Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 14, 2010

10

The Good Life

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 14, 2010 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Today’s Subject: 

Mindfulness Part 2

FYI: 

SIERRA MADRE 

SENIOR EVENTS

STAYING COOL

As the weather gets warmer, 
please remember to drink plenty 
of water, where loose clothing and 
visit us at the Hart Park House / 
Senior Center. The center is air 
conditioned and open Monday - 
Thursday from 9:00 am to 2:00 
pm & Fridays 10:00 am to 1:00 
pm 

Come for lunch, use the computer, 
just relax & read, play Bingo or 
cards, learn about Wii bowling, 
work on a puzzle and more.

For additional activity 
information or hours of operation, 
please contact the senior desk at 
355-7394.

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS

August 19th - Sam Maloof House & 
Gardens Tour (Alta Loma, CA) with 
lunch before at Walter’s 
Restaurant in Claremont; $15 
per person for tour & 
transportation. 
You will need to bring 
additional cash for lunch 
(entrees run $10-$15). 

 This excursion is limited to the first 
12 people to register in person or 
online at www.cityofsierramadre.com/
onlineregistration. 

September 16th - Long Beach Aquarium 
& lunch on the Queen Mary.

More information on the September trip 
will be available in the next newsletter 
or later this month by calling the 
Senior Services Desk at (626) 355-7394.

Pasadena Highlands & 
Accredited Sponsor 

Bingo Prize

Pasadena Highlands, an independent 
and assisted living community, is 
proud to provide a special gift basket 
on the first Tuesday of each month. 
Accredited In-Home nursing care 
will provide a special prize on the 4th 
Tuesday of each month. Bingo takes 
place every Tuesday at 1:30 pm in the 
Hart Park House / Senior Center in 
Memorial Park. The game begins 
at 1:30 pm but those wishing to play 
must arrive 10 minutes before to 
secure your Bingo cards. 

Join us on the 1st & 4th Tuesday of 
each month for your chance to win 
these special prizes. 

Recipe of the Week:

Spiced Chicken Skewers with 

Lemon Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 
bite-sized pieces 

1 tablespoon cumin seeds 

1 tablespoon coriander seeds 

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

1 garlic clove, minced 

Cooking spray 

8 lemon wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the grill to medium-high heat.

2. Thread chicken pieces evenly onto 16 (6-inch) skewers.

3. Place cumin and coriander in a small nonstick pan over 
medium heat; cook 1 minute or until toasted, stirring 
frequently. Place spice mixture in a spice or coffee grinder; 
pulse 3 times or until coarsely ground. Combine ground 
spices, 1/4 teaspoon salt, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 
and crushed red pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. 
Spread spice mixture onto a large plate; lightly roll each skewer 
in spice mixture.

4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 
teaspoon black pepper, onions, lemon juice, oil, and garlic in a 
small bowl; stir well with a whisk.

5. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 
8 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. Arrange skewers 
on a platter; drizzle with juice mixture. Serve with lemon 
wedges, if desired.

 
Most of us have had the experience of 
eating when we are upset or tired, only to 
find the food just sitting there, refusing to 
properly digest. This is an example of how 
digestive enzyme production is decreased 
when high levels of stress (fight or flight) 
hormones are present. Usually, we find 
ourselves in a state of upset because of 
something that has happened to us, or 
because we’ve had a long day and the little 
things have added up. Either way, the 
cortisol (stress hormone) levels increase 
and we are ready to run, fight or freeze 
in place. Perhaps we just need a hug. 
By practicing a few simple mindfulness 
techniques as we go about our day, we can 
reduce cortisol production.


At the grocery store: 

 1) Before going into the store, set the 
tone of your experience by putting a smile 
on your face. This can be either an inside smile (utilizing the idea of a smile) or an actual 
smile. 

 2) At the checkout counter (danger zone), stand with your weight equally balanced on 
both feet. When you find yourself drifting to one leg or the other, gently realign yourself.

 3) Breathing in, think “I’m breathing in”; breathing out, think “I’m breathing out.” 
Mindful breathing calms the brain and the body.

 4) Make sure that you drink a glass of water before you go shopping. As you drink, say 
to yourself, “I go with the flow.”


In your car:

 1) Never think or say anything about the other drivers that you would not say to a loved 
one (unless the terms of affection in your family include “moron” and “idiot”). Attitude 
informs physiology and vice versa.

 2) At a four-way stop, make eye contact and, with an open palm held up, invite the other 
drivers to go ahead. Avoid directing traffic with angry, impatient gestures.

 3) Use your turn signal.

 These practices alter habitual stress patterns and reduce the buildup of inflammatory 
chemicals in the body. In turn, we live longer and have more enjoyable, fulfilling lives.

 
Next week, we will add a few more thoughts on stress reduction through mindfulness. 
Have a joyful, stress-free week! Dr. John

Dr. John Talevich, D.C. has practiced in Sierra Madre 
for thirty years. His clinic, LifeWorks! Chiropractic, 
offers patient-specific approaches to the alleviation 
of pain and individually tailored wellness programs. 

August Birthdays

Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Joseph 
Kiss, Patricia Miranda, Margaret Aroyan, 
Phyllis Bugh, Phyllis Chapman, Beverly 
Clifton, Mary Kay Gifford, Rosemary 
Morabito, Mary J. Perry, Marjorie Peterson, Susan 
Poulsen, Dorothy Quentmeyer, Genevieve Stubbs, 
Wilhelmina “Miep” Tulleners


SOLD OUT

Activities: 

 Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Memorial Park 
(Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

Lunch Program: Monday- 
Friday at the Intervale 
Café -12:00 Noon-Call 
(626) 355-0256 to make 
your daily reservation. 
Suggested donation $2.00 
for seniors (60+) and $3.75 
for visitors.

