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“ASK LAURA ABOUT REAL ESTATE”<br />
Say no to Burglars!<br />
Laura Harbison<br />
Broker/Owner<br />
B.0026537.LLC/ PM.0164922.BKR<br />
Accredited Buyer Representative ® (ABR)<br />
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)<br />
Broker Price Opinion Resource (BPOR)<br />
Certified Distressed Property Expert ® (CDPE)<br />
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)<br />
Distinguished Real Estate Broker ® (DRB)<br />
Graduate, REALTOR ® Institute (GRI)<br />
Pricing Strategy Advisor ® (PSA)<br />
Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist<br />
(RSPS)<br />
Seniors Real Estate Specialist ® (SRES)<br />
Equator Platform Platinum Certification<br />
Equator Short Sale Agent Certification<br />
Advanced Evaluations Certification<br />
NVS Institute BPO Certification<br />
Five Star BPO Designation<br />
NAWRB Certified Delegate Spokeswoman<br />
Laura@HarbisonRealEstate.com<br />
www.LauraHarbisonRealEstate.com<br />
Call Laura Today!<br />
702-777-1234<br />
Home burglary generally has a pattern; criminals are looking for an easy target. Here are<br />
six tips from career burglars you can use to help prevent break-ins.<br />
1. Nighttime Burglaries Aren’t the Most Common<br />
Burglars like to break into homes during daytime hours—the last thing criminals want is to<br />
encounter someone at home. Weekdays are ideal for thieves, since weekend schedules<br />
are too unpredictable. Between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. is the most common<br />
timeframe because there’s a good chance people will be away at work or school.<br />
2. They Know When You’re Not Home—Thanks to Social Media<br />
While it’s tempting to post about your vacation to your social media feed, wait to share<br />
those trip photos and exotic location check-ins until you’re back home. Criminals scout<br />
public social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Foursquare to find<br />
victims. Even if all your accounts are private, never post what times you’re not home or<br />
how long you’ll be out.<br />
3. They Don’t Like Your Security Practices<br />
Burglars want nothing to do with alarm systems. Homes without a security system are<br />
almost 300 percent more likely to be targeted for a break-in. If you do install an alarm<br />
system, make sure you guard it with a strong code. Clean any dirt or grease off your<br />
keypad so a burglar won’t guess your code based off the numbers you’ve hit the most.<br />
Unlocked windows, unused deadbolts, poorly lit homes, and residences without security<br />
systems are prime targets for burglars, so make sure you are using the security features<br />
you already have.<br />
4. Great Targets Advertise Their Weapons<br />
If you’re a proud gun owner, that won’t scare away burglars—it entices them. A gun is<br />
stolen roughly every two minutes in the U.S., so homeowners should be sure to always<br />
lock up your guns properly.<br />
5. Shrubs Make Great Hiding Spots<br />
Tall bushes are favorites of burglars since they offer an obstructed view from the street<br />
and an easy way to hide from neighbors. Keep shrubs and large landscaping features<br />
trimmed. If you want big plants by your windows, choose something thorny that will<br />
detract a burglar, like roses or cacti. The best defense is a clear view of your front porch.<br />
6. Valuables in the Open Help Them Decide on a Target<br />
Keep your expensive items out of sight. Don’t leave a new Laptop in front of your firstfloor<br />
kitchen window, iPads on your living room coffee table, or even a nice car in a garage<br />
window with a clear sight line to the street. Key hooks—especially with labels for each<br />
key—need to be concealed out of view from windows, too. Mail or other personal<br />
information left in plain view is a gold mine for a criminal looking to easily steal your<br />
details for identity theft as well.<br />
I hope this is helpful to you! I'm here to assist you with all of your real estate needs. My<br />
office is open 7 days a week for your convenience, and we are looking forward to hearing<br />
from you.<br />
LAURAHARBISONREALESTATE.COM 702-777-1234<br />
2<br />
December 2021
Sold Is Our Favorite Word...Let Us Make It Yours!<br />
ANTHEM COUNYRY CLUB Double Gated Custom Home on .45 acre Lot with Pool & Spa in Highland Peak. One<br />
story home features 5167 sqft of living space with 5 Bedrooms, Office w/Walk-In closet, 4.5 baths, and an<br />
oversized 993 sqft 3 Car Garage. Custom Design brought to life by Richard Luke Architects features 12 foot<br />
ceilings, travertine marble floors, extensive use of rich granite throughout. Double Island Kitchen with custom<br />
cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, (double oven with convection feature, 2 refrigerators, 2 dishwashers, gas<br />
cooktop, microwave, wine refrigerator), Vegetable sink, menu desk, large walk-in pantry, granite countertops,<br />
breakfast bar, and oversized nook. Generous Owner's Suite with double door entry, gas fireplace, walk-in closet<br />
with closet organizers. Owner's Bathroom features gorgeous granite and marble finishes, dual sinks, make-up<br />
vanity, 2 medicine cabinets, Jacuzzi tub, and walk-in dual head shower with rain shower. Pebble Tech Pool &<br />
Spa (with new equipment), gas and solar heated, with waterfall. Full length rear patio with stamped concrete<br />
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and security door at rear door. $2,100,000<br />
LEGACY ESTATES 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs, 6245 SF, gym, game room, theater, office, formal living room with volume<br />
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area, gas fireplace, 4 walk-in closets, hardwood flooring. Owner’s bath with jacuzzi tub, dual head shower, dual<br />
sinks, makeup vanity, bidet and linen storage. Casita has walk-in closet, CF, solar tube, kitchenette, washer & dryer<br />
and bathroom with dual head steam shower. Gym has closet & professional grade (cushioned) flooring. 4 indoor<br />
fireplaces + outdoor sitting area with fireplace. 5-car garage. Fully integrated smart home! $2,888,000<br />
12 KENNESAW<br />
ANTHEM COUNTRY CLUB Upgraded Allegro<br />
floorplan in the guard gated community Anthem<br />
Country Club! 2 BR + den/office, 2 BA, 1720 SF,<br />
2-car garage. Island kitchen with granite<br />
countertops, recessed lighting, pot shelves, tile<br />
flooring and large nook/eating area. Spacious<br />
Great room with fireplace. Owner’s suite with<br />
large walk-in closet and bathroom with dual<br />
sinks, garden tub & separate shower. Mature<br />
landscape, covered patio, salt-finish concrete<br />
plus much more! $650,000<br />
2722 RICEVILLE<br />
SUN CITY ANTHEM VIEWS! Upgraded Arlington<br />
model on Premium Golf Course lot. 2337 SF 3BR +<br />
Office, 2.5 BA & 3 car garage w/ epoxy floors &<br />
shelving. Upgraded Kitchen with granite counters,<br />
upgraded cabinets, breakfast bar, Pantry, Solar<br />
Tube, Insta Hot, SS appliances. Family room w/ gas<br />
fireplace & B/I bookshelves. Owner's suite w/ Bay<br />
window, W/I closet & door to patio. Owner’s bath<br />
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rear yard with extended covered patio.<br />
55+ community w/ amenities $775,000<br />
124 ELEGANTE WAY<br />
GREEN VALLEY SOUTH 1 Story Home with Pool on<br />
Premium Cul-De-Sac Lot! 1625 SF, 2 BR, Den/<br />
Office, 2 Baths. Kitchen features Granite<br />
Countertops, Nook w/ Bay Window, Ceiling Fan,<br />
Gas Stove, Microwave, Dishwasher, Refrigerator<br />
and Tile Flooring. Living Room w/Raised Ceiling,<br />
Gas Fireplace. Gathering Room with Ceiling Fan,<br />
W/I Closet, B/I Bookcases & Door to Yard (garage<br />
conversion - permitted). Owner’s Suite with Ceiling<br />
Fan, Two Closets & Bath with Shower and Tile<br />
Flooring. Fully Fenced Rear Yard w/Sparkling Pool<br />
and large Covered Patio. $385,000<br />
2412 VIVID SKY<br />
SOLERA Upgraded Monroe Townhome Floorplan<br />
in Gated Villas at Solera, a premier 55+<br />
community! 2 BR + den, 2 BA, 1584 SF, 2-car<br />
garage. Kitchen boasts granite counters,<br />
upgraded cabinets, breakfast bar, SS appliances<br />
and walk-in pantry. Great room with ceiling fan.<br />
Dining area and den/office with double doors.<br />
Owner’s suite with walk-in closet. Custom 2-tone<br />
interior paint, custom tile flooring throughout,<br />
plantation shutters, solar screens, security door<br />
and rear covered patio. Located on premium<br />
corner lot with mountain views! $425,000<br />
3
Scam of the Holidays - Amazon<br />
With the holidays approaching, has Amazon contacted you to<br />
confirm a purchase you didn’t make, or tell you that your account<br />
has been hacked? I have.<br />
I received the below email and according to the Federal Trade<br />
Commission, since July, about 1 in 3 people have reported a scammer<br />
operation claiming that they were contacted by individuals who<br />
stated they were Amazon employees.<br />
How do you avoid being caught up by the Amazon scam? It really<br />
is easy.<br />
www.thevegasvoice.net<br />
www.vegasvoicetv.net<br />
OUR 18th YEAR<br />
PUBLISHER/EDITOR<br />
Dan Roberts<br />
dan@thevegasvoice.net<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
Ray Sarbacker<br />
ray@thevegasvoice.net<br />
VP ADVERTISING<br />
Debbie Landry<br />
debbie@thevegasvoice.net<br />
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Bill Caserta<br />
bill@thevegasvoice.net<br />
ANY CONTENT EDITOR (ACE) Rana Goodman<br />
rana@thevegasvoice.net<br />
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Evan Davis<br />
evan@thevegasvoice.net<br />
NIGHT LIFE EDITOR<br />
Sam Wagmeister<br />
TRAVEL EDITOR<br />
Stu Cooper<br />
RADIO HOST<br />
Rich Natole / Jon Lindquist<br />
GRAPHICS EDITOR<br />
Michael Roberts<br />
DIGITAL MEDIA<br />
Ross Roberts<br />
VIDEO PRODUCTION<br />
Jason Roberts<br />
WEB DESIGN<br />
Success City Online<br />
One – If you get an email, check who’s the sender and just delete<br />
it. Not sure if it is legit? No problem. Call Amazon’s 800 number –<br />
not any number listed in the email.<br />
Two – Never, never, NEVER pay for anything via a gift card, wire<br />
transfer or cryptocurrency. That’s a 100% scam, one hundred percent<br />
of the time.<br />
So once again and as always,<br />
what should you do when you get<br />
that email or telephone call offer?<br />
Delete. Delete, Delete those<br />
emails. And should you receive that<br />
offer by telephone, hang up the<br />
phone, hang up the phone and…<br />
HANG UP THE PHONE!<br />
*And for shameless plugs,<br />
check out our Scams segments<br />
on our Vegas Voice YouTube<br />
channel(YouTube.com/<br />
VegasVoiceTV).<br />
4<br />
December 2021<br />
Pat Alexander<br />
Adrea Barrera<br />
John Bielun<br />
Liz Breier<br />
Yvonne Cloutier<br />
Dianne Davis<br />
Sandi Davis<br />
Chuck Dean<br />
Jan Fair<br />
Howard Galin<br />
Susan Goldfein<br />
OUR FANTASTIC COLUMNISTS<br />
Linda Gomez<br />
Ali Guggenheim<br />
Dianne Hahn<br />
Dan Hyde<br />
Pat Landaker<br />
Heather Latimer<br />
Gayla Kalp<br />
BJ Killeen<br />
Kathy Manney<br />
Kyo Mitchell<br />
Liz Palmer<br />
Mary Richard<br />
Renee Riendeau<br />
Diane Rosen<br />
Crystal Sarbacker<br />
Moish Tombosky<br />
Jim Valkenburg<br />
Beverly Washburn<br />
Vicki Wentz<br />
Kate Wind<br />
About The Vegas Voice<br />
There is nothing more gratifying than to be honored by your fellow<br />
senior publishers. With that humble statement, we are very proud to<br />
announce that The Vegas Voice received 10 national awards from the<br />
North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA) in 2021.<br />
Everything from General Excellence to Senior Issues to Editorials to<br />
Graphics, the judges held (and it remains our unconditional commitment)<br />
that “every issue demonstrates that The Vegas Voice is paying<br />
attention to the needs and interests of its readers.”
