Box 510, Acworth, GA 30101-0510
Phone: (770) 966-7327 • Toll Free: (888) 388-7827
Fax: 770-975-7286 • Toll Free Fax: 877-218-4139
Website: www.seniorlvgmag.com
Published by McElreath Printing and Publishing inc.
Jim McElreath, Publisher
E-mail: [email protected]
More in This Issue...
Entertainment...........................................................15
New Products...........................................................16
Senior News.............................................................17
Bill Larmore.............................................................18
www.seniorlvgmag.com
Mike McLeod, Editor/Sales
E-mail: [email protected]
Ken Hall, Associate Editor/Sales
E-mail: [email protected]
Kim Kuzmeskus, Sales
E-mail: [email protected]
770-815-1166
Joel Raeber, Sales
E-mail: [email protected]
©2010 by
McElreath Printing
and Publishing, Inc.
Publishers of
Southeastern
Antiquing and
Collecting.
All rights reserved.
No portion of this
publication may
be reprinted or
reproduced without
expressed written
permission of
the publisher.
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
Continued on page 6
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
www.seniorlvgmag.com
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
Your Dream Team For ‘Dancing With The Stars’
If you could choose a dream team of contestants—alive or not—for an out-of-this-world Dancing With The Stars
competition, who would it be? Choose your top three and send them to the address below with your name and city. In
an upcoming issue, we will publish the winning stars and those who chose them. The deadline for votes is November
4. Feel free to write in someone we overlooked.
__ Paula Abdul
__ Fred Astaire
__ Josephine Baker
__ Mikhail Baryshnikov
Frankie
__ James Brown
“Muscle Head”
Manning __ Cyd Charisse
(photo,
courtesy of __ Isadora Duncan
Rich
Werden)
__ Martha Graham
__ Gregory Hines
__ Michael Jackson
__ Sabra Elise Johnson
(a previous winner of So You Think You Can Dance)
__ Gene Kelly
__ Jennifer Lopez
__ Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone)
__ Frankie “Musclehead” Manning
(a founding father of the Lindy Hop)
__ Ann Miller
__ Norma Miller (“The Queen of Swing”)
__ Rudolf Nureyev
__ Donald O’Connor
__ Anna Pavlova
Cyd
__ Debbie Reynolds
Charisse
__ Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
(photo, __ Ginger Rogers
courtesy of __ Britney Spears
Allan Warren)
__ Justin Timberlake
__ Tina Turner
___________________________ (write-in candidate)
Martha
Graham
Norma
Miller
(photo, courtesy of Joe Mabel)
Ginger
Rogers
Mail your choices to Modern Senior Living, Box 510, Acworth, GA 30101; fax them to 770-975-7286; or email: [email protected].
Debbie
Reynolds
(photo, courtesy of
Allan Warren)
Golf Cart Mart, Inc.
Sales & Service
Delivery & Financing
Specializing in
late-model,
reconditioned
golf carts
Accessories • Parts • Tires • Batteries
550 Hardin Bridge Rd. • Kingston (Cartersville), GA 30145
Fred
Astaire
770-336-5296
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
The producers of The Senior Follies, Kathy and Bob Russell,
bring 42nd Street to the Cumming Playhouse, Oct. 14-Nov. 6
“Come and meet those dancing feet”! 42nd Street
is one of Broadway’s finest and longest running musicals
and Georgia’s BK Productions is bringing this wonderful
show to the historic Cumming Playhouse. It will be
directed by Honey Larsen and choreographed by Buddy
Stotts, a widely respected team in the arena of Broadway
musicals. (Honey and Buddy are also the choreographers
of the Georgia Senior Follies.)
The story is one that audiences will enjoy and the
many fantastic songs from the show will have everyone
singing in their seats…Lullaby of Broadway, You’re
Getting to Be a Habit
With Me and many
more. 42nd Street will
be musically directed by
Bob Russell with his “on
stage” live pit orchestra.
It will be an evening that
you will remember for
years to come. The whole family will
love the dancing, the
music and the costumes.
All audience members
will never forget the
wonderful original
Gower Champion
choreography. BK
Productions is very
proud of their cast of
talented performers. The
tap dancing will dazzle
you! They guarantee
you will leave the
theater humming your
favorite songs from this
spectacular production.
