Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 2, 2013

12

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, February 2, 2013 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HOW TO DIVVY UP YOUR STUFF

 
By Pat Birdsall

FYI: PROGRESS REPORT 

Pat Birdsall, who normally writes this section of the paper, underwent hip replacement surgery A 
few weeks ago. Pat has been progressing well from the surgery on one hand, but unfortunately, 
fractured her leg in a fall. This will set back her complete recovery a bit. It does appear, however, 
that there is a good chance she will be writing again next week. Pray for her. If you wish to send 
her greetings, email her at: pbird305@aol.com.

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HELPFUL HINT: After boiling Pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your 
houseplants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love. 

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FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE 

A couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. Dur ing a checkup, the 
doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to 
help them remember. 

Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. ‘Want anything while I’m in 
the kitchen?’ he asks. 

 ‘Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?’

 ‘Sure.’

 ‘Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it? ‘she asks.

 ‘No, I can remember it.’

 ‘Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so’s not to forget it?’ 

He says, ‘I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.’

 ‘I’d also like whipped cream. I’m certain you’ll forget that, write it down?’ she asks.

 Irritated, he says, ‘I don’t need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and 
whipped cream - I got it, forgoodness sake!’ 

Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and 
hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs.She stares at the plate for a moment. ‘Where’s my toast ?’

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … February Birthdays…

 Anne-Marie Stockdale, Gordon Caldwell, Peter Lippincott, Georgia Lippincott, Janet 
Emery, Sharon Lefler, Lorraine Bush, Mary Beth Knox, Vickie Vernon, Hilda Pittman, 
Susan Henderson, Sylvia Lorhan Ann Luke, Janet O’Day, Ana Ptasinski, Jan Reed, Allie 
Atay, Ursula El-Tawansy, Winifred Swanson, Marian DeMars. *To add your name to this 
distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required.

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Quote of the Week: Kind words are the music of the world. - F. W. Faber

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

YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.) 

All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: On the 2nd Tuesday of the month 11:00 am-12:00 pm: A nurse from 
Methodist Hospital, Arcadia volunteers to do the readings. No appointment necessary.

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm Cards are only .25c each! 

Free Chair Yoga: Every Wednesday morning from 11:00 am-11:45 am Volunteer Teryl Willis offers 
this class that focuses on senior yoga techniques. It is geared toward gentle movements, breathing 
techniques and balance improvement. No reservations are necessary.

Free Legal Consultation: Pasadena attorney Geoffrey Chin volunteers on the 2nd Wednesday of the

month. He focuses on estate planning, trusts, wills, probate, conservatorships and business law. 
*Appointments are a must! Please call: 626.355.7394 to make yours* Conflicting court schedules can 

 occasionally cause cancellations.

Free Income Tax Assistance: Wednesdays through April 10th from 1pm to 2pm Don Brunner will 
provide is available to all seniors for income tax consultation. Appointments are required, call 626-
355-7394.

Birthday Celebrations: The 2nd Thursday of the month the Senior Center celebrates the birthdays of 
our patrons at 12:30 pm. Please join us for free cake and ice cream and “celebration.” (The cakes are 
provided due to a generous donation from the Sierra Madre Civic Club.)

Game Day: Every Thursday at 1:00pm. Poker is usually the game of choice, or should I say chance? 
Board games and other card games are also available. Outside, on the patio, a beautiful, one-of-a-kind 
chess table is anxious for players.

 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 1:00 pm -1:45 pm. Conducted by long-time 
volunteer, Lisa Brandley. The class utilizes light weights for low-impact resistance training. Weights 
are provided by the Sierra Madre Senior Center. It’s a great way to stay in shape and to socialize with 
your peers. (Gossip included)

Senior Citizens Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House (Senior Center). Brown bag lunch at 
11:30am; Club meeting at Noon; Bingo 12:30- 3:30 pm. Only .25c per card… For more information 
call Pat at 626.355.7290.

NEW CLASS - Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance: Starting Feb 25th, this six week introductory course will 
teach hand, hip, and feet movements for one full dance. Classes will be held on Mondays from 1:00pm 
to 2:00pm for six weeks. Sarongs and leis will be provided. Class taught by Sierra Madre resident Cheryl 
Mason.

AARP DRIVER SAFETY COURSE This class focuses on learning current rules of the road,

defensive driving techniques, and how to operate your vehicle more safely in today’s increasingly 
challenging driving environment. You’ll also learn how you can manage and accommodate common 
age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time. Manystates including California offer 
discounts on auto insurance rates for those who complete this course..