What Do<br />
You Think?<br />
Do you agree with our<br />
columnists? Did anyone get<br />
you angry, make you think or<br />
simply put a smile on your face?<br />
Please tell us by forwarding<br />
your comments, thoughts or<br />
suggestions to Publisher Dan at:<br />
dan@thevegasvoice.net.<br />
Flushed with Stupidity<br />
By: Dan Roberts / Roberts Rules<br />
“<br />
Why would you do that?!” That was<br />
my Rana’s reaction when I told her what<br />
happened.<br />
I admit that I’m never the smartest guy in the<br />
room (even if I am the only one there). I also<br />
readily concede that yours truly has done many<br />
stupid things in my life, but this one would surely<br />
be in the “Top Ten.”<br />
I flushed my prescription glasses down the<br />
toilet.<br />
It was of course, an accident. If I took my time<br />
and aimed, I never would have been successful.<br />
“The odds had to be a million-to-one” I<br />
babbled to a disbelieving Rana.<br />
I was in the bathroom responding to the “call<br />
of nature.” As I leaned over the toilet to flush, my<br />
glasses slipped off my face and began its Houdini<br />
act.<br />
I cannot begin to describe how absurd the<br />
situation must have looked. There I was on my<br />
hands and knees hunting around and behind the<br />
toilet looking for my glasses. They were nowhere<br />
to be found.<br />
“Didn’t you see what was happening?” my Ladylove asked in total<br />
distain. “How could I have seen it?” I said in my defense. “I wasn’t<br />
wearing my glasses.”<br />
To compound my idiocy, these were not your ordinary specs you<br />
purchase at Costco. They were specialized designer Porsche transition<br />
glasses that my PILL (partner in love & life) gave me for my birthday.<br />
According to Rana, the glasses added a “touch of class.” Originally I<br />
told her that the glasses were “way too good for me” and I could have<br />
now taken the opportunity to say, “I told you so.” Thankfully, my brain<br />
kicked in before my mouth moved.<br />
Besides how many people could hit such a bullseye? (How’s that for<br />
being an optimist?)<br />
“Now what?” my exasperated Rana asked. She suggested that I turn<br />
off the water and detached the toilet so I can “fish them out.”<br />
“Are you kidding?” I said. “You know I’m way too stupid to do<br />
something like that.” And for the first time that day she agreed with me.<br />
Rana recommended that I call a plumber. And to add insult to injury,<br />
she did not even attempt to hide her laughter<br />
when I detailed why I required their services.<br />
I’m pleased to report however, that there is a<br />
happy ending. The plumber was able to retrieve<br />
the glasses. Not a scratch, dent or mark on them.<br />
And after soaking it in a disposable cup filled<br />
with Clorox for a couple of days, they were as good<br />
as new.<br />
“All’s well that ends well” I sheepishly told my<br />
Rana. But as usual she had the last word.<br />
She got me a bunch of those string holder strap<br />
cords to wear with my glasses.<br />
* I, along with our entire Vegas Voice family<br />
want to wish you and yours a very happy and<br />
healthy holiday season and New Year.<br />
When The Vegas Voice did its year-end review,<br />
even we were surprised by our achievements.<br />
From entertainment editor Evan Davis’ fantastic<br />
shows to my Rana’s seminars, to our 10 national<br />
journalism awards, it’s been quite a year.<br />
Once again, we have big, big plans for 2022. Our goal however<br />
remains the same; to serve you – our readers.<br />
The Vegas Voice will continue to do just about anything and<br />
everything to provide important information and meaningful insights<br />
concerning our “mature years.” And perhaps even bring a smile (or<br />
two) as we welcome a New Year.<br />
5
6<br />
December 2021<br />
Bill Blurb’s<br />
Christmas Spirit<br />
By: Bill Caserta / Bill’s Blurbs<br />
The Salvation Army realized that it had<br />
never received a donation from Las Vegas’<br />
most successful lawyer. So a volunteer paid the<br />
attorney a visit in his lavish office.<br />
The volunteer opened the meeting by saying, “Our research shows<br />
that even though your annual income is over ten million dollars, you<br />
don’t give a penny to charity. Wouldn’t you like to give something back<br />
to your community?”<br />
The lawyer thinks for a minute and answers: “First, did your research<br />
show that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and she has<br />
huge medical bills that are far beyond her ability to pay?”<br />
Embarrassed, the volunteer mumbles, “Uh... no, I didn’t know that.”<br />
“Secondly,” says the lawyer, “did it show that my brother, a<br />
disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair and is unable<br />
to support his wife and six children?” The stricken volunteer begins to<br />
stammer an apology but is cut off.<br />
“And finally, did your research also show that my sister’s husband<br />
died in a dreadful car accident, leaving her penniless with a mortgage<br />
and three children? The now humiliated volunteer replied, “I’m so<br />
sorry, I had no idea.”<br />
The lawyer added, “And if I didn’t give any money to them, what<br />
makes you think I’d give any to you?”<br />
*A couple (Greg & Nancy) were Christmas shopping at the mall on<br />
Christmas Eve and the mall was packed. Walking through the mall,<br />
Nancy noticed Greg was nowhere around. She used her cell phone to<br />
call him.<br />
Greg, in a calm voice said: “Honey, remember the jewelry store<br />
we went into five years ago where you fell in love with that diamond<br />
necklace that we could not afford, and I told you that I would get it for<br />
you one day?”<br />
With tears in her eyes, Nancy answered: “Yes, I remember that jewelry<br />
store.” He said: “Well I’m in the bar right next to it...”<br />
**And my annual wish to Santa: This year, please give me a big, fat<br />
bank account and a slim body. Once again, you mixed them up.
GIVE THE GIFT OF THE ARTS<br />
A gift certificate from The Smith Center is a gift that will get you a standing ovation.<br />
It’s the perfect present for the arts lovers on your list. From Broadway<br />
to music to dance, they can choose the shows they want to see.<br />
VISIT THESMITHCENTER.COM TO SEE THE FULL LINEUP<br />
702.749.2000 | TTY: 800.326.6868 or dial 711 | Group Inquiries: 702.749.2348 | 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106<br />
7
Entertainment for the Holidays<br />
By: Evan Davis / Entertainment Editor<br />
The holidays are upon us, but then again,<br />
every month brings us another holiday to<br />
celebrate. So, what makes this one so special?<br />
That’s because we’re all able to spend it with<br />
our friends and family. Booster shots and masks will be around for a<br />
while but don’t let that stop you from living.<br />
Let’s start with New Year’s Eve. For those of you who really can’t stay<br />
up past midnight, and function the next day, I’ve got the solution. A<br />
New York New Year’s Eve dinner show at Sun City MacDonald Ranch.<br />
The entertainment will be provided by Mark Giovi and Genevieve<br />
Dew (See next page). At nine o’clock we will see the ball drop from<br />
Times Square on our BIG screen. You could be home by 9:30 and miss<br />
any street traffic, if you’re driving.<br />
Let’s start 2022 with a bang at Starbright Theatre in Sun City<br />
Summerlin. I’ll be hosting a star-studded variety show featuring<br />
strip headliner Murray SawChuck along with singers Jonathan<br />
Karrant, Hannah Brady, Phillip Officer and Rosanna Telford.<br />
The band will be under the musical direction of Bill Fayne. This<br />
show is on Wednesday, January 5 th at 2:30 pm. It’s only $20, so you have<br />
no reason to miss this show (see page 31).<br />
Then for the first time we are bringing the Folk Legacy Trio to the<br />
Summerlin Library. That takes place on Friday January 21 st at 7:00 pm.<br />
The next evening,<br />
Saturday, January 22, the<br />
Folk Legacy Trio will be<br />
back at Sun City MacDonald<br />
Ranch for a 7 pm show.<br />
If you’ve never seen them,<br />
it’s a must see. They have<br />
put together a new show for<br />
those who have been lucky<br />
enough to have seen them<br />
before (see page 29).<br />
The Vegas Voice isn’t<br />
the only one in town that<br />
produces shows for your<br />
listening enjoyment. There’s<br />
With Hannah Brady after my<br />
Vegas Voice Celebrity Corner<br />
video segment.<br />
Gatsby’s, a new Jazz supper club now open on the east side of town. If<br />
you want to hear anything from Pop to Broadway, check out the Nevada<br />
Room or take in a dinner and show at the Italian American Club.<br />
You can also find entertainment in dozens of other venues such as<br />
Star Piano & Cocktail Lounge, The Golden Tiki, Siena Deli, The Space,<br />
Piazza Lounge and Firelight Barn to name just a few.<br />
So get out and enjoy life and live music.<br />
You can read Evan’s entertainment blog and sign up to receive<br />
his free email weekly Calendar of Events at www.EvanDavisJazz.<br />
com. Email him at: evan@thevegasvoice.net.<br />
Thank You For Your Service<br />
8<br />
December 2021<br />
Cast and crew backstage before our Vegas Voice “Tribute to Our<br />
Vietnam Veterans” starring Dennis Blair and featuring Andrew<br />
Freeman and Michelle Rohl last month at Sun City MacDonald Ranch.<br />
How good of a concert? A couple wrote this the next morning to<br />
publisher Dan:<br />
It was a wonderful tribute to our Vietnam Vets, and you have no<br />
idea how much it meant to my husband who was shunned for many<br />
years after his return. God bless you for sharing that with all of us!