Don’t miss this one! BK Productions is
owned by the producers
of the very successful
Georgia Senior Follies
…Bob and Kathy
Russell. They plan to
continue to bring quality
Broadway shows to
the historic Cumming
Playhouse.
The show runs Oct.
14th - Nov. 6th (15
performances) at the
Cumming Playhouse.
Please get your tickets
now. On line at www.
playhousecumming.com
or call the Playhouse
Box Office at 770-7819178.
www.seniorlvgmag.com
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY –
AN OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED AILMENT
Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
Numbness, tingling, burning or sharp nerve pain in your feet * Pain when you walk *Cramping * Difficulty sleeping from pain/leg discomfort * Prickling or tingling feelings
By Dr. Daniel Martin, D.C.
HealthSource of Marietta
If you suffer from one or more
of these symptoms, you may have
peripheral neuropathy. And if you
do, you’re not alone. Everywhere,
good people have been frustrated by
the traditional care they’ve received
for these terrible problems. In many
cases, they’re still seeking help.
These problems can be caused
by diabetes, hereditary disorders,
inflammation, medications (such as
cholesterol-lowering statin drugs)
and more. For the past 14 years I
have studied this class of conditions,
collectively known as “peripheral
neuropathies.”
I practice a multi-pronged
approach to the problems and
symptoms associated with peripheral
neuropathy. My “Peripheral
Neuropathy Pain Program” is for
anyone suffering from the symptoms
of peripheral neuropathy pain.
Using the latest technology,
I offer non-invasive care. I help
patients get well with no twisting or
popping of the spine, because I use
patented adjusting instrumentation
that is highly researched, low-force
and computerized. This frees the
nerves and erases the damage caused
by old, herniated discs or arthritis.
I also use Low Level Laser
Therapy (LLLT), a newly-developed
tool that is very safe. It is a noninvasive healing light that has been
proven to work wonders on the
symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
The beautiful thing is that when
these health situations are resolved,
people see an instant and dramatic
improvement in the quality of their
lives. In many cases, they can finally
live pain-free, with peace of mind
and joy in their lives again.
When you call to make an
appointment, I will perform a highly
specialized Qualitative Clinical
Scoring System of your peripheral
nervous system, to see if we may
be able to help you. But don’t delay
– call today, at 770-578-0785. Your
health and happiness depend on it.
Dr. Danel Martin, D.C., has been
successfully treating patients
around the Metro Atlanta area
for over 16 years. He is a proud
member of the Neuropathy
Treatment Centers of America
and specializes in the treatment of
peripheral neuropathy and disc herniation.
September-October
September-October20112011-Modern
ModernSenior
SeniorLiving
Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
www.seniorlvgmag.com
One Mor
Reason To ‘Eat
Mor Chikin’
Nearly everyone in the South knows that
Truett Cathy has been successful at selling
the chicken sandwich. What everyone doesn’t
know – and what defines this man as not just
successful, but also legendary – is what he
does behind the scenes with those “chicken”
dollars.
Maybe it has something to do with the way his
mama raised him on her strong values. Maybe it has
something to do with the fact that he learned how
to be a hard-working businessman during the Great
Depression. No matter how you slice it, Truett Cathy
believes that, “We must motivate ourselves to do our
very best, and by our example lead others to do their
best as well.” And so, leading the charge at 66 years
old – an age most people would want to be slowing
down and settling in – Truett Cathy endeavored to
open a foster home for children whose parents could
not take care of them. A quote from his book, “Eat
Mor Chikin, Inspire Mor People,” gives an even
further glimpse into his heart behind the program:
“Nearly every moment of every day we have the
opportunity to give something to someone else – our
time, our love, our resources. I have always found
more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in
return.”
