Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 30, 2013

12

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 30, 2013 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HOW TO GUARD AGAINST WINTERTIME HEART ATTACKS

Dear Savvy Senior:

When I had a mild heart attack about six months 
ago my doctor told me I needed to be extra careful 
during the winter when recurring heart attacks are 
more common. Is this true? How can the seasons affect 
your heart? Leery Senior

Dear Leery:

Everyone knows winter is cold and flu season, but 
most people don’t know that it’s also the prime season for heart attacks too, especially if you already 
have heart disease or have suffered a previous heart attack. Here’s what you should know, along with 
some tips to help you protect yourself. 

Heart Attack Season

In the U.S., the risk of having a heart attack during the winter months is twice as high as it is during 
the summertime. Why? There are a number of factors, and they’re not all linked to cold weather. Even 
people who live in warm climates have an increased risk. Here are the areas you need to pay extra 
attention to this winter. 

Cold temperatures: When a person gets cold, the body responds by constricting the blood vessels to 
help the body maintain heat. This causes blood pressure to go up and makes the heart work harder. 
Cold temperatures can also increase levels of certain proteins that can thicken the blood and increase 
the risk for blood clots. So stay warm this winter, and when you do have to go outside, make sure you 
bundle up in layers with gloves and a hat, and place a scarf over your mouth and nose to warm up the 
air before you breathe it in. 

Snow shoveling: Studies have shown that heart attack rates jump dramatically in the first few days after 
a major snowstorm, usually a result of snow shoveling. Shoveling snow is a very strenuous activity 
that raises blood pressure and stresses the heart. Combine those factors with the cold temperatures 
and the risks for heart attack surges. If your sidewalk or driveway needs shoveling this winter, hire a 
kid from the neighborhood to do it for you, or use a snow blower. Or, if you must shovel, push rather 
than lift the snow as much as possible, stay warm, and take frequent breaks.

New Year’s resolutions: Every Jan. 1, millions of people join gyms or start exercise programs as part of 
their New Year’s resolution to get in shape, and many overexert themselves too soon. If you’re starting 
a new exercise program this winter, take the time to talk to your doctor about what types and how 
much exercise may be appropriate for you.

Winter weight gain: People tend to eat and drink more, and gain more weight during the holiday season 
and winter months, all of which are hard on the heart and risky for someone with heart disease. 
So keep a watchful eye on your diet this winter and avoid binging on fatty foods and alcohol.

Shorter days: Less daylight in the winter months can cause many people to develop “seasonal affective 
disorder” or SAD, a wintertime depression that can stress the heart. Studies have also looked at heart 
attack patients and found they usually have lower levels of vitamin D (which comes from sunlight) 
than people with healthy hearts. To boost your vitamin D this winter, consider taking a supplement 
that contains between 1,000 and 2,000 international units (IU) per day. And to find treatments for 
SAD, visit the Center for Environmental Therapeutics website at cet.org.

Flu season: Studies show that people who get flu shots have a lower heart attack risk. It’s known that 
the inflammatory reaction set off by a flu infection can increase blood clotting which can lead to 
heart attacks in vulnerable people. So, if you haven’t already done so, get a flu shot for protection. See 
flushot.healthmap.org to find a nearby vaccination site. 

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.

 By Pat Birdsall

FYI: BEING A SENIOR IN A CYBER WORLD

 

 The thought of using a computer can be overwhelming to some people, especially to individuals who 
didn’t grow up with all the technology that we have access to today. For instance, when I was growing 
up there were no cell phones, internet, IPod’s, IPads, etc.

I came to the conclusion that I would have to get with it if I was to survive in this day and age. Okay, a 
bit melodramatic. The information at our fingertips is endless. Personally, I have barely scratched the 
surface. Below are some benefits of computers to you as a senior citizen.

* Access to more information. You can learn about any topic that interests you from hobbies to medical 
information.* Enables you to keep in touch with others. It’s a cost effective way to keep in touch 
with your friends and family either through email or facebook. * Serves as a form of entertainment. 
Games, magazines, newspapers, Internet radio, movies, message boards and forums are all easily 
accessible online.*Shop in the comfort of your own home. Shopping on the internet is convenient, 
cost-effective and safe, as long as you shop reputable sites. You can have the items delivered directly 
to your home. Very convenient.

 Once you start using a search engine like www.google.com for example, you will wonder why you 
waited so long. Topics that interest you, topics that don’t, you can find out about anything…It’s so 
easy, informative and just plain fun!

 Now, if I could just get the hang of my cell phone. www.wcnc.com 

HELPFUL HINT: Make that chunk of cheese slide across your grater with ease by coating 
the grater with a little bit of non-stick spray.

......................................................................................

FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE - Three men were hiking through a forest when they 
came upon a large raging, violent river. Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed, “God 
please give me the strength to cross the river.” Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs and he 
was able to swim across in about two hours, having almost drowned twice. After witnessing that, 
the second man prayed, “God, please give me the strength and the tools to cross the river.” Poof! 
God gave him a rowboat and strong arms and legs and he was able to row across in about an hour 
after almost capsizing once. Seeing what happened to the first two men, the third man prayed; “God 
please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to cross the river.” Poof! He was turned into 
a woman. She checked the map, hiked one hundred yards up stream and walked across the bridge.

 ~ ~ ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … November Birthdays

Flo Mankin, Alberta Curran, Carmela Frontino, Kathy Wood, Lena Zate, Joe Pergola, Janice 
Kacer, Valerie Howard, “Mike” Ruggles, Joan Ruggles, Lois Stueck, Jean Wood, Shirley 
Yergeau, Kathi Jefferson, Pat Krok, Irene Nakagawa, Anna Ross, Mary Steinberg and Sue 
Quinn.

* 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: “Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” 

 ~ Grandma Moses

 ..................................................................

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 Balance Class: Every 3rd Monday for 11:00 am to 11:45 am with Shannon Vandevelde. A 
variety of balance exercises are practiced; all ability levels are encouraged and welcomed. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: Held Second Tuesday of the month from 11:00 am-12:00 pm: No 
appointment necessary.

 

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

Free Chair Yoga: New Hours: 11:00 to 11:45 Every Wednesday morning. Join Paul Hagen for this 
free class that focuses on senior yoga techniques. No reservation is necessary!

Free Legal Consultation: Pasadena attorney Lem Makupson 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.

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. 

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.

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:

Friday, December 13, 2013. “Because it’s Christmas” 

Show at Candlelight Pavilion (Claremont, Ca.) $67.00 (Lunch included) 

 10:00 am- 4:00 pm

*Registering for Excursions can be done in person at the Hart Park House Senior Center and the 
Community Recreation Center or online at www.cityofsierramadre.com Cash, checks, and credit 
cards are accepted. Make checks payable “City of Sierra Madre”. Payment must be made at the time of 
reservation. CALL (626) 355-7394

 


RICH Johnson 

NOVEMBER 22, 1963 AND THE BEATLES

 Most of us have spent part of this week re-living the tragic events of November 
22, 1963. In the twinkling of an eye, Americans were plunged into a season of 
despair, mourning and disbelief. Our youthful, charismatic President had been 
taken away from us in a brutal fashion. A President we knew rather intimately 
due to the advances in media technology, President Kennedy was the most visible President in the 
history of our young country. And that media visibility made him particularly accessible to American 
youth. And us young people (I was 12 at the time) suffered right along with older Americans.

 At the same time America was beginning to take notice of a phenomenon out of England: The 
emergence of the Beatles. Actually on November 22, 1963, CBS ran a five-minute feature on their 
CBS Morning News on this phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.” The feature was to be rerun on 
the evening news but was cancelled for obvious reasons. On December 10th Walter Cronkite ran the 
“Beatlemania” feature again on the CBS evening news. This motivated Capitol Records to rush to 
release the single “I Want to Hold Your Hand” single. And the rest is history.

 What do these two events have to do with each other? British critic Ian MacDonald wrote: “I Want 
to Hold Your Hand”, “the record’s joyous energy and invention lifted America out of its gloom, 
following which, high on gratitude, the country cast itself at the Beatles’ feet.”

 Would the Beatles have achieved their meteoric level of success here if there had been no 
assassination? Of course we will never know. But a good case can be made that by February, when 
they premiered on the Ed Sullivan Show, America, particularly its youth, was ready to start living 
again. I know I was. And I am a musician today as a result of the impact of the Beatles on me.

 Some interesting evidence supporting the impact of the Beatles on America. The week of April 4, 
1964, the top five songs on the Billboard Top Ten were Beatle songs: 1. Can’t Buy Me Love, 2. Twist 
and Shout, 3. She Loves You, 4. I Want to Hold Your Hand, and 5. Please Please Me. No other artist 
or group has ever come close to that record. 

 On April 11, 1964 the Beatles had a record 14 separate songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 songs. 
Before that, Elvis held the record with 9 in 1956. The Beatle song “Can’t Buy Me Love” jumped from 
number 27 in the charts to number 1 in the space of one week. The single, “Can’t Buy Me Love” had 
an advance worldwide order of over 2 million copies.

 Can I give you more? The Beatles had 3 consecutive songs reach number one in the American 
charts. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was number one for 7 weeks, followed by “She Loves You” 
which was number one for 2 weeks. That was followed by “Can’t Buy Me Love’ which was number 
one for 5 weeks. Elvis had 2 songs back to back: “Don’t Be Cruel” followed by “Love Me Tender”.

 One final note: Do you happen to know the song Frank Sinatra said was the single greatest 
love song ever written? Nope. It wasn’t written by Lennon and McCartney. But it was written by 
George Harrison. That song? Simply titled “Something”. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving 
celebration.


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