9
Giada Brings Italian Charm to Las Vegas<br />
By: Sam Wagmeister / People & Places<br />
“<br />
Music is not about me. It’s about the people I<br />
have in front of me”…Giada Valenti<br />
When Covid Cabin Fever struck retired<br />
insurance executive Roger Scullion, he turned to the Internet to help<br />
pass the days. Comfort came from a Facebook Live<br />
telecast by Giada Valenti, the Italian born vocalist<br />
who brought her music, culture and charm to Las<br />
Vegas in 2019.<br />
Like many performers, the quarantine sparked<br />
Valenti’s creative fires. She began daily Internet<br />
broadcasts, calling on her friends and her Italian<br />
culture to help create an enriching content of<br />
interviews, music and a series of 4-ingredient<br />
Italian recipes.<br />
“She transported me musically and took me out of my isolation,”<br />
said Scullion who was a highly regarded studio musician in native<br />
England, playing backup for the Rolling Stones and other British<br />
“invaders.” An appreciated Valenti christened her Internet viewers “My<br />
Circle of Love.”<br />
Growing up an hour from Venice, Valenti’s love of music developed<br />
when she accompanied her grandmother to church and soon<br />
began studying opera. “I’m a pop singer,” she emphasizes, referring<br />
to the music of Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como and more recent<br />
contemporaries like The Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt and The Doors.<br />
“Classical opera taught me to breathe. Pop allowed me more freedom<br />
of interpretation.”<br />
A successful career path in Italy led to opportunities in New York.<br />
At the urging of Grammy winning producer Clive Davis, she relocated<br />
to the United States. There Godfather producer<br />
Sonny Grasso cast her in the Broadway musical<br />
Be My Love based on the life of Mario Lanza .<br />
Valenti self-produced From Venice with Love,<br />
an elegant video concert of familiar easy listening<br />
and popular music that since 2015 has received<br />
an estimated 2,000 airings on public television<br />
fund raisers. Her first visit to Las Vegas was in<br />
2019 to promote the show’s airing, working the<br />
station’s telethon with Smith Center CEO Myron Martin.<br />
The pandemic that idled the entertainment community in 2020<br />
presented an opportunity for Valenti. With work nonexistent in the<br />
music industry, she assembled an elite team of musicians (many of<br />
them Grammy winners) and began production on a new Christmas<br />
album at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and Abbey Road Studios in<br />
London.<br />
Now in the final stages of production, the scheduled release is next<br />
November. Last month however, Valenti released a single from the<br />
album, a bilingual version of Silent Night, available for download on<br />
the Internet.<br />
Since moving to Las Vegas, Valenti has developed a devoted, robust<br />
fan base. Responding to an Internet viewer’s request, Valenti partnered<br />
with deaf awareness consultant Diane Fiorentino to include signing in<br />
her broadcasts.<br />
Las Vegans can experience Valenti’s magic Sunday, December 5 when<br />
she presents her show, Love Under the Christmas Tree in the intimate<br />
Myron’s at the Smith Center.<br />
10<br />
December 2021
Help Our Entertainment Community<br />
By: Dianne Davis / That’s Entertainment<br />
Go see a show.<br />
I suggest this as a holiday gift to our<br />
community and to yourselves. Energize your life<br />
and support our community members.<br />
The entertainment industry suffered horribly from the pandemic,<br />
but as the end of the year approaches, we can look ahead. I urge you -<br />
go enjoy a production.<br />
Go with family or with friends. Just go. The entertainers, the ushers,<br />
the musicians, the ticket sellers and ticket takers, the costume makers,<br />
the make-up people, the stagehands – they all need your support.<br />
Don’t consider shows a luxury. Rather consider them necessary; both<br />
for your well-being and as a way to support the individuals and families<br />
who are our neighbors.<br />
Some productions have reopened in the theaters that they previously<br />
performed in; others have relocated, some by choice, some not.<br />
The King is now in the castle. That’s Mac King and he is holding<br />
court at Excalibur now. You can see Terry Fator upstairs at New York,<br />
New York. The Bronx Wanderers have wandered over to Westgate.<br />
The magic of Xavier Mortimer can now be enjoyed at the<br />
Strat. Tape Face moved up a floor at Harrah›s following Menopause<br />
The Musical which has been there for years. Kevin Lepine is now<br />
entertaining audiences at the 4 Queens in his hilarious Hypnosis<br />
Unleashed production.<br />
Do you like mentalists? Check out Gerry McCambridge at the V<br />
Theater, Banachek at the Strat, or Fredrick De Silva at Ballys. For<br />
comedy, you can’t beat Carrot Top at the Luxor.<br />
And while you are there, Fantasy might just be your cup of tea-se.<br />
(play on words there). If the guys are your eye candy, there’s Thunder<br />
From Down Under at Excalibur or Chippendales at the Rio. And<br />
the fabulous Magic Mike Live at the Sahara. I have seen and enjoyed<br />
all of these.<br />
And there are many special holidays shows during December as well.<br />
Go see a show.<br />
Dianne Davis is delighted to once again share her opinions of<br />
local performers and shows. She is the lead reporter for SCA-TV<br />
and Associate Editor of lasvegas.splashmags.com.<br />
11
The Beginning of Me<br />
By: Adrea Nairne-Barrera / Senior Moments<br />
Here we are at the end of 2021 and my<br />
adoption history is still unfolding.<br />
I was born in 1948 in New York City when<br />
records were sealed. Birth parents had no obligation to reveal details<br />
about themselves and were excluded from knowing where their babies<br />
went the day after they were born.<br />
Over the years I learned a few things, wandered down information<br />
roads that lead nowhere and did my best to learn what I could. I did<br />
find my birth mother and half-brothers in the 80s. We had a good<br />
relationship and some of the mystery of me was resolved.<br />
Then last year I found the other side of the story through DNA, and<br />
my birth father’s identity was revealed. And suddenly there were siblings<br />
there too welcoming me.<br />
Too Much Stuff<br />
By: Liz Breier / This & That<br />
Did you ever wonder how you accumulated<br />
so much “stuff” in a lifetime? You look<br />
around and see the things you purchased,<br />
received as gifts or inherited, and wonder, why do<br />
you keep dusting these things?<br />
I finally decided after years of complaining that I had too much<br />
“stuff.” Enough was enough. I sought out a means to divest.<br />
You might be surprised at the many easy ways to safely sell your items<br />
- from gently used clothing and accessories to jewelry and collectibles.<br />
Imagine selling your unwanted items without any risk or upfront costs?<br />
Larger items not easily shipped can be advertised on Next Door<br />
(nextdoor.com) and Facebook. Handmade items can be ordered on<br />
Etsy (etsy.com).<br />
I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve learned so much about how things<br />
were 70 years ago, and the back stories are so interesting. But I’m lucky<br />
also because I had not been part of a very chaotic time in my birth<br />
family’s life.<br />
I’m grateful they have welcomed me now, so many years later, even<br />
though both birth parents are gone.<br />
So why do I say that only now did I find “the beginning of me?”<br />
My original birth certificate just arrived. I opened the envelope to see<br />
the time, place, name, labor hours, etc. One piece of paper in my hand<br />
suddenly puts reality in focus.<br />
I was stunned and speechless staring at it.<br />
I can close the book on this because I now have everything there is<br />
to find. As states unseal their records, we adoptees finally have the right<br />
to know how we got here and why. You spend your whole life accepting<br />
secrecy because that’s the way it was.<br />
I never felt resentment and I was raised by loving parents, but certain<br />
facts were withheld all my life and decisions were made that I could<br />
not contest. Now we have a chance to come full circle and learn how<br />
we began.<br />
Adrea likes to opine and find the lighter side of life as a senior.<br />
12<br />
December 2021<br />
Poshmark (poshmark.com), for gently used or new items and e-Bay<br />
(ebay.com) are great venues to easily sell, ship and receive payments.<br />
To sell jewelry try Circa (circajewelry.com 877/876-5493) or Bob’s<br />
Watches (bobswatches.com 800/494-3708). If you have flatware,<br />
dinnerware, stemware or collectibles, check out Replacements Ltd.<br />
(replacements.com).<br />
For those more interested in purchasing, these are all safe on-line<br />
means to replace one broken dish (which I have done with Replacements<br />
Ltd. and even found additional pieces I could use with my dinnerware)<br />
or purchase a vintage piece of jewelry (Circa and Poshmark).<br />
Etsy can provide custom items as well. I often check the retail price<br />
on items (from shampoo and conditioner to household gadgets) and<br />
often find the pricing better on eBay. It is not necessary to bid on items<br />
on eBay – just click “buy it now” at the listed price and within a couple<br />
of days the merchandise is at your door.<br />
This is a great way to purchase items for yourself as well as gifts.<br />
Amazon (amazon.com) is not the only game in town – and watch<br />
those prices. Amazon is not always the best buy.<br />
What started out as a hunt to purge my home of too many things has<br />
become a fun and interesting challenge to determine fair prices and a<br />
lucrative leisure pastime.<br />
Liz Breier is an ex-New Yorker who retired to Florida for 24 years<br />
before deciding that Nevada means home to her. You can contact<br />
Liz at: bluesky090372@gmail.com.
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13
Christmas Back in The Day!<br />
By: Dianne Hahn / Back in the Days<br />
December 2018. Dear Friends & Family:<br />
Happy, happy!<br />
Can’t believe the holidays are here again! The<br />
days go by faster each year. Not sure if that means<br />
we’re having more fun, or just getting older.<br />
How was your year? Did your moments fly by? Did you walk into a<br />
room and forget why you’re there? No? (Liar, liar, pants on fire!)<br />
Let’s see what went on in our part of the world this year. Just a minute,<br />
I’m thinking! Oh yeah—nothing!<br />
Well, no planes, trains, or boats, but the ching, ching, ching, of the<br />
slot machines rang in our ears as we eagerly pumped coins and bills<br />
into them on a regular basis. Alas, there were no casino jackpots!<br />
Dejected, we decided a change of plans were in order. Vegas has<br />
gambling galore, but no lottery, so we drove to Arizona and bought<br />
some tickets for the Power Ball Lottery.<br />
We found long lines at the stores that sold lottery tickets. Grumbling<br />
and complaining, hubby, who didn’t want to go in the first place, said,<br />
“Go in and get some quick picks.” He was anxious to be done with this<br />
exercise in futility!<br />
Well as luck would have it, we were issued a ticket that matched the<br />
winning numbers! Are you kidding me?! We checked, and rechecked<br />
and discovered we were one of three winners. Twenty-nine million<br />
dollars was our<br />
share!<br />
I’m opting for<br />
a cruise around<br />
the world in one<br />
of those luxury<br />
liners - a private<br />
suite of course.<br />
Hallelujah! I will<br />
no longer have<br />
to do housework,<br />
laundry or cook!<br />
I’d also like a townhouse in London, a Rolls Royce with a chauffeur.<br />
Hubby wants a brownstone in New York and a custom designed RV.<br />
Now, if you believe the above, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I’d like<br />
to sell you! No, we didn’t drive to Arizona or buy lottery tickets! We did<br />
talk about it though…<br />
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah everyone! Have a Power Ball<br />
New Year with hugs, good health, and lots of love!<br />
Himself and Moi A/K/A Don & Dianne Hahn<br />
A former schoolteacher, Dianne Sebis Hahn writes for children too.<br />
Presently, Dianne has eight books available on Amazon.com. You<br />
can also see her on SCA TV.<br />
By: Pat Alexander / Art of Entertaining<br />
It’s the end of another pandemic crazed year<br />
and I feel I’ve lost two<br />
years of my life (and I’m<br />
definitely deleting those years from my age). The<br />
good thing is, it’s December!<br />
Thanksgiving was fabulous, and now, Christmas<br />
is coming! I have so many plans – decorating,<br />
cooking and parties, oh my.<br />
Speaking of decorating, I found two fabulous<br />
new nutcrackers. Then, wait for it, I found baking<br />
tins that make nutcracker shaped mini cakes!<br />
I’m like a kid with a new toy. My nutcracker<br />
obsession started more years ago than I’m willing<br />
to count (even including the two lost years), and<br />
I’m still adding to my collection.<br />
When I buy a house, I don’t worry where the<br />
furniture is going but where my nutcrackers will<br />
be displayed. Some might call it an obsession, not<br />
me, of course.<br />
I guess you could say I’m nuts about nutcrackers.<br />
I have three parties coming up in December and I’m busy planning<br />
menus, guest lists and decor. The weekend after Thanksgiving is pure<br />
pain. Taking down and putting away Thanksgiving decorations and<br />
14<br />
Holiday Musings<br />
December 2021<br />
putting up Christmas décor in two days makes me dizzy.<br />
My two favorite holidays are jammed together in a span of 30 days,<br />
and since I love celebrating each one, it’s impossible to give short shrift<br />
to either, meaning I spend an inordinate amount<br />
of time and energy making things happen. I’m<br />
very grateful January is a quiet month.<br />
One of the parties will be all about appetizers<br />
and this one I particularly like. It’s delicious, easy<br />
and can be made ahead. Try it, I think you’ll like it.<br />
Pat’s Bacon and Tomato Cups<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease mini muffin<br />
pan (24 openings). Crumble eight slices crispy<br />
bacon into bowl, add 1 large, chopped tomato, ½<br />
finely chopped sweet onion, 4 oz. shredded jack<br />
cheese (or cheddar), ½ cup mayonnaise and 1 tsp.<br />
dried basil.<br />
Open canned refrigerated buttermilk biscuits.<br />
Slice raw biscuits in half horizontally and press<br />
into bottom and sides of muffin cups. Fill with<br />
heaping tablespoon of bacon mixture.<br />
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. If freezing or making<br />
ahead, reheat in 350 oven 10 minutes.<br />
Pat Alexander writes about all things home. She is well known for<br />
her cooking, parties and interior design, and consults on kitchen<br />
and bath remodels.