Today, WinShape Homes has grown to include
11 homes in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee,
providing care for over 90 children in need of loving
and stable environment. Each home has two fulltime, married house parents who Truett carefully
sought out to guide children along a path for success
through stability, nurturing, love, spirituality, and
the many opportunities available to them in a
WinShape Home. All of the children come from
homes where the caregivers – parents, grandparents,
aunts and uncles and other guardians – are unable
to care for them through the age of 18. Siblings
groups, no matter the size, are kept together in the
same home and, in most cases, are encouraged
to maintain regular contact with their biological
family throughout their time at WinShape. Many of
the children are able to graduate from high school,
purchase a car, and go to college, technical school,
or the military, and even get married through the
support of Truett and their WinShape family. All of
the house parents, including Doug and Julie Bowling
who have been parents since 1989, see their role as
lifelong parents for the children who come into their
home. Says Doug, “We are permanent as long as these
kids need us.” Julie adds, “If there are challenges, we are ready.
This is their home.”
Richard Yadkowski, now a house parent in a
WinShape Home with his wife Stephanye, grew up
in Doug and Julie Bowling’s home 20 years ago. “I had been in a home that wanted to adopt me,
but I did not want all that adoption brought with
it: severing family relationships, changing my
last name, etc. With WinShape Homes, I was able
to have the security and permanency of adoption
without having to end relationships with my
biological family. As part of WinShape Homes, I
played sports, went to the movies, participated in
church events and went on fun trips. WinShape
Homes provided me with a family that was active in
developing all areas of life.”
Through the WinShape Homes, Truett is able
to provide for the physical, emotional and spiritual
growth of children who are in need of a loving home
and also instill the very important values that have
compelled him to success. “How do you know if a child needs
encouragement?” asks Truett. “If he or she is
breathing.”
__________
For more information about WinShape homes, call
Emily Landis at 800-232-2677 ext. 52507 or visit
www.WinShape.org.
10
Modern
Living -October 2011
Modern Senior
LivingSenior
-September-October
2011
www.seniorlvgmag.com
www.seniorlvgmag.com
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
11
Hide The Silverware
By Mike McLeod
About this time last
year, the price of silver
per ounce was under
$20. Early in May, it
went to almost $50 per
ounce before dropping
into the $30s. It may
go down further, but it
is climbing again these
days. Consequently, you
should keep an eye on
your solid silver jewelry
and the silverware. These
will be hot items for
burglars. A friend recently
sold several pieces of
silverware for about $300
to one of the many goldbuying and silver-buying
businesses. Those prices
make your silverware
very attractive to the
unscrupulous. But maybe you
don’t need to hide the
silverware because
what you have may
not be solid silver. Do
you know? Here are
some ways to tell if the
silverware you inherited
or bought really is silver.
The term solid silver
is actually not exactly
true. Since silver is such
a soft metal, another
metal, usually copper, is
mixed with it to make it
stronger. Sterling silver is
the term used to describe
silverware or jewelry that
is 92.5% to 95% silver,
which is usually called
“solid silver.” 12
So how can you tell
if the silverware is really
silver? First, examine
a piece of it with a
magnifying glass. If you
find the words silver
plate or initials with
“E.P.” in them (which
stands for “electroplating”), then you do
not have solid silver. You
have a very thin layer
of silver over copper or
nickel. Finding “stainless
steel” obviously means it
is not silver. If you have sterling
silver, it should say so,
or you may see “92.5” or
“925,” which also means
it is sterling. If you see
“99.9” or “FS,” that
means it is fine silver,
which is 99.9% pure.
If you have old
silverware that was
made in England or
France, you should find
a hallmark, an official
stamp designating
quality. The English
and Scottish hallmarks
for solid silver are a
standing lion (passant
garde), a rearing lion,
and Britannia (the figure
of a woman with a staff
and wearing a helmet). In
Ireland, it is a harp with a
crown on it.
French hallmarks
are more varied, usually
with the head of the
goddess Minerve, a boar,
a rooster (pre-1838), or a
www.seniorlvgmag.com
variety of other animals
or creatures. In addition
to these hallmarks, both
English and French silver
can have other hallmarks.
