President's Letter
In the Good Old Summer Time
It seems like “last week” that we were all suffering through record snowfall and low temperatures. And now we’re huffing and puffing our way through record high temperatures! It just doesn’t seem fair…
The 90-degree heat didn’t dampen member spirits at the June Annual Picnic. Our thanks go to Gil and Lucy Churchill and their many, many volunteer-helpers for putting on such a relaxed, enjoyable, and tasty Chapter picnic.
Although July and August are traditional “Summer Vacation” months, we’ve got to keep up our meeting schedule for those members who are still around and to continue planning for Chapter 5239 activities coming up later this year.
· The AARP Board Meeting will be held Monday, July 12, starting at 10 AM at the Wilderness Library. Chapter Officers, Directors and Committee Heads are encouraged to attend these Board Meetings. The meetings are also open for any members who may want to bring problems or service opportunities to the attention of the Board for possible action.
· And our July meeting will be held Monday, July 19, at the LOW Clubhouse, starting as usual with coffee and sweets fellowship at 9:30 AM.
· Then plan to come to the Sailboat Beach by the Clubhouse on Saturday, July 24, to watch Bobbie Prees represent AARP Chapter 5239 in the Lake Youth Foundation’s annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. The fun starts at 11:30 AM. Let’s cheer Bobbie on to a watery victory.
Finally, summer is also the traditional time for going on diets in order to look better in a swimming suit. Wanting to lose weight, one woman placed a picture of a shapely and very attractive pinup model inside her refrigerator to remind her of her goal. The reminder worked so well, she lost 10 pounds during the first month.
Unfortunately, her husband spent so much time going into the fridge to look at the picture that he gained 15 pounds!
Dick Martin, President
Sing-Along with Ralph Scheuermann
by Carolyn Wray, Publicity, AARP, Chapter 5239
Ralph Scheuermann, a resident of Lake of the Woods, will be the guest speaker at the Monday, July 19, AARP, Chapter 5239 meeting. This will be a fun and relaxing program that all will enjoy. We may not have Mitch Miller and his bouncing ball, but we do have the talented Ralph Scheuermann, who will provide music and words, and we will sing along with him. Mr. Scheuermann is a retired printer from New York.
He has entertained at the New York picnics
and also plays with a local group of musicians.
The meeting will begin with sweets and coffee at 9:30 AM. The program will begin at 10 AM. Come and join us for a fun and relaxing program. Everyone is invited. This is summer, and the living is easy.
Call For BBQ Volunteers
by Dwight Mottet, Chicken Dinner Project Chairman
The planning for our 2010 Election Day annual Chicken BBQ Dinner event has begun. Many of our Chicken BBQ chairs feel the need to have backup for the work that they have been doing. To ensure another very successful event for charity, we need one or two volunteers to learn how one facet of the planning is done and to share in the early organization of the following activities:
· Selling Tickets—Jim Moore, -9355;
· Cooking Chickens—Mike Pulice, -0814;
· Cooking Beans—George Lenwell, -0326;
· Serving Dinners, Joyce Bowers, -9325;
· Brownie Bakers, Carla Wascalus, -3436;
· Table Decorators Replacement needed for
Rosemary Walker -1375.
Last year's event served 720 dinners which gained $ 2,375 for thirteen local charities. We would greatly appreciate your assistance this year. If you want to volunteer, please sign up at the July 19 meeting. It is not just work, it is a social event—another way of interacting with your LOW neighbors and friends.
NOTICE
The Post Office charges AARP for all returned mail. If you are planning to be out of the area for a long vacation or move, please notify Carla at -3436 or at CPW_LOW@yahoo.com, and she will send the notice to your alternate/new address.