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15
Guess Who?<br />
By: Beverly Washburn / Hollywood Memories<br />
Happy Holidays and blessings to all of you.<br />
Well, if you’re wondering who the<br />
smiling man next to<br />
me is… it’s Patrick Wayne, John Wayne’s<br />
son.<br />
Last month we were in Virginia for The<br />
Williamsburg Nostalgia Festival. It’s a<br />
festival that has been in existence for 27<br />
years.<br />
Each year they have, shall I say “old”<br />
celebrities. (yep, I was one of them). It was<br />
quite fun actually.<br />
They set us up with our photos, books etc.<br />
and we meet fans from all over the country.<br />
Most of them have their photo taken with us.<br />
They also show “old” movies and TV<br />
shows that we were in. Typically after that,<br />
we are on a panel with a Q & A session.<br />
It’s all very flattering and heartwarming meeting these people who<br />
remember some of the shows we’ve been in.<br />
It also gives us a chance to give back, and we can donate the money<br />
to whatever charity we want. Mine is always an animal charity and<br />
Patrick’s was the John Wayne Cancer Institute.<br />
It was a joy and an honor being with Patrick. He is now 82 years old<br />
and a real jokester.<br />
Patrick was in 40 films. Eleven of them with his dad. His debut with<br />
his dad was when he was 11 years old in<br />
a film called Rio Grande. He was also the<br />
host of the revival of the game show Tic Tac<br />
Dough back in 1990.<br />
By the way, I will be at the Winchester<br />
Dondero Cultural Center (3130 McLeod<br />
Road, Las Vegas 89121) on Wednesday,<br />
January 12th at 1 pm with my host Jay<br />
Nagle. We’ll be doing our show “Beverly<br />
Washburn’s Hollywood Journey ...That<br />
was YOU?!”<br />
Tickets can be purchased at the box office<br />
that day or for more information, call 702/<br />
455-7340.<br />
I would love to see you there!<br />
Until next time, remember... Live simply, Love generously, Care<br />
deeply, and Speak kindly.<br />
Beverly Washburn graced the silver screen as a child actress and<br />
is the author of Reel Tears. You can contact Beverly at: bjradell@<br />
hotmail.com.<br />
16<br />
December 2021
City Lights, Pretty Lights Christmas Lights!<br />
By: Sandi Davis / Fashion “Cents”<br />
took out my pre-lit Christmas tree, shook<br />
I out the branches and chose<br />
a spot in the music room that<br />
would not interfere with the “tuffet” (aka ottoman)<br />
that Ruby, our 10-month-old Bichon sits on to look<br />
out the window.<br />
Yes, this is a fashion column, but decorating for<br />
Christmas is “Home Fashion.” But let’s move onto<br />
fashion for us.<br />
The lights on the tree inspire me. I began thinking<br />
about how adding color to our normal black outfits<br />
could take their cue from where we are going.<br />
If going out to eat, the type of restaurant should<br />
inspire the colors we wear by looking at the flags of<br />
that country.<br />
If it’s Greek food, lets add some blue and white! The<br />
blue should be that beautiful sea color and the white should be clear<br />
white.<br />
And then again, Israel’s flag is the same color combination, so the<br />
colors would be the same whether Greek or deli, right?<br />
Italian – The colors are bright green, white appears again and a<br />
beautiful shade of clear red.<br />
Ireland – The same shade of green and white, but instead of red it’s<br />
a bright gold!<br />
Japan - For sushi its Red and white. Simple and pure.<br />
China goes bolder with no white! For Chinese food<br />
its bold red and a touch of yellow - or is it a pale gold?<br />
What about events? If you are going to the movies,<br />
I’m fine with all black. That way, if your popcorn<br />
buttery fingers get wiped on your pants, it won’t show.<br />
And the only bright to your outfit could be a small<br />
penlight in your pocket. Use the light to shine on the<br />
steps in those very dark theaters.<br />
A small light is easier than using the ever-so-bright<br />
flashlight on your phone. And no one will growl at<br />
you for using a phone<br />
To the grocery we go with a “cornucopia” of colors.<br />
Clever, right? A cornucopia is loaded with fruit, breads,<br />
etc. just like a grocery.<br />
My inspiration is the light of Christmas trees, not<br />
only for my outfits but also for my mood. I wish you all a blessed and<br />
happy Holiday season.<br />
Sandi Davis is the Fashion Style columnist and Behind-the-Scenes<br />
Research Analyst for The Vegas Voice. She welcomes all questions<br />
and opinions. You can contact her at Sandidavis@cox.net<br />
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17
Oh, You Shouldn’t Have!<br />
By: Susan Goldfein / Susan’s Unfiltered Wit<br />
Know what’s #1 on my holiday wish list? I<br />
really wish you wouldn’t get me anything.<br />
It’s sweet to be asked, and I get it about the joy<br />
of giving. But I must recuse myself as recipient.<br />
I’m currently committed to downsizing.<br />
I know, ‘tis the season and all that. Nevertheless,<br />
I can’t ignore that I’ve reached the point in my life<br />
where I have all the stuff I will ever need.<br />
My fantasy is to live the rest of my days ready for<br />
an emergency home evacuation. I don’t want to be<br />
troubled deciding what to take with me. If I’m successful, everything I<br />
own will fit into one suitcase, preferably a carry-on.<br />
Have I convinced you of my need to simplify? Perhaps not. In that<br />
case, I’ll be more helpful by offering a brief list of some of my favorite<br />
un-gift ideas.<br />
Hostess Paraphernalia. I have all the trays, cheese boards, brie<br />
servers, crystal pieces, nut holders and popcorn bowls with seed sifters<br />
that I’ll ever need. And no more space to fit another of anything.<br />
Jewelry. Please don’t go to Jared. Or Kay. Or any store of that ilk.<br />
I have only one neck and two of other body parts which typically<br />
accommodate jewelry. So I’m anatomically limited in the number of<br />
watches, bracelets, necklaces or earrings I can wear at any given time.<br />
Lingerie. Sweetheart, I hope you’re listening. Remember last year<br />
when you gave me that clingy red silk nightie with matching robe? I<br />
actually breathed a sigh of relief when they didn’t fit.<br />
While I adore being the object of your fantasy, I’ve always felt silly in<br />
skimpy intimate apparel. And now that I’m an “older” woman, I’m an<br />
even stronger proponent of less is more: reveal less and leave more to<br />
the imagination.<br />
Scents. Don’t even think about getting me perfume,<br />
toilet water, vanilla candles or sachet for my drawer.<br />
The latter is sure to induce a sneezing fit when I reach<br />
for a pair of undies. If you simply cannot resist, please<br />
be so kind as to include a box of Zyrtec.<br />
Small Appliances. I will not be grateful for a bread<br />
maker because you think in my retirement I need a hobby. I promise it<br />
will join the sewing machine gathering dust in my closet.<br />
That was a surprise from my husband, who didn’t know I almost<br />
failed home economics. He has no idea that the rag he uses to wipe his<br />
car was supposed to be a skirt.<br />
Woolens. When you live where “Frosty the Snowman” doesn’t stand<br />
a chance, one has no more need for scarves, hats, or mittens.<br />
Before you accuse me of dampening holiday spirits, please know I’m<br />
not a complete humbug. I love giving gifts to others, especially my<br />
grandchildren.<br />
But if you still insist on getting me something, consider these. A gift<br />
certificate for a restaurant that isn’t noisy. Or make a donation to my<br />
favorite charity? And do you happen to know a nice girl for my son?<br />
What I really wish at this time of year is what I wish every year – that<br />
my friends and family be happy and healthy. And may we live in a<br />
kinder, gentler world, one in which we can all feel safe. Happy holidays<br />
and a fulfilling New Year!<br />
Susan Goldfein’s newest book, How to Complain When There’s<br />
Nothing to Complain About, is available at Amazon.com, BN.com,<br />
Read her blog at: www.SusansUnfilteredWit.com. Email Susan:<br />
SusanGoldfein@aol.com.<br />
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19
Trimming Your Car<br />
By: BJ Killeen / Down the Road<br />
’<br />
Tis the season - which means hauling out<br />
the holiday decorations and dressing up your<br />
house with lights and other sparkly displays to<br />
make the neighbors both jealous or angry. But what about your poor<br />
little vehicle, sitting in the driveway, starved for some holiday spirit?<br />
Now your car can be part of the display, thanks to a variety of<br />
products. And you can take that spirit with you now when you cruise<br />
Candy Cane Lane.<br />
Here are some ways to decorate your ride that will make Santa<br />
envious!<br />
Car Bulb Magnets: $9.99, Amazon.com - While they won’t<br />
actually light up (they are reflective, however), at least you’ll be in<br />
the spirit with these Christmas multi-color light bulb magnets. It also<br />
includes green wire magnets so you can “string” lights all over your<br />
vehicle.<br />
It works on any metal surface, but make sure your vehicle’s body<br />
panel aren’t aluminum, because they won’t stick.<br />
If you want your car illuminated with real lights, you’ll need either<br />
12-volt light strings to plug into your car’s power point, or if your vehicle<br />
comes with a 110v outlet (many do nowadays), you can just plug in the<br />
strand directly. Otherwise you’ll need to find battery-operated lights or<br />
a power inverter. Be sure to buy the outdoor-approved lights, not indoor<br />
ones.<br />
Holiday Tire Covers: $90, spare-tirecovers.com - For those<br />
with a spare tire mounted on their rear tailgate, it’s easy to let everyone<br />
see your holiday spirit. There are seven designs from which to choose,<br />
and you can specify the size of the tire. You can even upload and send<br />
your own image for a personalized cover.<br />
Christmas Reindeer Kit: $30, homedepot.com - Pretend your<br />
car is Rudolph with this glitzy reindeer kit that consists of two antlers<br />
with clips for your windows, and another to secure the red nose to your<br />
car’s grille.<br />
Other easy car decorations include window clings, an inflatable<br />
snowman as a ride buddy, or even striped elf legs sticking out of a closed<br />
trunk. Yes, decorating your car may be silly, but making other people<br />
smile is priceless!<br />
BJ Killeen has been an automotive journalist for over 30 years.<br />
She welcomes all questions and inquiries, and can be reached at<br />
bjkdtr@gmail.com<br />
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MHD Lic #A0191<br />
21
By: Gayla Kalp / Life is Laughter<br />
was reading a great article by the Chain/<br />
I Koentopp Group of Berkshire Hathaway<br />
Home Services. It has very interesting, fun facts<br />
about Las Vegas. I want to share these dozen facts<br />
with you:<br />
1. There’s estimated to be at least 1,000 people living beneath Las<br />
Vegas in underground tunnels.<br />
2. The famous Las Vegas Strip is not located within the city limits of<br />
Las Vegas. It is in Clark County.<br />
3. It would take approximately 288 years for one person to spend one<br />
night in every hotel room in Las Vegas.<br />
4. Frederick W. Smith, the founder, and CEO of FedEx, saved his<br />
company by gambling in Las Vegas. He took FedEx’s last $5,000 to Vegas<br />
and won $27,000 gambling on blackjack which saved his company.<br />
5. Vegas bingo players’ favorite ink color daubers are purple.<br />
6. The Palms Casino Resort Palms offers a Kingpin suite that has two<br />
fully functional bowling lanes inside.<br />
7. The shrimp consumption in Las Vegas is over 60,000 pounds per<br />
day, higher than the rest of the nation combined.<br />
8. When erected, the neon cowboy outside the Pioneer Club in Las<br />
Vegas was the largest mechanical sign in the world.<br />
9. Boulder City is one of the only two cities in Nevada that prohibits<br />
gambling.<br />
22<br />
Dune<br />
By: Renee Riendeau / Movie Revelations<br />
Sci-fi extravaganza? You’ve got to be<br />
A kidding! I usually do not review this type of<br />
film but there seems to be so much hype about<br />
this 1965 novel by author Frank Herbert.<br />
He wrote five Dune sequels before his<br />
death in 1986. In 1966 he won the Hugo<br />
Award and the Nebula Award for the best<br />
novel. Then in 2003 Dune was selected<br />
as the world’s bestselling science fiction<br />
novel.<br />
Director Denis Villeneuve has<br />
chosen a unique cast unaware that<br />
the two twenty-five year old, Timothee<br />
Chalamet and Zendaya would develop<br />
instant chemistry adding depth to the<br />
film. Other important cast members<br />
include; Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa,<br />
and Oscar Isaac.<br />
The film takes place in the distant future where various noble houses<br />
control planetary fiefs. It tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family<br />
accepts the community of the planet Arrakis, a wasteland but the only<br />
source of “mélange” or “spice.”<br />
Vegas Fun Facts<br />
December 2021<br />
This is a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities and<br />
space navigation. With Arrakis the only source of “spice”, the control<br />
of the planet is dangerous.<br />
The film explores the interactions of politics, religion, ecology,<br />
technology, and human emotion.<br />
The director would like to turn the<br />
Dune series into a trilogy, and sci-fi fans<br />
can hardly wait. The advertisements for<br />
this movie suggested you see it on the<br />
big screen, and I can understand why.<br />
It was filmed in the sand dunes of<br />
Jordan. There were times when the entire<br />
screen was nothing but undulating sand<br />
dunes that felt like they were coming off<br />
the screen to engulf the audience.<br />
There were times I got lost in the<br />
script, but the cinematography was<br />
fantastic and I may just go to another sci-fi film. The next time I will<br />
research this type of film seeking knowledge to understand the plot. I’m<br />
giving “Dune” a big fat “B+” rating.<br />
Renee Riendeau is the movie critic for The Vegas Voice. She loves to<br />
hear your opinions on films. You can contact her at: rriendeau@<br />
aol.com<br />
10. The Las Vegas Strip<br />
is the brightest place on<br />
Earth when looked at<br />
from outer space.<br />
11. Las Vegas is<br />
informally known as<br />
Hawaii’s 9 th island,<br />
due to the city’s large<br />
community of Hawaiians.<br />
12. The Bronze lion<br />
outside of the MGM<br />
Grand Hotel weighs 50<br />
tomes, making it the<br />
largest bronze sculpture<br />
in the country.<br />
Please let me know of<br />
any other interesting and<br />
fun facts you may know<br />
about our wonderful,<br />
fabulous city so I can<br />
share them in a future<br />
article.<br />
Gayla is a speaker, author, psychologist and humorist. She also<br />
happens to be Ms. Sr. California, Nevada and Universe England.