English silver often has a
hallmark from the town
where it was made, such
as London (leopard),
Birmingham (anchor),
Sheffield (crown),
Edinburgh (castle),
and York (cross on a
shield). There can also
be hallmarks showing
the date it was made, that
taxes have been collected
on the silver, and/or the
maker’s mark. Generally, if you
find hallmarks, you have
real silver. However,
there is always the
chance of an item or a
set of silverware being
faked. To be absolutely
sure, either take your
set to a jeweler who can
test it with acid, which
will require making a
scratch deep enough
to go through silver
plate, or take it to an
antique dealer who
buys silverware. A good
dealer will tell you the
truth, show you how
your silver is real, and
probably offer you a
good price for it. If you
get any other advice, take
it to a reputable jeweler
and get the test results in
writing.
Hallmarks for Edinburgh
London
Scotland (Current)
Sheffield
Hallmark for
Birmingham, England
Britannia Hallmark
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
My
Not-So-Smart
Phone
By Cathy C. Hall
I just read in the paper about a netzero energy home. Have you heard
about these houses? Apparently, all
the power and utilities are monitored
by a system that shows how much
energy is being used, any time of the
day or night. And the homeowner can
fiddle around with the programming,
right from his smart phone.
Now, I’m all for saving the earth
and energy, right down to eating out as
often as possible to keep the oven and
microwave usage at a minimum. But
if my super-efficient home has to be
programmed by my smart phone, count
me out. I’m sorry, but I just don’t think
my phone is half as smart as it thinks it is.
The other day, the mister and I were
idling at a stoplight when I saw a funny
sign on a building. Oh! I thought.
I’ll just whip out my smart phone!
The camera will take a picture. So I
flipped open the phone and pointed
it at the sign. Nothing happened.
I pointed the cell phone up, down, and
all around that sign. I pressed a gazillion
buttons. I may have called Homeland
Security. I’m not sure. But I’m sure my
phone never took a picture of the sign.
We were pulling into our driveway
when a screen on my phone popped
into view. It was the camera doohickey.
Great. Thirty minutes late, the
smartypants phone arrived for action.
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living Flash forward a couple days. Can
you believe I saw another funny
sign? This time, when I whipped out
my smart phone, I pressed the little
doohickey and zip! A camera lens
opened up. Which I pointed at the
sign. But now the sign, which I could
easily read since it was only 20 feet
away, suddenly looked about 2.4 miles
away. Fortunately, my genius phone is
equipped with a zoom for the camera.
It took 17 minutes to get the zoom
function to work, frame everything
up and click on the sign. At long last,
an actual picture from my phone!
An incredibly fuzzy, out-of-focus
picture. See what I mean about my
smart phone? I mean, honestly. I
could take a picture like that, all by
myself.
-----------Cathy C. Hall is a humor writer
who lives in Georgia. Find out more
about her at www.cathy-c-hall.com,
or you can converse with Cathy on
Facebook.
www.seniorlvgmag.com
13
fascinating item there. It was a horse-hair cloche
hat that was very precious. It had lost its color, or
perhaps it was a bland color to begin with, and it had
By June Parks shrunk.
Betty and I attempted to try it on every time, but it
Mama would devote one whole day about once
was difficult, It was shaped close to the head and
a year to go nostalgic. She would say, “Come on,
very deep. Finally, I guess we stretched it enough so
girls, let’s clean out my cedar chest.” But my sister
that I pulled it way down onto my face. and I knew there was no “clean out” concerned. She Mama told us this was the hat she wore when she
never threw anything there away. The contents were married in the ‘20s. I realized I looked like what she
precious to her. Memories!
must have been back then—a flapper. We laughed
She would take everything out, keeping it all
because hats in our day were placed on the back of
in the same neat stacks, checking all of the folded
the head, not hiding the face.
fabric that she had purchased, no telling how long
Mama and Daddy married on July 3rd, and for
before, in hopes of having a talented friend “make
their honeymoon, they attended a singing at the
her a dress.” Some of the prints were so uninspiring, big white frame Methodist Church on the hill in
I wondered why she had bought that and why so
Zebulon, Ga. Don’t blink, or you’ll miss Zebulon.
much? The bottom of the cedar chest was filled with Some honeymoon!
Dusk was settling when everything was back
fabric.
As she stacked items back into the cedar-scented in its rightful spot in the cedar chest. Time to cook
interior, the items became more interesting. My sister dinner. All was right with the cedar chest for one
Betty and I always favored the most unusual item: a more year.