MENU BELOW

Monday: 

1:00 pm to 1:45 pm: 
Strength training with Lisa 
Brandley. FREE class of 
stretching with light hand 
weights while you sit.

Tuesday:

2nd Tuesday of each month 
FREE blood pressure 
checks by Methodist 
Hospital; 11 am to 12 noon 

3rd Tuesday of each month 
FREE financial consulting; 
10 -12 noon call 355-7394 
for an appointment

1:30 pm to 3:30 pm: 
BINGO; cards are only 25 
cents each so stop by & 
play 

5:30 pm to 7 pm: Yoga; 
$7.00 - 50 & over. Please 

call 355-5278 for more 
information

Wednesday:

11 –11:45 am: Balance 
Class with Teryl. FREE 
class designed to improve 
balance & refresh the joints

2nd Wednesday of the 
month: FREE Legal 
Consultations: 10-11:30 
am. Appointments call 
355-7394

Wii Wednesday - 1:00 
pm or call the senior desk 
at 355-7394 to arrange 
another time & day to 
learn how to play. No 
previous experience or 
skills required and it is 
great exercise.

Thursday:

1:00 to 3:30 pm: Game 
Day. Join us for UNO 
and Poker with Bridge on 
the 2nd & 4th Thursdays; 
so please call for more 
information.

5:00 pm to 6:30 pm: Yoga; 
$7.00 - 50 & over. Please 
call 355-5278 for more 
information

Friday: 

1:00 pm: Ping Pong

Saturday: 

11:30 am: Senior Club 
brown bag lunch and 
BINGO at 12:30 pm

LifeWorks! Chiropractic Center

Individually Tailored Wellness Programs

31 S. Baldwin Avenue Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

626-355-4710


Social Security 
Turns 75 By Lori Abbott

 Saturday marks the 75th 
anniversary of Social Security. 
It's a program that was created 
during the depths of the Great 
Depression, when most older 
Americans were struggling 
with poverty. Since then, it's 
been credited for keeping 
millions of Americans out of 
poverty, including seniors, 
people with disabilities, widows 
and children. 

Lydia Dillon was just three years 
old in 1935 when President 
Roosevelt signed the Social 
Security Act into law. Today, at 
age 78, she relies on the monthly 
benefit and says without it she 
would be watching every penny 
she spends. That's how she 
remembers her parents who 
struggled in their golden years.

"They had nothing. They were 
cannery workers, railroad 
workers, and so they just got 
unemployment and things like 
that, but they didn't have the 
benefit of other services - at all."

Dillon worries about her family, 
if Social Security were to cease 
to exist.

"Social Security is just so 
critical. It's a part of life for 
everybody, even the younger 
people - they just figured they 
paid into something, they're 
entitled to have the benefits of 
it."

Christina Clem, with AARP 
California, says the program 
is working, but that Congress 
needs to make some small 
adjustments to keep it solvent. 
AARP opposes using money 
from the Social Security 
program to pay down the 
deficit. 

"This is a protective fund that 
people have paid into; it should 
be something that is there for 
them. It's not a pot of money 
that the administration should 
be using to help pay down the 
deficit. There are other places 
that that money can come 
from."

It's estimated that, without 
Social Security, 40 percent of 
Californians over the age of 
65 would live in poverty. A 
recent trustees' report found 
reduced payroll taxes due to 
the recession will result in 
the program's first projected 
annual deficit since 1983. 
However, the trustees and the 
Congressional Budget Office 
say Social Security will remain 
solvent until 2037.

A recent AARP survey shows 
85 percent of Americans are 
strongly against reducing 
Social Security benefits as a way 
to cut the federal deficit. The 
survey is online at www.aarp.
org/socialsecurity75th.

Dial - a - Ride Tickets

Tickets can now be purchased at:

Sierra Madre City Hall

Hart Park House / Senior Center

Sierra Madre Library

Meals-On-Wheels

Meals are delivered to 
home-bound seniors 
by volunteer drivers 
through the YWCA 
Intervale Lunch 
Program M-F (with frozen meals 
for the weekend.) Call the YWCA 
at (626) 214-9460 or Darlene 
Traxler at (626) 355-0256 for more 
information.


California to Open New Health Insurance Program for 
Individuals with Preexisting Conditions in September 

The Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board announced Thursday it plans to begin 
accepting applications this month and providing coverage to Californians next month in 
a new health insurance program for individuals with preexisting conditions – one of first 
major provisions of federal health reform to be implemented in the state.

Preexisting Condition Insurance Plan in California Monthly Premium Rates* Effective 
through December 31, 2011

Age Band Region 5 

<15 $142 

15-29 $200 

30–34 $288 

35–39 $321 

40–44 $339 

45–49 $371 

50–54 $495 

55–59 $625 

60–64 $799 

65-69 $895 

70-74 $943 

>74 $999 

* August 5, 2010 Region 5: Los Angeles County Region

SIERRA MADRE’S 

FARMERS MARKET

Wednesday 3-7pm

 Fresh vegetables and 

seasonal fruits 

from California 

family farms. 

Specialty foods, vegetarian and vegan dishes, ethnic 
foods and hot food - Everything you’ll find at the farmers 
market has been made or picked fresh, is pesticide-free 
and preservative-free. 

Free public parking on Mariposa.

MEALS-ON-WHEELS 
NEEDS VOLUNTEERS TO 
DELIVER MEALS TO OUR 
HOMEBOUND NEIGHBORS 
**ONCE A MONTH OR 
WEEKLY** 

Please contact Darlene Traxler at 

626.355.6220 or (626) 355-0256.


Courtesy John Barrett, Insurance Broker john@healthinsbrokers.com