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23
My Family’s Journey<br />
By: Rana Goodman / On My Soapbox<br />
After reading and seeing the news about the<br />
influx of immigrants along the southern<br />
border, it brought back memories of my family’s<br />
move from the United Kingdom<br />
to the United States. There were so<br />
many requirements that the federal<br />
government put my parents (see<br />
photo) through before they could<br />
enter this country.<br />
My father’s health suffered after<br />
his World War II service in Africa. He<br />
contracted malaria which re-occurred<br />
more frequently over the years. The<br />
idea of moving to a better climate<br />
seemed like it might be the answer.<br />
Ignoring the fact that I spoke French<br />
and Italian fluently at the time, my<br />
mother insisted we pick an Englishspeaking<br />
country to “make life simpler for me.” Believe it or not, the<br />
decision came down to a coin toss - USA or Australia.<br />
The decision was finalized in 1952, although it took another year to<br />
sell my parent’s businesses and get all the legalities in order. It was a<br />
long, arduous process, including getting a “sponsor” in the U.S. who<br />
would guarantee the government that the three of us would not be a<br />
burden to the American taxpayers.<br />
My father had a cousin who married an American G.I. who, by that<br />
time had become an attorney in New York. He welcomed being our<br />
sponsor.<br />
It took a great deal of time to get all the health documents in order,<br />
including veterinary health certificates for our Chow dog, Ching. My<br />
family would not move without him.<br />
We set sail for America on the H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth. It was so<br />
exciting thanks in part to the activities my dad and I planned during<br />
the five day journey. Of course, it was<br />
my mother who feared getting seasick,<br />
and yet I fell victim to it.<br />
The good part of my seasickness<br />
was that this young girl had a very<br />
handsome crewman who tucked me<br />
into a deck chair each day. He kept<br />
bringing me tea, soup, crackers, and<br />
anything else that might help.<br />
Looking at the news clips of the<br />
migrants living under the bridge in<br />
Texas brought all these memories<br />
flooding back; especially the<br />
guarantees my parents had to supply<br />
to prove our health and livelihood was<br />
not an issue.<br />
In these Covid days, one would think that the safeguards my family<br />
had to provide would be a factor in accepting (or not) the migrants<br />
flooding into our country.<br />
We were very lucky with our move. My father loved the desert climate<br />
of Las Vegas where we made our new home.<br />
And on the very day that was our 5 th year anniversary (the length of<br />
time before an immigrant could qualify for citizenship) of our journey,<br />
my parents proudly became American citizens.<br />
24<br />
Thank You For Your Support<br />
I<br />
By: Carol Chapman n reviewing<br />
2021, there is<br />
one fact about the Foundation that stands out.<br />
Whether it’s in spite of, or perhaps because of<br />
the pandemic, the demand for our services has<br />
seen an incredible increase.<br />
The increase in demand,<br />
obviously, requires an<br />
increase in the need for<br />
donations to sustain it.<br />
Another statistic I<br />
observed is the stock market<br />
trend line. In 2021 we<br />
witnessed 64 record closes in<br />
the S&P 500, which is up 25% this year. If you have investments in the<br />
market you may have experienced gains yourself and now find yourself<br />
thinking about ways to put them to good use.<br />
If you are considering including The Foundation in your year-end<br />
plans, we are grateful for your help. There are a number of ways you<br />
December 2021<br />
can do this, such as gifting highly appreciated stock to FAS or grant<br />
from a donor advised fund.<br />
Another option is to include FAS as a beneficiary in your trust.<br />
Required Minimum Distributions can also be directed to us without<br />
tax implications. Cash donations are always welcome. We encourage<br />
you to talk with your<br />
financial advisor about how<br />
to support seniors through<br />
one of these options.<br />
As the holidays approach,<br />
we have an easy way for you<br />
to give a unique gift and help<br />
FAS at the same time. Give<br />
a Celebrate a Senior<br />
hand painted ceramic tile, or we will mail a certificate honoring your<br />
special someone. Visit our website at FoundationAssistingSeniors.org<br />
for more details.<br />
However you choose to end your year, we thank you for your support<br />
and look forward to a bright and prosperous new year for all.
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25
Cutting ZZZZZ’s<br />
By: Chuck Dean / Vet 2 Vet<br />
Whether sitting in the back of a deuceand-a-half<br />
re-supply truck, or a tightly<br />
packed military aircraft, soldiers have always<br />
been known to catch up on their Z’s any time and any place they<br />
possibly can.<br />
Now the Army’s new field manual for Holistic Health and Fitness<br />
recommends that leaders create time for soldiers to take short naps<br />
during long periods of continuous operations when troops are getting<br />
less than six hours sleep a night. The new manual officially endorses<br />
any activity that sustains mental alertness (sleeping) that warriors<br />
have always practiced unofficially.<br />
Night Driving Advice<br />
By: Jim Valkenburg / Insurance Insight<br />
Now that we have “fallen back” and the<br />
days are shorter, we need to take extra care<br />
on the road.<br />
Shorter days, fatigue, compromised night<br />
vision, rush hour and impaired drivers are some of the risks we face<br />
when driving at night.<br />
And these risks are even more pronounced as we move to the weekend<br />
with fatal crashes peaking on Saturday night.<br />
If we go out after 5:00 pm, it’s dark and we find ourselves having<br />
more problems with depth perception, color recognition and peripheral<br />
vision compromises. Plus, the glare of headlights from oncoming<br />
vehicles can temporarily blind you.<br />
Here are some suggestions to help improve your night driving:<br />
It states, “When regular nighttime sleep is not possible due to<br />
mission requirements, soldiers can use short, infrequent naps to<br />
restore wakefulness and promote performance. When routinely<br />
available, sleep time is difficult to predict, soldiers might take the<br />
longest nap possible as frequently as time is available.<br />
I remember those long (required) sleepless periods during training<br />
and combat, and they were not fun. To qualify in Army Ranger School<br />
for example, soldiers are exposed to 61 days of mentally and physically<br />
exhausting training, which often means Ranger candidates get just<br />
two to three hours of sleep in a 24-hour period for several days at a<br />
time.<br />
Soldiers, sailors, airmen, or Marines cannot be trained to perform<br />
better on less sleep. Linking sleep to cognitive performance is not new.<br />
In 2018, the Navy issued new guidance to ensure sailors serving<br />
on aircraft carriers the chance to have eight hours of uninterrupted<br />
sleep per 24-hour period. That action followed two separate and<br />
deadly accidents in 2017 involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John<br />
S. McCain colliding with commercial ships. Human error and sleep<br />
deprivation were cited in the Navy’s investigation of the incidents.<br />
So in reality, this is good news and there are no shortcuts. Only<br />
sleep can replace lost sleep. With that said, we senior veterans should<br />
sleep as much as we can, whenever we can, as the situation allows.<br />
It makes sense to me. Here’s too good snoozing and happy holidays.<br />
Chuck Dean served as an Army paratrooper in Vietnam and<br />
through that experience was led to address the many transitional<br />
issues veterans struggle with. He is the author of several<br />
important books for veterans. All can be found on Amazon at:<br />
http://www.amazon.com/author/chuckdeanbooks<br />
26<br />
December 2021<br />
1. Ensure your headlights are aligned correctly and make sure they<br />
are clean. If you have an older car with plastic lens covers that have<br />
yellowed, use a polish kit to clear the residue.<br />
2. Do get an eye exam and wear the right glasses. Make sure the<br />
glasses have anti-reflective lenses.<br />
3. Dim your dashboard lights because the glow from your instrument<br />
panel can be distracting.<br />
4. Don’t ignore a dirty windshield. Keeping both inside and outside<br />
clean will allow for better visibility.<br />
5. Combat fatigue. Drowsy-driving crashes are most likely to happen<br />
between midnight and 6 am. If you are far away from home, have some<br />
caffeine, pull over to get some rest.<br />
6. Look in the right direction. Even though you should keep your eyes<br />
on the road, avoid a fixed gaze and never stare at oncoming headlights.<br />
When approaching an oncoming vehicle, shift your eyes down and to<br />
the right using the right edge of the road or lane markings as a guide to<br />
stay in your lane. Lift your gaze back when you’ve passed that vehicle.<br />
7. STAY ALERT, STAY ALIVE. We typically do only ¼ of our driving<br />
at night, but half of all traffic incidents happen at night. Take extra<br />
precautions like reducing speed, be extra defensive, do not overuse high<br />
beams, and perhaps most importantly: plan ahead.<br />
STAY SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!<br />
Jim Valkenburg is a retired military officer and insurance executive.<br />
He and his wife owned and operated their own insurance agency for<br />
over 16 years. His primary purpose is to give out real information<br />
that can be used to make intelligent insurance decisions.
27
Enduring Mottos for the<br />
New Year<br />
By: Heather Latimer / Heather’s Self-Help Tips<br />
“<br />
It doesn’t matter how slowly you go,<br />
as long as you don’t stop.” Confucius<br />
“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” Lord<br />
Chesterfield<br />
“Immodest words admit of no defense, for want of<br />
decency is lack of sense.” Earl of Roscommon, Ireland<br />
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”<br />
Benjamin Franklin<br />
“Don’t do something permanently stupid when you are<br />
temporarily upset.” Wiz Khalifa<br />
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising<br />
every time we fail.” Confucius<br />
“Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm<br />
wrinkles the soul.” Unknown<br />
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets<br />
opportunity.” Seneca<br />
“Nothing is so much to be feared as fear itself.” Franklin<br />
Delano Roosevelt<br />
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over<br />
and over and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein<br />
“It’s better to be alone than in bad company.” George<br />
Washington<br />
“Integrity is doing what is right, even when no one is<br />
watching.” C.S. Lewis<br />
Heather Latimer is a nationally recognized specialist in making<br />
difficult subjects easy and author of 17 books. See amazon.com/<br />
heather latimer/how to overcome.<br />
Was Dr. Frankenstein<br />
Correct?<br />
By: Kyo Mitchell / A Healthier You<br />
“<br />
You’re just getting old.” This is the statement<br />
I hear a lot of patients tell me when they ask<br />
their doctor why they have developed a specific medical problem for<br />
which there was no apparent cause.<br />
This statement is incorrect. Time does not cause medical issues.<br />
Wear and tear on the body’s tissues and lack of proper repair is<br />
what causes medical problems. The question then becomes, “Is there<br />
anything that can be done to prevent long term wear and tear and help<br />
the body repair itself?”<br />
Robert Becker was an<br />
orthopedic surgeon who<br />
worked on complex nonhealing<br />
fractures of bone.<br />
He tried to find ways to help<br />
bones mend when they would<br />
not do so on their own.<br />
Becker knew that if you<br />
cut off a salamander’s limb,<br />
it could regrow the whole<br />
limb but if you cut off a rat<br />
or frog’s limb, they would not<br />
regrow. He wondered why.<br />
Becker theorized that<br />
it might have something<br />
to do with the electric fields related to the damaged tissue. Through<br />
experimentation Becker learned that when you sever a salamander’s<br />
limb, the limb becomes more electropositive than an unsevered limb for<br />
a period time, followed by a period of becoming more electronegative<br />
while the tissue regenerated before going back to the baseline electrical<br />
potential.<br />
After severing a rat or frog limb, the limb became more electropositive<br />
and then went back to baseline without becoming more electronegative.<br />
Here there was no regeneration of tissue.<br />
Then Becker severed rat and frog limbs and using artificial external<br />
means, recreated the change in electric fields one would see in a<br />
salamander limb. While the limbs did not fully regrow, there was some<br />
tissue regeneration, more than would be seen normally. Becker went on<br />
to use this knowledge to help heal bones that usually would not heal<br />
properly on their own.<br />
Certain medical practices (such as acupuncture) can alter the<br />
electric fields within the human body and have been used for thousands<br />
of years to treat a vast array of medical problems. If altering electric<br />
fields can help tissue regenerate, what else can therapeutics such as<br />
acupuncture accomplish?<br />
28<br />
December 2021<br />
Dr. Kyo Mitchell served as faculty at Bastyr University in Seattle<br />
and Wongu University in Las Vegas for over a decade. Dr. Mitchell<br />
practices in Summerlin and can be reached at 702-481-6216 or<br />
rkyomitchell@gmail.com.