A few months after my Mama died, the house
fan made of peacock feathers. It was gorgeous. She
said her former sailor sweetheart sent it to her from
was just as she left it. All of her beautiful, well-loved
Panama.
mahogany furniture was collecting dust. Because all
Closed, only the top feather showed, but open it of the doors in the house were glass-paned, from top
to bottom, anyone could see that no one was there to
out, and about ten feathers glowed like a drip of oil
changing colors in the light. The prominent colors
protect the contents.
Soon, the police called. They had caught a big
were interchangeable blue and green, my favorite
colors. No wonder I loved it. Each arched tip was
guy pushing Mama’s refrigerator up the middle of
a multi-colored eye that was all-seeing. If you’ve
Poplar Street on Daddy’s hand trucks. The house was
ever seen a peacock strut his stuff, fanning his tail
a wreck. Most everything was gone.
in all its glory, you can imagine how beautiful that
We grieved.
Right
at
Home.08.10_BC
fan was. It was a couple of feet long, and Betty and
I often wonder what could possibly have
I about beat it to death, flipping it open and flirting
happened to the peacock fan. But especially, why
around with it.
would anybody want that cloche hat? It was only
A yellowed box stuffed with tissue held the most valuable to my sister and me.
Old Stuff
217 E. 1st Street
Rome, GA 30161
706-290-7701
678-919-7705
From a few hours a week to around the clock care.
Right at Home’s trained caregivers can assist you
or a loved one with: light housework, meal preparation, laundry,
medication reminders, transportation, light exercise,
and personal care support.
This may include bathing, transferring and toileting assistance.
www.northwestgeorgia.rightathome.net
[email protected]
14
www.seniorlvgmag.com
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
Recreation & Entertainment
Our Entertainment and
Recreation advertisements
are fun for readers and more
business for you.
Don’t miss out on our
next edition.
Call for advertising information:
Southeasten Railway Museum.1/8_2.09_MSL
770-974-6543
The Southeastern Railway Museum
Georgia’s Official Transportation History Museum
Invites you to take a ride back into history.
• Train rides on restored cabooses
• Walk through exhibits of retired railway equipment including
President Harding’s private car Superb
•
Gift
shop
with hats, whistles, videos, books and Thomas®
One
• Annual Caboose Day – first weekend in April
FREE
Child
Admission
with a paying adult
with this ad from
Modern Senior Living.
Not valid during special events
3595 Buford Hwy.
Duluth, GA.
770-476-2013
www.srmduluth.org
September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
15
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Home Health Options_1/8_07.11_MSL
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16
www.seniorlvgmag.com
Craft Shows
The Powder Springs Senior Citizens Center will
have an indoor yard/arts & crafts sale on Friday and
Saturday, November 4 and 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at 4181 Atlanta St., Bldg. #3 in Powder Springs.
Come out and support your senior citizens. For
information, call 770-943-1555.
***
The 26th Annual Mt. Zion Craft Show will be
held Friday, November 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and on Saturday, November 12 from 9-4 at the Mt.
Zion United Methodist Church, 1770 Johnson Ferry
Road in Marietta. The show features 52 arts and
crafts vendors, a silent auction, door prize, bake
sale, casserole pool, (Saturday only), quilt drawing,
pictures with the real Santa and fresh baked apple
pies and cookies prepared throughout the show. The
show is sponsored by the Mt. Zion United Methodist
Women; all proceeds benefit local and church
charities. There is no charge for admission. Info:
770-971-1465 or at the Mt. Zion’s United Methodist
Women’s website, www.mtzionumw.org.
Texting For Seniors
The kids have their abbreviation codes when
texting on their phones—like BFF (best friends
forever), LOL (laugh out loud) and WOOF (well off
young folks)—and here are some codes for us:
ATD: At the Doctor’s
BFFA:
Best Friend Fell Asleep
BTW:
Bring The Wheelchair
CBM:
Covered by Medicare
CUATSC: See You at the Senior Center
FWIW:
Forgot Where I Was
FYI:
Found Your Insulin
GGPBL
Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low
GHA:
Got Heartburn Again
HGBM
Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO:
Is My Hearing Aid On?