EXCURSIONS:

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise Date: Friday, February 22, 2013

Description: View actual costumes from movies released in 2012, including 2012 
Academy Award Winner for Best Costume, The Artist.

COMING UP: Whale Watching Trip - 2 hour boat ride (Long Beach, CA) Date: Saturday, March 2, 
2013 Time: 10:00am - 3:30pm Meeting Location: Community Recreation Center Cost: $31.00 (does 
not include lunch) Register by: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 Join the Community Services Department 
on its annual whale watching excursion. The 2013 excursion will visit the same whale watching 
Charter Company as 2012, which features a 2 hour cruise narrated by Aquarium of the Pacific staff 
and a boat that features indoor and outdoor seating. Participants can bring their own lunch to enjoy 
on the boat, or purchase snack items on-board. Bus leaves from the Community Recreation Center. 

Jeopardy Taping at the Sony Lot Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Description: Attend a taping of America’s favorite quiz show. Test your knowledge while host Alex 
Trebek challenges the contestants.

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SENIOR MOVIE PROGRAM: FREE movies are shown on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 
of the month. The films, one contemporary and one vintage, are chosen by the seniors themselves. 
February’s selections are:

WE BOUGHT A ZOO (2011) February 6th Set in Southern California, a father moves his 
young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. Adaptationof Benjamin 
Mee’s memoir about buying and saving a run-down zoo, complete with escaped tigers and a zoo crew 
of misfits. Featuring Matt Damon and Scarlet Johansson. Rated PG Start time: 1:00 pm (run time is 
126 minutes)

GOLDFINGER (1964) February 20th The third installment in the 007 series, which racked 
up an Oscar for Best Sound Effects, finds überspy James Bond trying to thwart antagonist Auric 
Goldfinger and his elaborate gambit to corner the gold market by contaminating Fort Knox.

Featuring Sean Connery as James Bond. Not Rated Start time: 1:00 pm (run time is 111 minutes)

All movies are shown in Sierra Madre’s City Council Chambers, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. 

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Dear Savvy Senior:

What’s the best, conflict-free way to divvy up my personal 
possessions to my kids after I’m gone? I have 
a lot of jewelry, art, family heirlooms and antique 
furniture, and five grown kids that don’t always see 
eye-to-eye on things. Any suggestions would be appreciated. 
Seeking Peace

Dear Seeking:

Divvying up personal possessions among adult children or other loved ones is a task that many parents 
dread. Deciding who should get what without showing favoritism, hurting someone’s feeling or causing 
a feud can be difficult, even for close-knit families who enter the process with the best of intentions. 
Here are some tips to consider that can help you divide your stuff with minimal conflict. 

Problem Areas

For starters, you need to be aware that it’s usually the small, simple items of little monetary value that 
cause the most conflicts. This is because the value we attach to the small personal possessions is usually 
sentimental or emotional, and because the simple items are the things that most families fail to 
talk about. 

Family battles can also escalate over whether things are being divided fairly by monetary value. So for 
items of higher value like your jewelry, antiques and art, consider getting an appraisal to assure fair 
distribution. To locate an appraiser, visit appraisers.org. 

Ways to Divvy 

The best solution for passing along your personal possessions is for you to go through your house with 
your kids (or other heirs) either separately or all at once. Open up cabinets, drawers and closets, and go 
through boxes in the attic to find out which items they would like to inherit and why. They may have 
some emotional attachment to something you’re not aware of. If more than one child wants the same 
thing, you will have the ultimate say. 

Then you need to sit down and make a list of who gets what on paper, signed, dated and referenced 
in your will. You can revise it anytime you want. You may also want to consider writing an additional 
letter or create an audio tape, CD or DVD that further explains your intentions. 

You can also specify a strategy for divvying up the rest of your property. Some fair and reasonable options 
include: 

• Take turns choosing: Use a round-robin process where family members take turns picking out 
items they would like to have. If who goes first becomes an issue, they can always flip a coin or draw 
straws. Also, to help simplify things, break down the dividing process room-by-room, versus tackling 
the entire house. 

• Have a family auction: Give each person involved the same amount of “play money,” or use 
“virtual points” to bid on the items they want. This can also be done online at eDivvyup.com, a website 
for families and estate executors that provides a fair and easy way to distribute of personal property. 