29
By: Yvonne Cloutier / Musical Moments<br />
If you are a pianist, sometimes you may be<br />
asked, “Can you accompany?” There is a big<br />
difference between accompanying and soloing.<br />
Piano accompanying is not just someone who plays the piano. There<br />
is so much more to it.<br />
It is working with the soloist’s interpretation. Giving the soloists the<br />
musical background they require. This includes knowing what key is<br />
requested, and how many times that key changes?<br />
While soloing is the pianist’s interpretation, accompanying is the<br />
soloist’s interpretation. It’s like the difference between a sound engineer<br />
and a dial-turner.<br />
Do you know that there are pianists who just train to be accompanists?<br />
Such accompanists also need to be good sight readers - that is, they<br />
look at the notes and play them right off, having the ability to play in<br />
any key signature the soloists’ require.<br />
They need to practice with<br />
and without each soloist. They<br />
must know their parts first plus<br />
need to work on any background<br />
music. This starts at least a<br />
month (or more) ahead of the<br />
performance.<br />
The accompanist, after they<br />
learn their part, must be ready<br />
at the beginning of the rehearsals, knowing all soloists parts. This<br />
means hours of practice before any rehearsals with the soloists.<br />
There are so very few good piano players now, let alone actual<br />
accompanists. They also need excellent lighting, comfortable seating,<br />
a tuned piano, etc., etc.<br />
With a shortage of accompanists, it may be possible to tape the<br />
accompanist after s\he has learned the music. Sometimes, companies<br />
will provide a taped recording, but nothing is as good or wonderful<br />
well as the actual person being at the piano. After all, tapes don’t have<br />
brains.<br />
30<br />
The Pianist Accompanist<br />
Yvonne Cloutier, a former teacher/principal, with a music<br />
background, specializes in ragtime piano. She is the author of the<br />
book, Scott Joplin, King of Ragtime. You can contact her at www.<br />
mytimeisragtime.com.<br />
December 2021<br />
Vegas Voice columnist<br />
Pat Landaker with<br />
Steven Whitley, City of<br />
Henderson’s Volunteer<br />
& Training Coordinator.<br />
Whitley was guest speaker<br />
at Pat’s Positive Aging class<br />
at UNLV and discussed<br />
why volunteering and<br />
+50 adults are a great<br />
match.<br />
The Gifts of Gratitude &<br />
Forgiveness<br />
By: Pat Landaker / Positive Aging<br />
The holiday season arrives with all your<br />
emotions, good and bad, in tow. We stress<br />
over which gifts to give and over how we’ll engage<br />
with family members and friends.<br />
We’re filled with expectations and anticipation. We have so many<br />
feelings and adjustments involved, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.<br />
So what can you focus on to receive what you want from this holiday<br />
season? Two things will give you the greatest gifts of all: Gratitude and<br />
Forgiveness.<br />
It’s time to release all the negatives and celebrate the positives. Only<br />
you have the power to shift the negatives into the universe through<br />
forgiveness and actualize the positives to balance things out.<br />
We think forgiveness is<br />
for the other person, but it’s<br />
for you! It doesn’t matter<br />
if the other person knows<br />
you’ve forgiven them.<br />
What matters is you no<br />
longer have those negatives<br />
weighing you down. Even<br />
more important, you can<br />
take back that part of your<br />
life.<br />
Gratitude is our best friend and partner in aging, but often we forget<br />
to be grateful. When we wake up with gratitude, we go to sleep with<br />
peace of mind.<br />
There’s no better time than the holiday season to express our gratitude<br />
and we do that in many ways. But seldom do we express gratitude for<br />
ourselves and how well we’ve managed our lives.<br />
Well, now’s the time! Gift yourself some self-gratitude and released<br />
forgiveness!<br />
When you gift yourself Gratitude and Forgiveness, you’ll be gifting<br />
others at the same time though they may never know it because it<br />
won’t come tied with a bow. Instead, it will be revealed in your visible<br />
happiness and sense of freedom.<br />
It will also help you shed your pain and regret because your<br />
forgiveness will set you free from the negative thoughts and feelings<br />
that have harnessed you.<br />
Here’s an idea to help you embrace and acknowledge the positives<br />
(gratitude) and release and acknowledge the negatives (forgiveness).<br />
Get a pad, a pen and a small box.<br />
Write down your “gratitudes and forgivenesses”, put them in a box<br />
and gift them to yourself. They will be the best gifts you’ve ever opened.<br />
Pat Landaker is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and a Senior<br />
Lifestyle Consultant. She is owner of the Living La Vida Senior<br />
brand, serves on the City of Henderson’s Senior Citizens Advisory<br />
Commission and teaches Positive Aging at UNLV/OLLI. Contact her<br />
at positiveaging54@gmail.com.
31
Safety Nets in Peril<br />
By: Dan Hyde / Call to Action<br />
65 million! That’s the number of Americans<br />
(probably including you) relying on the<br />
two pillars of the<br />
nation’s safety<br />
net programs – Medicare and Social<br />
Security.<br />
Both are in serious financial trouble<br />
and are doomed to run out of funds<br />
by 2033 - if not sooner. Considered the<br />
“third rail” of politics, politicians are<br />
very timid to not only discuss what to<br />
do about the looming crisis, but lack<br />
the backbone to act NOW to prevent a<br />
catastrophe.<br />
As I’ve mentioned many times,<br />
proactive leadership is what we all yearn<br />
for but what we always get are “reactionary politicians” - i.e. those who<br />
wait until the crisis is so acute they have no choice but to act. When<br />
they do that, the cost is far greater and enduring than if they had taken<br />
the necessary steps years before to remedy the problem.<br />
What’s shocking (if you believe the Medicare Trustees) is that the<br />
Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2024<br />
barring any Congressional action to prevent it. I don’t believe however<br />
that these incompetent politicians will let that happen.<br />
But whatever they do, it will cost the tax paying public a hefty<br />
price. Coupled with the recently signed $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure<br />
package the entire nation is looking at a<br />
financial calamity that will make the<br />
Great Depression pale in comparison.<br />
What we can expect is a combination<br />
of reduction in benefits to both<br />
programs and increase in taxes. They<br />
will likely remove the cap that the taxes<br />
are assessed against (presently $142,800<br />
which will probably rise to $150,000<br />
in 2022). That would put a finger in a<br />
leaking dam for the near future, but it<br />
will not solve the long term problem.<br />
Once again, it will allow the politicians<br />
to escape accountability. To pin fault, one must only look in the mirror!<br />
We re-elect these thoroughly incompetent “representatives” ad<br />
nauseum year after year. What was Einstein’s definition of insanity<br />
–“Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different<br />
result!” Sad, but true!<br />
Dan Hyde is a passionate and effective advocate for the senior<br />
community. He can be reached at: dhyde9@cox.net.<br />
32<br />
December 2021
Origins of Christmas Traditions<br />
By: Ali Guggenheim / Psychic Phenomenon<br />
Nothing comes from nothing! Everything<br />
stems from something, and traditions of<br />
any kind are no exception.<br />
In 1843, Sir Henry Cole was too busy to send<br />
individualized Christmas Cards. So, he<br />
commissioned his friend John Callcott Horsley to<br />
create a message containing a Christmas scene<br />
with a message on the back.<br />
The earliest Christmas Carols started in the<br />
12 th century and were introduced by St. Francis<br />
Assisi in Nativity plays. Although the songs were<br />
religious, the stories were primarily made-up.<br />
Christmas Caroling didn’t start until the 19 th<br />
century. The idea came from 12 th century minstrels<br />
that went door-to-door, year-round, performing<br />
non-religious tunes. As Christmas became more commercialized,<br />
singing holiday carols and traveling door-to-door were combined and<br />
popularized.<br />
The fact that a Fruitcake didn’t need refrigeration made it a<br />
popular nutritional source. Fruitcake dates back to ancient Egypt when<br />
relatives left them in their loved one’s tombs.<br />
The Romans took them to battle, and they were always a staple at<br />
tea parties. In the 18 th Century, they were banned in Europe for being<br />
“sinfully rich.”<br />
Originally Eggnog evolved from Posset, a Medieval British drink<br />
that consisted of spices, ales, and liquor (no milk). Nog came from<br />
noggin, a wooden cup used in pubs in colonial America.<br />
The eggs came much later. Served warm and known for its expensive<br />
ingredients, Eggnog was labeled the Aristocrats’ drink and savored for<br />
Christmas.<br />
The United States ambassador to Mexico,<br />
Joseph Poinsett (1800s), was intrigued by a<br />
vibrant, red flower blooming in the southern<br />
part of the country. Missionaries called it the<br />
Nativity plant because it bloomed during the<br />
Advent season. It was named Poinsettia when<br />
he introduced it here.<br />
During the winter months, early Germans wore<br />
evergreen Wreaths to remind them that warm<br />
weather would return. Steeped in symbolism, the<br />
Christians adopted this tradition and used the<br />
circular wreath to symbolize everlasting life through Christ.<br />
According to The New York Times, wreaths made of holly, known<br />
for their sharp, pointy leaves, reminded early Christians of the crown<br />
of thorns worn by Christ. Later, people would light wreaths during the<br />
Advent season to celebrate Christ as the “light of the world.”<br />
Happy Holidays!<br />
To contact Ali or for spiritual consultations, coaching, workshops<br />
and readings, email: alivegasvoice@yahoo.com.<br />
33
34<br />
Total Solar Eclipse<br />
By: Kate Wind / Kate’s Insight<br />
On December 4 th , we will experience a Total<br />
Solar Eclipse (New Moon) at 12 degrees of<br />
Sagittarius. This will offer a new beginning to the<br />
closure we experienced with the lunar eclipse last<br />
month.<br />
Think of the phrase when one door shuts, another one opens. This<br />
will be the final eclipse in this 18-month series on the Sagittarius-<br />
Gemini axis. Congrats Gemini and Sagittarius friends!<br />
Think of an eclipse as receiving news that you didn’t expect that<br />
overrides (or eclipses) what you were going to do, say, or plan.<br />
This eclipse is particularly strong for those born between, December<br />
1 – 9 , May 29 – June 7, August 31 – September 8, and February 27 –<br />
March 8.<br />
Below are the themes the eclipse will bring<br />
for each of the signs:<br />
Aries: Higher vibe, becoming more<br />
professional, focusing on education or<br />
vision boards.<br />
Taurus: Focus on “before and after’s”, cleaning up financials and<br />
deep relationships – someone who changes you.<br />
Gemini: Supports partnering with people from a different sphere<br />
and changing the way you introduce yourself.<br />
Cancer: Opportunities to teach and train as well as work<br />
improvements.<br />
Leo: Focus on having fun and developing your signature in style or<br />
substance.<br />
Virgo: Taking on large decluttering tasks and renewing the home.<br />
Neighbors may wonder, “Are you moving?” due to lots of stuff on the<br />
curb!<br />
Libra: Being on a hands-on learning curve or proving yourself.<br />
Connecting with siblings and negotiating financial arrangements.<br />
Scorpio: Focus on a budget for refining your life or indulging your<br />
senses.<br />
Sagittarius: The theme is about conquering your freedom,<br />
breaking free and running like a centaur or horse! Focus on personal<br />
development and allowing your world to grow bigger. This is a lucky<br />
time for opportunities.<br />
Capricorn: Focus on a spiritual practice, volunteering, or seeking<br />
help or guidance.<br />
Aquarius: Focus on networking, attending events, making<br />
connections, or raising fees.<br />
Pisces: Focus on achieving, leadership, and stepping up to more<br />
responsibility with ease.<br />
December 2021<br />
Thin Lips & Turkey Necks<br />
By: Linda Bateman-Gomez / Timeless Beauty<br />
As many of you know, I created a couple of<br />
beauty products designed to help with two<br />
problems: thin lips & wrinkly necks.<br />
Fullips is my non-invasive lip plumping tool and Nexsey is my<br />
neck tape. Both are temporary beauty tricks for those that don’t want<br />
to spend a lot of money or have more invasive or painful cosmetic<br />
treatments.<br />
While I love to sell my products, there are also other things you can<br />
do to help these areas without any beauty products at all.<br />
First, for your lips, try using a soft toothbrush and gently brush your<br />
lips in a circular motion. It not only exfoliates your lips but also helps<br />
to increase the blood flow and give them a fuller appearance.<br />
Follow with a lip-colored liner just outside the lip line, blending<br />
some inward on to the lip, then apply a moisturizing lipstick as usual.<br />
For the neck, it is about illusion. Wearing scarves and turtlenecks<br />
are one obvious solution, but there are others. The easiest thing to do is<br />
experiment with necklines in your own closet.<br />
Depending on how and where your wrinkles are will best determine<br />
how to camouflage them. In my case, if I wear turtlenecks, I still have<br />
to use Nexsey tape because the style just accentuates the loose skin<br />
under my chin creating the dreaded “turkey neck.”<br />
However, wearing V-necks and deep round collars are my best look<br />
when not using tape. It draws the eye down and a nice pendant necklace<br />
is also helpful.<br />
Colors can also make a difference. Lighter colors often reflect the<br />
light better and give you a better look.<br />
The best way to see what works best for you is to try on the different<br />
shapes and collars then snap a quick selfie. Photos often tell a story we<br />
may not see in the mirror.<br />
Regardless of what you decide to wear though, a big smile is the best<br />
part of your wardrobe. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season, take<br />
plenty of photos and make lots of memories!<br />
Linda Bateman-Gomez has an international beauty company<br />
based in Las Vegas that specializes in cosmetics and other beauty<br />
products. Contact Linda at TimelessBeauty2020@gmail.com or<br />
through her website www.fullips.com.