LMDO:
Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL:
Living on Lipitor
LWO:
Lawrence Welk’s On
OMSG:
Oh My! Sorry, Gas
ROFL-CGU: Rolling on the Floor Laughing—
Can’t Get Up!
WAITT:
Who Am I Talking To
WTP:
Where’s the Prunes
WWNO:
Walker Wheels Need Oil
GGLKI:
Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In!
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
Senior golfers belonging to the Bartow County
Senior Center in Cartersville, Ga., travel to a local
course every Thursday, departing from the center’s
Zena Drive branch at 8 am. One of their favorite
courses is the Calhoun Elks Golf Club. Among
the other courses they visit are Indian Trace,
Stonebridge, Fields Ferry, Spring Lakes and others.
Pictured is Lowie Jones teeing off at the Elks Club
as Mike Decker and Charles Simpson look on. The
center welcomes all Bartow County seniors over the
age of 50; membership is free, and the center is open
Monday through Friday with many activities, events
and trips for the active seniors in the Cartersville area.
For information, call 770-387-5134 or 770-387-5166
or the 24-hour hotline at 770-383-7383. The center
is online atThrifty
www.bartowga.org
under Community
Meds Now.Qrt.04.10
Services at the Senior Services link.
The Powder Springs Senior Citizens Center recently
took a day cruise on the Southern Belle riverboat in
Chattanooga, Tenn. Seniors were treated to a prime rib
and Chicken Alfredo buffet with live entertainment.
The Powder Springs Senior Citizens Center is located
at 4181 Atlanta St., Bldg. #3 in Powder Springs.
Hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday-Friday. The center
is closed holidays and for day trips.
(Photo by Dee Chappell.) Savvy Seniors Love
Modern
Living!
Riverstone Senior
Alta.QRT.04.09_SEA
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September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living www.seniorlvgmag.com
17
The Discount
Card Caper
By Bill Larmore
Just after my 62nd birthday in
1979, the bottom fell out of my
life. Yet, the day started much like
any other September Saturday
in Marietta, Georgia. My wife
and I woke up at about 9 a.m.
to sunlight streaming through
our open bedroom window, to
the happy sound of wee birds
chirping and burping happily in
the azaleas, and the perfume of
some neighbor’s ever-smoldering
trash burner. All was deceptively
peaceful, but I know now that
against my comfortable, almost
blissful existence, vast dark forces
were already massing. Somewhere
nearby, water was starting to
run uphill, apples were falling
horizontally off their trees, and
freeze-warnings were being posted
in Hell.
“Good morning, old Saturday
breath,” said my wife Eloise
fondly. “Just what are your plans
for the day?”
“Well,” said I, sitting up in bed
and smoothing back what was left
of my hair, “with our grown-up
kids all out of the house doing
their thing, we are alone. “First,
I plan to sweep you into a mad
embrace, providing my arthritis
will allow it. Next.…”
“Never mind next,” interrupted
my beloved. “We’ve got more
important things to do today.
18
After breakfast we are going over
to the Treasury Drug at Canton
Corners.”
“Fine,” I said. “We can browse
the vitamin racks and see if they
have any new stuff in.”
“Very funny,” said my wife,
only she wasn’t laughing. “Today
is the day you get your Senior
Citizen Discount Card. You’ve
sidestepped it for two years now,
and that’s long enough. Just think!
It’ll give us ten percent off on all
drugs, including your Preparation
H.” She paused suddenly and
looked intently at me. “What’s the
matter with you, Bill? You look
sort of green.”
She was right. I felt like I had
just swallowed a chili pepper
pizza whole with a double rootbeer chaser.
Egad, I thought. Me, a senior
citizen? No! It can’t be. At 62,
I’m only middle-aged… that is, I
am if I can live to be 124. I’m too
young. Too beautiful! Say it isn’t
so!