For more ideas, see “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” A resource created by the University of 
Minnesota Extension Service that offers a detailed workbook or interactive CD for $12.50, and DVD 
for $30, that gives pointers to help families discuss property distribution and lists important factors to 
keep in mind that can help avoid conflict. You can order a copy online at yellowpieplate.umn.edu or 
by calling 800-876-8636.

It’s also very important that you discuss your plans in advance with your kids so they can know ahead 
what to expect. Or, you may even want to start distributing some of your items now, while you can 
still alive. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. 
Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


HOSE DRINKERS

 How are your New Year’s resolutions going? I set my sights small, and resolved 
to drink less creamy and sugary coffee at work. Instead, I mix an aspartame-laden 
“Crystal Light” knock off with water in a two-liter bottle and sip it throughout the 
day. Sure, it’s artificial and possibly carcinogenic, but at least it’s gotta be better than 
sugar with coffee --I mean coffee with sugar.

 So, I was filling my water bottle from the sink in the break room the other day when the boss burst 
through the door. “What are you doing?” she asked. Aghast, I sheepishly looked up from the faucet. 
“Uh, getting water?”

 “No, no, no!” she said, shaking her head. “Come on,” she motioned toward her office, “Use the 
‘Arrowhead’ in there.” I could feel water overflowing from my bottle into the sink, and nodded, 
“Okay, maybe next time.” I figured, why waste a perfectly good batch of flavored water? Luckily, 
some small crisis distracted my boss and I was able to retreat to my office with my substandard 
“faucet water” drink.

 For a while I wondered if I was the only tap water-drinking 
employee until last week, when the topic of tap vs. bottled water 
came up during lunch. “I was a hose drinker as a kid!” one of the 
senior workers joked with the boss. This prompted a number of 
us closet hose drinkers to “come out” and admit our tacky-”tap” 
habits.

 “Yeah,” one of my coworkers chimed in, “Nothing tastes better 
than cold water from the hose after playing outside all day!” A 
number of us reminisced about our own tap water childhood 
memories.

 I don’t know about you, but I never understood the purpose of 
bottled water. Talk about the antithesis of “green” living! Think 
about all the plastic used to store bottled water. Then consider the 
fuel needed to transport it from place to place. THEN consider 
the fact the most bottled water is drawn from municipal sources, 
not the babbling brooks of the Sierras, Andes, or any other pristine 
locale.

 The waste that goes into producing regular bottled water is bad 
enough, but then they’ve got to go and make even smaller bottles of water! What? You or your kid 
can’t commit to a 12 oz. bottle, so you go for the tiny 6 oz.? Yes, midget water bottles are cute, but 
really, can cute be justified at the cost of jeopardizing the environment?

 I understand that there are situations that demand bottled water. Anytime you’re traveling in the 
third world or a developing nation, by all means, stock up on Dasani or whatever brand you like. 
During a vacation to Michigan, we stayed at a relative’s house that was situated in the middle of a corn 
field. The water had an orange tint, and smelled like burning sulfur. I don’t recall whether or not I 
actually showered in it, but that was one time I was very grateful for a bottle of Arrowhead!

 So, if you’re traveling, take advantage of our wonderful advances in bottled water. But if you’re torn 
between filling up at the kitchen sink or paying $1 for a bottle of Dasani, I hope you choose the sink. 
It’s a heck of a lot cheaper. And remember --what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!


SOCIAL SECURITY ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE SERVICES 
AVAILABLE WITH A MY SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT


Social Security is expanding the services available with a my Social Security account, a personalized online 
account that people can use beginning in their working years and continuing throughout the time they 
receive Social Security benefits. Recipients can now access their benefit verification letter, payment history, 
and earnings record instantly using their online account. Social Security beneficiaries also can change their 
address and start or change direct deposit information online. 

 This new online service allows people to conduct business with Social Security without having to visit an 
office or make a phone call, and very often wait for a letter to arrive in the mail. 

People age 18 and older can sign up for an account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. 

 People age 18 and older who are not receiving benefits can sign up for a my Social Security account to get a 
personalized online Social Security Statement. The online Statement provides eligible workers with secure and 
convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information, and estimates of future benefits 
they can use to plan for their retirement. In addition, the portal also includes links to information about other 
online services, such as applications for retirement, disability and Medicare. 

For more information, please go to www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.