35
46<br />
My Fishy Friend<br />
By: Diane Rosen / Animal Magnetism<br />
never thought I could love a fish. But then I<br />
I met Habib.<br />
Habib was a 25-cent feeder fish we gifted our<br />
son when he was 7. (As is the Jewish tradition, we<br />
named him after a Rosen lizard who had recently passed away.)<br />
We brought Habib home in a water-filled plastic bag, and transferred<br />
him to a glass bowl. JW loved to feed him and watch him swim.…for<br />
about two weeks.<br />
After that, guess who became Habib’s mommy? Yep. Each morning<br />
I’d yell down the stairs, “Did you feed Habib?”, and the answer was<br />
usually “NO”, so I’d make sure he didn’t starve.<br />
As he grew bigger, ultimately 9 inches long, we purchased a tank,<br />
filter and a few decorations to make him feel at home. We would<br />
replace them many times over the years, making our 25-cent feeder<br />
fish quite the investment.<br />
36<br />
December 2021<br />
I didn’t care, though. Habib and I became buddies! He’d see me pick<br />
up the food shaker every morning, and would swim to the top and<br />
pucker his cute lips at me through the glass.<br />
And I’d pucker right back. I’d talk to him as he ate.<br />
The worst health issue Habib had over the years was constipation.<br />
(Yep, he was a Rosen, alright!) One day I noticed a giant mass on the<br />
side of his body that I thought for sure was cancer. Turns out he was<br />
just really backed up.<br />
Green peas can act like fish laxatives, so I put a few pieces in his<br />
tank, and they worked! That fish had a bowel movement for the ages!<br />
It was massive!<br />
I was jealous. I’ll never forget it.<br />
Habib Rosen, the little fish that stole my heart, was 16-years old when<br />
he died! I never thought I could love a fish, but then I met Habib. I miss<br />
him still today.<br />
Diane Rosen is the proud mom of two dogs, a lover of all things<br />
pets, and the Rover Reporter for SCA-TV. You can contact her at:<br />
dianerosen2188@gmail.com.
December Gardening Tips<br />
By: Howard Galin / Happy Gardening<br />
The Las Vegas winters, although usually<br />
warm, can have brief but intense cold<br />
snaps in December. There are<br />
preventative measures that should be taken in order to<br />
protect landscaping and to prepare for Spring, 2022!<br />
Check all the irrigation tubing, making sure that<br />
the narrow “spaghetti” hosing is buried at least 2”<br />
below the ground to prevent freeze splitting and leaks.<br />
Check the valves under the irrigation box for leaks.<br />
Place insulated “mitten” covers over all spigots and<br />
exposed irrigation piping to prevent burst pipes.<br />
December is a good time to replenish both rock mulch and organic<br />
mulch in order to protect the soil and roots from freezing. You<br />
should also complete any additional leaf/rubbish removal from your<br />
landscape to prevent root rot and rodent infestation.<br />
Any remaining pruning should be completed at this time. When<br />
dealing with deciduous trees, wait until all leaves have fallen.<br />
Roses can now be pruned by removing about 1/3 off the top and side<br />
branches. The same holds true for other flowering plants such as Texas<br />
Rangers, Jasmine and Hawthornes.<br />
Lantanas and Lavender can be pruned down to soil level. Proper<br />
pruning will stimulate more robust regrowth once Spring arrives.<br />
Adhere to the winter watering schedule but try not to water after<br />
the sun goes down so that residual water does not freeze around your<br />
landscaping. There are certain plants that should receive no water<br />
from now until February such as cactus, euphorbia,<br />
yucca, and agave. This holds true for native trees as<br />
well.<br />
Cold sensitive plants should be wrapped in burlap.<br />
Young and smaller plants can be protected by putting<br />
Styrofoam cups over their tops or by wrapping them<br />
with “Non-L.E.D.” Christmas lighting.<br />
Potted plants should be hand watered, and only<br />
during the warmest times of the day so that wet spots do not form and<br />
freeze. If possible, position plants close to one another in the sunniest<br />
part of your garden or near to your house in order to take advantage of<br />
the sun reflecting warmth off the stucco walls.<br />
Have any questions? Contact me at: Theplantwhisperer28@gmail.<br />
com.<br />
Howard Galin, a/k/a: “The Plant Whisperer” is a retired NYC<br />
school administrator, transplanted in Las Vegas who devotes his<br />
time to communicating with and lecturing about our native<br />
plants.<br />
37
Never Too Late<br />
By: Mary Richard / Health Fitness<br />
Well, We made it through 2021! And what a<br />
year it’s been! Many changes, reflections<br />
and new chapters came about this year.<br />
I was unemployed starting January 2021, from both my beloved jobs<br />
– my Zumba & aerobic classes and also ushering at The Smith Center.<br />
Gradually, both came to fruition. I am now employed at both and so<br />
happy doing what I love to do.<br />
December is my birthday month and I’m thrilled to be celebrating<br />
my 77th year on this earth! WOW - how did that happen?<br />
I’ve managed to get rid of the “pandemic” extra pounds that I put<br />
on during our shutdown by taking up boxing! Yep, one of my activities<br />
that is now off my “bucket list.”<br />
In my beautiful community we have a delightful Olympian boxing<br />
instructor/trainer who has been teaching us seniors the sweet science<br />
of boxing. It’s a great workout, both cardio, coordination and just fun!<br />
Yes, my boxing gloves are pink! LOL!<br />
Along with my regular Zumba, toning and balance classes,<br />
choreographing dance groups, ushering at The Smith Center, I’ve<br />
38 December 2021<br />
December 6, 1939<br />
By: John Beilun / Time Traveler<br />
Chicago, January 1939. Despite having<br />
graduated Phi Betta Kappa from Dartmouth<br />
College thirteen years earlier,<br />
Robert May toiled as a poorly paid copywriter for a<br />
department store.<br />
He, his wife Evelyn and their four-year old daughter<br />
Barbara lived in what was essentially a hovel. To<br />
make matters worse, Evelyn was dying from cancer<br />
and spent her days in agony.<br />
Robert’s employer, Montgomery Ward, had a<br />
custom of buying and giving away coloring books at<br />
Christmas. In 1938, their number had grown to two<br />
million. Their costs increased as well.<br />
To cut expenses, Robert’s supervisor recommended<br />
that the company produce its own book and give that<br />
out in the future. And notwithstanding Robert being<br />
Jewish, management told him to create one for next<br />
Christmas.<br />
Robert didn’t think he could do it. However, not having been steeped<br />
in Christmas tradition he could, and did, think out of the box.<br />
He reflected upon his childhood, when he had been picked on for<br />
being small, shy and far from athletic. He also thought about how<br />
much his daughter enjoyed animated animal stories - especially the<br />
one about an ugly duckling.<br />
With this in mind, Robert decided to write a story about a cartoon<br />
animal. But he couldn’t figure out what kind. Not until he remembered<br />
how much Barbara loved to visit the deer during her trips to the zoo.<br />
managed to put in a few hours a week<br />
to box! It’s never too late to take on a<br />
new activity - just do it!<br />
The holidays are notorious for<br />
putting on some extra pounds, so do<br />
yourself a favor. You can enjoy the<br />
holiday goodies, but continue with<br />
your exercises or take up some new<br />
ones. I’m determined not to put back<br />
the extra pounds I had gained last<br />
year.<br />
So as we wind down this year, be<br />
good to yourself and reflect upon what<br />
you want to check off your “bucket<br />
list” and go for it.<br />
BE GRATEFUL - for whatever you have, not what you don’t have.<br />
POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND HAPPY HEALTH TO ALL!<br />
Mary Richard is a long term supporter of senior fitness. She<br />
teaches Zumba, toning and dance classes throughout the Las Vegas<br />
Valley. She can be reached at zumbaqueen@cox.net.<br />
Robert didn’t think that your garden variety deer would do. It had to<br />
be a different kind of deer. A reindeer.<br />
Then, recalling the tale of the ugly duckling, he also felt that his<br />
protagonist should have some sort of deformity. Robert<br />
toyed with names. He initially considered Rollo, then<br />
Reginald, before finally settling on Rudolph.<br />
Now it was time to work on the story. Because<br />
Barbara loved nursery rhymes, Robert decided to use<br />
rhyming couplets.<br />
Then, he began writing and re-writing, and<br />
reading and re-reading his efforts to his daughter. All<br />
the while, Evelyn’s cancer continued to spread until<br />
she mercifully passed away in July.<br />
Robert made an all-out effort to perfect his poem,<br />
not only in memory of his wife but also for the sake<br />
of his daughter. By August, Rudolph the Red-Nosed<br />
Reindeer was complete.<br />
However, because of its connotation with insobriety,<br />
it took a lot of arm-twisting for management to accept<br />
the red nose. And it was not quite the same story that Gene Autrey and<br />
Burl Ives have led us to believe.<br />
Santa didn’t come onto the scene until one very foggy Christmas Eve.<br />
He discovered Rudolph by accident when, while delivering presents, he<br />
noticed a glow coming from the reindeer’s room.<br />
Concerned about the weather, Santa asked Rudolph to light the way.<br />
Montgomery Ward began distributing booklets about Rudolph on<br />
December 6, 1939. It issued two and a half million before running out.<br />
And, that marvelous reindeer has been with us ever since.