As we drove into the shopping
center I could see Treasury Drug
squatting on the lot like a spider
ready to bite. There was a sign in the
Treasury window that read, “Bargain
Day. Many Items 20% Off.” Relief
flowed through me like a gulp of icecold Coke on the desert.
www.seniorlvgmag.com
“See,” I babbled. “See!” That’s
a lot better deal than you want
me to make with that ten-percent
discount card, and—”
“That’s only for today,”
interrupted my wife. “Let’s get on
with the business at hand.”
Once inside Treasury, I could
see the drug counter at the back
of the store. I could also see
the young clerk at that counter.
She was the one I had noticed
before with the Gleem smile, the
Vidal Sassoon hair, and the Liz
Taylor perfume. She was also
the one I was almost sure said
to herself during my occasional
visits to the store, “There is that
mature, aristocratic man with the
Humphrey Bogart smile and the
Clark Gable shoulders.”
She was the one I would have
to see about that no-count discount
card, but maybe it won’t turn out
too badly after all. I’ll just lean
easily, but dangerously, against
the counter like John Wayne, and
when she asks me my business,
I’ll smile like Big John and just
tell her my business flat out .She’ll
look at me steady-eyed while I
am filling out the card form, and
then she’ll say, sort of shy-like,
“You’ll never be old. Not to any
real woman.”
I’ll sign the completed card,
give it a flip into my pocket and
Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011
say, ”Here’s looking at you, kid,”
and I’ll stride off , arms swinging,
heavy with muscle, and I’ll hear
her say to the clerk at the catalog
order desk, “All senior citizens
ought to be like him!” Yep! That’s the way it will be.
Sure it will.
Go on, move,” interrupted my
wife, digging me with a sharp
elbow. “Cobwebs are hanging
between you and the furniture.”
From her expression, she seemed
to believe that I no longer had
both oars in the water. She looked
worried, but determined, sort of
like a Pekinese herding a buffalo.
Feeling that I had somehow
just been nipped on the hoof, I
managed to make it down to the
fatal counter. Already there and
leaning against the displays for
support was one of the oldest men
I had ever seen Had he visited
any funeral home in Marietta, they
would have kept him.
I was about to offer him some
assistance when he pointed with a
shaking arm and palsied fingers at
the Senior Citizen Discount poster
on the counter and quavered, “I’m
sure goin’ ter git me one of them
jest as soon as I gits old enough!”
I was still standing there
feeling dizzy when a melodious
voice trilled at my elbow. It was
the clerk, Miss Gleem.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Uh-h-h yes,” I answered “I
was just trying to decide on what I
really wanted.”
“All right, sir,” she said. “You
were looking at our laxative
display. Which one best fits your
condition?”
Somehow, I dug up the courage
to tell her what I was really there
for. It was either that or return to
my wife empty-handed, which
who you look like. My grandpa,
would have had about the same
only he’d been a lot younger today
result as the last meeting between than you—if he’d lived.”
General Custer and the Indians.
Crushed, I took my new card
After I filled out the form and
and sadly looked at it. Strangely
was shakily signing my gleaming enough, that seemed to make me
new ID card, the girl behind the
feel better. It was somewhat like
counter looked fixedly at me for a looking at your gallstones in a
long moment. Then she said, “You glass following the operation. You
know, you sure do remind me of
still hurt, but the worst was over,
someone.”
and you had something to show
A soothing wave of relief swept for it.
over me. The disaster was not to
As I doddered away to show
be complete after all. I was to be
my wife the prize, the thought
saved at least a fragment of my
came to me that perhaps the secret
pride.
of successful aging is actually
“Who can that be?” I grated
in giving up the illusions of
and flashed my best leer.
youth for something infinitely
“Humphrey Bogart?”
more valuable: the reality of “Humphrey who?” shrilled
experience. And besides, I could
the snippet in return. Then a
now get a whopping ten-percent
murky light of recollection spread off the bill on all my Geritol.
over her suddenly zit-speckled,
--------------
Dr.
Robert
Sykes_4.09_MSL
adolescent features. “I know now Bill Larmore lives in Marietta, Ga.
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September-October 2011- Modern Senior Living Robert S. Sykes, DDS
Providing the care you deserve
(770) 428-4447
451 Atlanta Street, Marietta
Near Historic Marietta Square
www.seniorlvgmag.com
19
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Modern Senior Living -September-October 2011