Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, November 18, 2017

WHAT TO DO WITH CREMATED ASHES? 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 18, 2017 10 THE GOOD LIFE THE GOOD LIFE 
SOCIAL SECURITY OPTIONS FOR 


DIVORCED SPOUSES 

Dear Savvy Senior, 

As a divorced woman, am I entitled to my exhusband’s 
Social Security benefits? I was married for14 years and would like to know how this works. 

Happily Divorced 

Dear Divorced, 

Yes, you may very well be eligible for divorcedspouses Social Security benefits if you meet certaincriteria. Here’s how it works. 

A divorced spouse can collect a Social Securityretirement benefit on the earnings record of theirex-husband (or ex-wife) if you are at least age 62,
were married for at least 10 years, are unmarried,
and are not eligible for a higher benefit based onyour own earnings record.

In order to collect, your former spouse must alsobe at least 62 and eligible for Social Security benefits.
But, he doesn’t have to be receiving them in orderfor you to collect divorced spouse’s benefits, as longas you’ve been divorced for at least two years.

Even if your ex is remarried, it won’t affect yourright to divorcee benefits, nor will it affect your ex’sretirement benefits or his current spouse’s benefits. 

Benefit Amount 
A divorced spouse can receive up to 50 percent oftheir ex’s full Social Security benefit, or less if theytake benefits before their full retirement age – whichis 66 if you were born between 1943 and 1954. Tofind out your full retirement age and see how muchyour benefits will be reduced by taking them earlysee SSA.gov/planners/retire/retirechart.html.

Keep in mind though, that if you qualify forbenefits based on your own work history, you’llreceive the larger of the two benefits. You cannotreceive benefits on both your record, and your ex’swork record too. 

To find out how much your retirement benefitswill be, see your Social Security statement at SSA.
gov/myaccount. And to get an estimate of your ex’sbenefits, call Social Security at 800-772-1213. You’llneed his Social Security Number to get it. 

Divorced Survivor 
You also need to know that if your ex-spouse 


dies, and you were married for 10 or more years,
you become eligible for divorced survivor benefits,
which is worth up to 100 percent of what your ex-
spouse was due.

Survivor’s benefits are available to divorced 
spouses as early as age 60 (50 if you’re disabled).
But, if you remarry before 60 you become ineligibleunless the marriage ends. Remarrying after age 60will not affect your eligibility.

Also note that if you are receiving divorcedspouses benefits when you ex-spouse dies, you willautomatically be switched over to the higher payingsurvivor benefit. 

Switching Strategies

Being divorced also offers a switching strategythat can help boost your benefits if you were bornon or before Jan. 1, 1954. Here’s how it works. If 
you worked and are eligible for benefits on yourown earnings record, you could file a “restrictedapplication” with Social Security at age 66 to collecta divorced spousal benefit, which is half of whatyour ex gets. Then, once you reach 70, you stopreceiving the ex-spousal benefit and switch to yourown benefit, which will be 32 percent higher than itwould have been at your full retirement age.

Unfortunately, as a result of the BipartisanBudget Act of 2015, this option is not available ifyour birthday is Jan. 2, 1954 or later.

Divorced widows (and widowers) also haveswitching options regardless of your birthday. If, forexample, you are currently collecting Social Securityretirement benefits on your own record, and yourex-spouse dies, you can switch to survivor’s benefitsif the payment is larger. Or, if you’re collectingsurvivor’s benefits, you can switch to your ownretirement benefits – between 62 and 70 – if it offers 
a larger payment.

For more information visit SSA.gov/planners/
retire/divspouse.html, or call 800-772-1213.

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 Todayshow and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 


Happy Thanksgiving! I hopeno one minds that I’m recyclingthis lightly-used article from2012. Like I always say, if Ibarely remember it, you for surewon’t! 

One of the things I enjoy about Thanksgivingis the casual attitude my family and in-laws havedeveloped. This means we can come wearing teeshirts and tennis shoes if we want. We can drink 
beer with the hor dourves and eat $2 Ralph’s 
pumpkin pie for dessert. And we’re freed from the 
bondage of turkey.

WHITE SLIME --AGAIN 


are so many hungry 

Yes, turkey is 

mouths to feed. 

bondage. Any 

Why not send 

dish that requires

turkey trucks into 

weeklong prepping

neighborhoods

or gallons of frying

the Saturday after 

oil is a form of 

Thanksgiving to 

culinary slavery. An 

collect everyone’s 

animal that comes 

discarded turkey 

with an implanted

meat? (Friday 

pop-up timer is a

won’t work, because 

sure sign of freak

everyone’s busy 

farming. Unless 

killing each other 

you’re a die-hard 

at the mall or 

foodie, cooking a 

Walmart on Black 

turkey is a daunting

Friday.) Collecting 

trial you should only

home-prepared

have to experience

turkey presents 

once, if at all, in a 

the hazard of 

lifetime. 

spreading infection 

I’ve never grasped

and disease. But 

why some people 

don’t worry, I’ve 

expend so much 

accounted for that! 

effort on a dish 

Several years 

that typically tastes

ago, “Beef Inc.” 

bland at best, and 

shut down most 

bland and dry at 

of its “pink slime”

worst. I take that 

factories in response 

back. At worst, a 

to pubic outrage

colony of bacteria

about the quality of

will fester in the 
stuffing crammed up your bird’s body cavity, andsicken your whole family. If you manage to avoidfood poisoning, you’ll still most likely have a LOTof turkey left over. Sure, you can try to pawnit off on visiting relatives. “Kyle, you can takesandwiches on the plane back to Pittsburg.” But 
Kyle will counter with a sly comeback, “I’d love to! 
(Liar!) But TSA is really strict about what you cantake on board these days.” 