39
Staying Active Over the<br />
Holidays<br />
By: Liz Palmer / NSG<br />
Happy Holidays! Yes, we’re in the calorie<br />
season, where the Thanksgiving feast<br />
yields to holiday parties, Christmas dinner, New Year’s<br />
Eve decadence, New Year’s Day munchies. All the way<br />
to Super Bowl blow outs, complete with high calorie<br />
treats.<br />
How can you help fight the Battle of the Bulge<br />
while at the same time boosting your mood and improving your overall<br />
health? You guessed it - staying active.<br />
Now that the weather has cooled down, it’s time to take advantage of<br />
our beautiful desert climate. Play tennis, try a round of golf, even go for<br />
a brisk walk with friends.<br />
As seniors, we need to be especially aware of our slowing metabolisms<br />
and the threat of lifestyle diseases caused by poor diet and inactivity.<br />
Lack of exercise and a poor diet can lead to high blood pressure,<br />
diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.<br />
The Nevada Senior Games is our state’s largest senior-oriented sports<br />
organization. We are the official state member of the National Senior<br />
Games Association and it’s our mission to encourage a healthier<br />
lifestyle for seniors in our community.<br />
Give yourself the holiday gift of a healthier lifestyle! And in the spring,<br />
look to the Nevada Senior Games for our 2022 scheduled competitions<br />
to enjoy “Fitness For The Fun of It!”<br />
Bookmark our website www.nevadaseniorgames.com and in the<br />
meantime, stay active!<br />
Liz Palmer is the Executive Director of the Nevada Senior Games.<br />
For more information on how you can participate, contact Liz at:<br />
702/242-1590 or by email: Nevadaseniorgames@outlook.com.<br />
2022 Plans<br />
By: Stu Cooper / Happy Adventures<br />
2021, from a travel perspective, seems to have<br />
been better than 2020. Now let’s hope that<br />
2022 is much better to make our travel dreams<br />
come true.<br />
Here is what we are doing at the Vegas Voyagers to make travel<br />
wishes happen. We are preparing for our two “Bus to the Boat” cruises.<br />
Our first trip since January 2020 is a Mexican Riviera cruise on<br />
the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas sailing February 21 – 28,<br />
2022. Ports of call will include<br />
Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán<br />
and Puerto<br />
Vallarta.<br />
We have a nice<br />
sized group heading to the sunshine and blue skies of the<br />
Mexican Riviera. This is the first time in ten years that Royal Caribbean<br />
has a ship with its homeport in Los Angeles.<br />
Our second “Bus to the Boat” cruise is a Pacific Coast cruise on<br />
Princess Cruise Line’s Majestic Princess March 26 – April 2, 2022.<br />
Scheduled ports are San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego and<br />
Ensenada, Mexico.<br />
And we are bringing along our good friends, the PHAT PACK,<br />
to provide exclusive shows and entertainment for the group. The<br />
participation in this cruise has far exceeded our expectations as it looks<br />
like we will have at least three buses filled to Covid acceptable capacity.<br />
A word about Covid protocols. Our contracted bus company has<br />
installed UV lighting in their buses and air filtration systems similar<br />
to the airlines. We expect to limit people on the bus to about 40 people<br />
even though the bus can hold 60.<br />
Additionally, cruise lines are requiring all passengers to be vaccinated<br />
and to take a Covid test within 48 hours of departure.<br />
Yes, 2022 should be a lot better for travel. And yes, there is a new<br />
normal, but as infection rates in the country are trending down, we<br />
must remain vigilant and abide by the rules implemented by the<br />
various travel suppliers. In this way our travel dreams and wishes will<br />
continue to come true.<br />
Please feel free to call at 516/485-3200 or email fairtravel@aol.com<br />
with any questions you might have. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas<br />
and may all be blessed with a Happy and Healthy New Year.<br />
40 December 2021
41
By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World<br />
Did you know that between 1659-1681<br />
Massachusetts forbade Christmas<br />
celebrations, considering those celebrations a<br />
crime?<br />
While recently visiting Massachusetts with my family we found the<br />
state jam-packed with early American history. Less known is that its<br />
leading citizens once prohibited the celebration of Christmas.<br />
Seventeenth-century Puritans followed the Bible closely. Their<br />
Bible interpretation showed no written record of a celebration<br />
commemorating the birth of Jesus. They believed celebrating Christmas<br />
unnecessary and making merry diverted from religion practice.<br />
The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony made the ban<br />
official in 1659. For an entire generation, it was a crime to celebrate<br />
Christmas.<br />
Puritans practiced the Christmas ban until 1681. While Christmas<br />
was still outlawed in public, some families celebrated privately in their<br />
homes. The rebellious celebrations were more commonplace in fishing<br />
villages distanced from Boston, the center of Puritan power. Happily<br />
Christmas is no longer banned. For centuries and around the world<br />
Christmas has had some decidedly un-religious themes, including<br />
Santa Claus.<br />
Today, Christmas is a season of celebration for all, non-Christians<br />
included.<br />
In the end, Christmas celebrates what is good in the world, stirring<br />
42<br />
Christmas at Our House<br />
By: Crystal Merryman-Sarbacker / Out & About<br />
Each year, after Thanksgiving dinner, my<br />
mom would begin<br />
mailing out Christmas<br />
cards. She wasn’t<br />
a founder of Facebook, but she certainly<br />
delighted in writing to people she didn’t know.<br />
And when Mom had addressed at least 100<br />
cards, I knew Christmas was on its way and my<br />
grandparents would be coming for a visit. With<br />
their snow white hair and bagful of gifts, they<br />
reminded me of Santa and Mrs. Claus, and<br />
that added to the fun of the holiday season.<br />
By the time Christmas Eve arrived, there<br />
was so much anticipation and excitement in<br />
our home, that my two little brothers were almost hysterical. Mom and<br />
dad had taken us for dinner at a restaurant that really knew what it<br />
meant to deck the halls. And thankfully the decorations distracted my<br />
little brothers.<br />
I secretly wondered if I had been good enough during the past<br />
year, to find gifts from Santa under our tree. And my brothers and I<br />
could hardly stand the suspense as we drove to our home.<br />
Christmas Banned in Boston<br />
December 2021<br />
Wow! We couldn’t figure out how Santa had known<br />
we’d been out of the house, but gifts wrapped in red paper<br />
were under our Christmas tree and we were thrilled. I received a new<br />
walking doll that was so pretty, I completely<br />
forgot that what I had wanted from Santa was<br />
a real live pony.<br />
Oh well, there was always next year!<br />
Later that night we went for a drive to<br />
see some Christmas lights, and we couldn’t<br />
believe our eyes. Driving down our street in a<br />
huge white Cadillac was a man dressed in an<br />
elaborate red Santa Claus suit.<br />
Even now, I remember that he had long<br />
white hair, a full white beard, and I could see<br />
that the entire back seat of his car was filled<br />
with toys. We were all speechless as he waved to us, and my mom<br />
suddenly declared that we had just seen the real Santa Claus!<br />
My mother would never lie to me, so to this day I know he was Santa<br />
and that was the best Christmas ever! Happy Holidays everyone.<br />
Crystal Merryman-Sarbacker is a travel agent and the owner of<br />
Vegas Vacationers Inc. She can be reached at:<br />
Merryman2@aol.com<br />
feelings of compassion,<br />
love and joy in all of<br />
us. We exchange gifts,<br />
sing carols and have<br />
family gatherings<br />
to hopefully provide<br />
compassion toward<br />
one another.<br />
In our hearts we<br />
want to believe in good<br />
will to all, for religion<br />
is belief. And, in being<br />
compassionate, we<br />
hold optimism for<br />
more tolerance.<br />
While you may believe one way and someone else may believe<br />
another, at Christmastime the majority of us aspire to respect others.<br />
The 17 th century Puritans were mistaken when they thought celebrating<br />
Christmas distracted from their religion practice.<br />
Taking time to celebrate “goodwill to all men” actually enriches<br />
everyone’s life and religion.<br />
Whatever your belief, may you have a happy holiday season filled<br />
with goodwill!<br />
Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an<br />
Adventure Diva. Her “Must See” travel journeys continue - always<br />
with enthusiasm.
43
Who Invented Technology for Christmas?<br />
By: Vicki Wentz / Vicki’s Voice<br />
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to<br />
one and all...well, not really one and all,<br />
since at this moment I hate whoever invented<br />
technology. Who was it?<br />
Al Gore? That Zuckerberg guy? Because, seriously, I want to hunt<br />
them down.<br />
Every day, we are told how much<br />
better and easier this world has<br />
become because of technology<br />
(Motto: We have no record of your<br />
account.) You can now download<br />
music in 15 seconds, read email<br />
while checking the local time in<br />
Yemen and you can even talk to four<br />
people at once!<br />
Here’s the thing: I can push a<br />
radio button and hear music in 2<br />
seconds, I couldn’t care less what<br />
time it is in Yemen (although, as far as I’m concerned, whatever time<br />
it is it’s a good time to get out of Yemen) and it’s a challenge for me to<br />
converse with one person these days, let alone four.<br />
So, what’s in it for me? “Well,” says the techno-zombie, “what about<br />
ordering Christmas presents?”<br />
That’s how they suck you in.<br />
I used to shop at actual stores, where you comb the racks for the<br />
perfect jeans for your daughter to sneer at, and then wait in line to<br />
plunk down hard-earned money in front of a suspicious clerk who will,<br />
invariably, need to find the manager to check the price, because (of<br />
course) there’s no tag, even though you sincerely report the price from<br />
the jeans rack, but hey, you could possibly be one of those exhausted,<br />
middle-aged, frizzy-haired jeans scam artists running wildly through<br />
the malls, so we can’t be too careful, Ma’am.<br />
And, you know that “Ma’am”<br />
thing at the end is just gratuitous BS<br />
-- I mean unkindness on her part.<br />
Eventually, I became a catalogue<br />
shopper at Christmas. It’s one of the<br />
few times I can still get a real human<br />
being on the other end of the phone<br />
(Ssshhh! Do NOT let a techno-geek<br />
hear that, or he’ll “improve” it!),<br />
whom I can ask if sizes run small<br />
or large, if the color is more a sky<br />
or a royal blue, and if it makes your<br />
backside look roughly Nebraska-sized.<br />
This saleslady hears the weariness in your voice and just “gets it.”<br />
She calls me Vicki, I call her Bonnie. We laugh, we cry, we forge a<br />
relationship.<br />
Then came stolen identities, criminals with your life history, bandits<br />
ordering vats of lobsters from Maine to be flown in velvet-lined ice<br />
chests to parties in Seattle all on your dime! I became wary of every<br />
catalogue clerk who asked for my address, as if she needed to<br />
know that!<br />
I tried ordering online, but there were immediate flaws - the first<br />
being my computer, which senses when I’m ordering an absolutely<br />
perfect sweater for my sister, and suddenly, throughout its circuitry,<br />
generates a series of frightening sounds and unfortunate events, which<br />
may result in it being thrown into a wood chipper…not that I’ve ever<br />
done that.<br />
But you persist, and you receive various messages such as, “Comes<br />
in 3 colors”, but only one color comes up, and it is baby-poop green,<br />
which, let’s face it, does not even look good on a teeny baby behind.<br />
Then, “Please indicate size”, but either the button won’t let you<br />
“indicate” anything, or it only comes in size 2, which you haven’t worn<br />
since you were…well, two.<br />
At long last, you hit “Finalize Order”, and a red message comes up<br />
that says not only did you not hit the “Accept Terms and Conditions”<br />
button, but you now have to start the entire order again, so “Welcome<br />
to L.L.Bean Online!”<br />
Nope. Everyone on my list is getting a festive bag of my Three Wise<br />
Muffins, and I am downloading myself onto the couch. In your face,<br />
Zuckerberg!<br />
44<br />
December 2021<br />
Vicki Wentz is a writer, teacher and speaker living in North<br />
Carolina. Readers may contact her - and order her new children’s<br />
book! - by visiting her website at www.vickiwentz.com.
45
Oliver Sacks & Musicophilia: Tales of Music & the Brain<br />
By: Jan Fair / A No-Brainer Minute<br />
L<br />
ast December I talked about the many fascinating books (including Awakenings)<br />
and hundreds of magazine articles (New Yorker, NY Times Magazine, etc.) written<br />
by professor and neurological researcher, Dr. Oliver Sacks. This month I'm focusing on just one of<br />
his books, Musicophilia: Tales of Music & the Brain, in which he explores the place music occupies<br />
in the brain and how it affects us. A must-read for true music lovers and those who love to read.<br />
Brain Worms, Sticky Music, Catchy Tunes & Music Therapy<br />
Some interesting observations from Dr. Sacks:<br />
• Did you ever have a song play in your head<br />
over and over and over ... and over!?<br />
Dr. Sacks says the music is by design<br />
constructed to 'hook' you.<br />
• All five senses have a relationship to music.<br />
• A person with "perfect pitch" can identify a<br />
given musical note without help of a reference<br />
tone. Some can even identify the pitch of the<br />
noise made by someone blowing his/her nose!<br />
• Some patients with Tourette's Syndrome,<br />
Brain Aneurysms, Parkinson's, Dementia and<br />
other diseases have been helped by a variety<br />
of music therapies.<br />
"Jingle bells,<br />
jingle bells, jingle<br />
all the way ... Jingle<br />
bells, jingle bells,<br />
jingle all the<br />
way...<br />
Jan Fair is a writer, consultant & public speaker who has published over 40 books PLUS the<br />
No-Brainer Brain Games series. Sign up for her FREE newsletter at www.JanFair.com<br />
Mental Minutes<br />
“Music”<br />
1. In one minute,<br />
name words &<br />
people associated<br />
with music.<br />
2. Make an<br />
alphabetical list.<br />
All That Jazz,<br />
Beyoncé,<br />
Concerts, …<br />
A No-Brainer Pick<br />
Mark Twain's short story<br />
"A Literary Nightmare" is<br />
about a virus-like jingle<br />
he couldn't remove<br />
from his mind.<br />
December 2021<br />
46<br />
December 2021
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