So, you’re stuck with more than half of the 
carcass. What to do, what to do...? Of course there’s 
a plethora of recipes online for those experiencingturkey overload. However, no matter what decide 
upon, you’re going to have to doctor up the bird 

somehow because, let’s face it --turkey just doesn’ttaste good on its own.

Some good sports use up all their turkey bits insandwiches, burritos, soups, and salads. But a lot 
of people take the easy, wasteful way out and chuckthe remaining bird with the rest of the week’s trash.
I recall an L.A. Times article stating that about athird of the turkey meat purchased in the U.S. endsup in the dump.

It was while I was considering the great 
American turkey waste that I had an epiphany! 
There’s so much meat thrown away, while there 

“beef ” being fed toschool children and the public at large. Many ofthese factories remain dormant, silently waiting fora new protein to fill their tubes and vats.

Behold --”White Slime!” Mechanically separatedand disinfected for your dining pleasure! What 
better way to recycle everyone’s leftover turkeythan to turn it into turkey nuggets, turkey sticks,
and whatever other products Beef Inc. produced?
The danger of cross contamination and otherfood-borne pathogens will be corrected during the“meat’s” ammonia baths. Only it won’t be pink, it 
will be turkey-white. Remember, when you see anad for “White Slime” turkey nuggets, you read ithere first! 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


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 but you must be over 60. 
ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart 
Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre 

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10a.m. to 
11a.m. Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula. 
Bingo Time: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! 
Everyone is welcome to join. Activity may be canceled if less than five people. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays of the month from 11a.m. to 12p.m. No appt. is necessary. 
Brain Games - *New Activity*: Join us on Thursday November 16th, at 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m for 
Scattergories. A creative thinking game by naming objects within a set of categories. Everyone is 
welcome, and no experience is needed. What a great way to strengthen your brain and make new friends.
Activities are facilitated by Senior Volunteers. 


Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, November 15th from 10:30a.m. to Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson isavailable for legal consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Injury. Appointmentsare required by calling 626-355-7394. 
Senior Club: Meets every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown Bag Lunch at 11:30a.m. 
Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays from 11:00a.m. to 11:45a.m. with Paul Hagen. Classes 


include yoga and balance exercises. All ability levels are encouraged and welcomed!* A voluntary
donation of $5.00 per week is suggested but not required. 
Birthday Celebrations: Every 2nd Thursday monthly at the Hart Park House, share some free birthday cake
provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 


Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00p.m. Come join this group of Seniors in their poker game.
Other games are offered to all. 


Free Strength Training Class: Fridays from 12:45p.m. to 1:30p.m. with Lisa Brandley. This energetic class
utilizes light weights, low impact resistance and training conditioning. Class equipment is provided. 


UPCOMING EXCURSIONS: 

The Maloof House and Gardens 

.. (Alta Loma)
Date: Wednesday, November 29,2017 
Time: 9:15am to 2:30pmMeeting Location: Hart Park 

House Senior Center 
Cost: $20 (Does not include lunch)
Guided tour of the fascinating home handcrafted by renowned 
American woodworker Sam Maloof and furnished 
with examples of his signature furniture. The house is alsoa showcase of Sam and Alfreda Maloof ’s incomparable collection 
of 20th Century Studio craft and fine art. Followingthe house tour, take a self-guided tour of the Maloof Garden 
with its water-wise plantings and enchanting garden art and then visit the Museum Shop. Patronsare required to leave their handbags and other large belongings in a locked coat check room prior totouring the home. Lunch is on your own at Walter’s Restaurant in Claremont. Level of Walking: Medium.
Please call the Hart Park House 626-355-7394... 


HOLIDAY CRAFTS 

Holida y Crafts Thursday, November 16th, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m .
Participants will be painting and decorating repurposed wine bottles. Art materials and supplies
will be provided, however spaces are limited. Reservations are required to save your spot.
**Please call the Hart Park House 626-355-7394** 


Monday, December 4th, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Kt Boyce will demonstrate paper crafts and ornament-making. Turn paper and charms into a beautiful
holiday ornament or a present garnish. Bring ornaments from home and share your personal stories.
Materials and supplies will be provided, but spaces are limited - Reservations at 626-355-7394. 



SENIOR CINEMA 


November 15th at 1:00 p.m.

Planes Trains and Automobile (1987) 

Neal Page (Steve Martin) is somewhat of a control freak.Trying to get hometo Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife and kids, his flight is rerouted 
to a distant city in Kansas because of a freak snowstorm and his sanitybegins to fray. Worse yet, he is forced to bunk up with talkative Del Griffith(John Candy), whom he finds extremely annoying. Together they overcomethe insanity of holiday travel to reach their intended destinations. Run Time:
1h 33m. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com