THIS MONTH’S BIRTHDAYS
(Cancer and Leo)
Tony Aris, Bernie Arnold,
Julia Barnes, Bonnie Boelke,
Richard Costanzo, Judy Curnow,
Gayle Fargo, Sandra Frame,
Carol Greeney, Gene Jacobs,
Janet Jacobs, Bob Jenks,
Rima Laviano, Ursula Medwid,
Carol Moffa, Bernie Palowitch,
Ruth Pavlik, Delma Roessler,
Patrick Rowland, Doris Schluter,
Elizabeth Tabor, Sharon Webb,
Diane Weller, Verna Wescott,
Henry Wright, Margaret Thode, and
Len Weeder
NEW MEMBERS:
Welcome to new members: Joanne Hewitson, Linda Reed, and James Taylor
SUNSHINE REPORT
Get-well cards were sent to Dwight Mottet,Joe Nolan, George Lenwell, Charles Taylor. If you know of a member who needs cheering up, contact Carolyn Durphy at 972-3306
NOTES, BITS AND PIECES
Monthly Silent Auction
We are accepting any donations that you may have for the auction in July.
Please remember to donate your new and gently-used items in great shape: NO missing parts, clean (no dirt or grease), and no tears or ragged edges. Call Patti at 972-1370, Carla at 972-3436, or Roxanne at 972-8364 for pickup, or bring your donations to the meeting. Many, many thanks
There was no auction in June.
What is Woods Cares?
by Janet Terry, Co-Chair of AARP’s Woods Cares
Woods Cares is a group of AARP volunteers helping individuals within the Lake of the Woods who are shut-ins, caregivers of shut-ins, or those in need for some other reason. We have been serving our community members for the past 10 years. There are approximately 45 AARP members who have volunteered their time and/or talents. These individuals are all over the age of 50. Most of them are 60-, 70-, and 80-year-olds, who continue to be of service to their neighbors.
Services provided in the past have consisted of transporting people to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, taking people to beauty appointments, picking up prescriptions, or running other errands. Other helpful tasks have included simple plumbing repairs, small appliance repairs, raking leaves, and transporting trash to the compactor. We have also visited with shut-ins to give their caregivers a break. This list represents a sample of what you may need us to do for you. Remember, this is a free service.
If you would like to be a volunteer or know of someone has need of our services, please contact one of our committee chairpersons, and they will endeavor to find a person to help. For information call: Marion at 972-4085, Janet at 972-1957, or Jeanette at 972-0726.
Our AARP motto is, “The Power to Make it Better.”
Legislative News
by Pat Berry
On March 25, 2010, the 111th Congress approved Public Law 111-152, the “Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.” Affectionately known as the “Doughnut Hole Closure” law, H.R. 4872 improved the Medicare drug benefit by closing the coverage gap that forces million of seniors to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets for their prescriptions. It also included provisions to strengthen Medicare for current seniors and future generations by cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse in our health system.
Want to know more about how Virginia Senators and House members voted on this bill and how they are representing you in Washington? One suggestion is to try the website at http://aarp.org/politics-society. AARP puts you into a front row seat for tracking voting in both the Senate and the House, along with the option of voicing your opinion on major National and State issues. After connecting to the AARP site, scroll down, keeping your eyes on the left side of the screen, and choose either “Key Vote Summary” or “Legislative Action Center” for access to further information on what’s happening just up I95. The first link provides access to elected state and national officials via email so you can make your opinions known. The second link will take you to a state map where you can follow voting around the country, including Virginia.
And by scrolling down just a little further on the politics and society site, you can find a link to “Government Watch” which takes you directly to information on other current legislation, such as H.R. 4173, a bill that will put in place new financial rules to protect consumers. All of this can make you a more formidable voter next November.
Oh, and by the way, the two Senators from Virginia and four of the Representatives voted for Public Law 111-152; seven of the state Representatives voted against it.
Medical News
by Sandie Frame
This is the first medical report from our new contributor, Sandie Frame. If you would like information on a specific topic, please let Sandie know.
I have been trying to cut down on salted foods, so I have been really reading the labels more carefully. I was surprised to see how much salt was contained in 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Labels listed any where from 60 to 300 mg. Bloom’s peanut spread had the most, and heaven only knows what the “spread” actually contained besides sugar products, peanuts and salt.
This month’s Diabetes Forecast let me know that I could make my own peanut butter with a little bit of patience and a food processor.
· Take one cup of unsalted roasted peanuts with or without skins (also works with almonds, hazel nuts or other nuts),
· Grind them to a fine powder.
· Add 1 Tbsp. of peanut oil (canola oil will work just fine)
· Add up to 1 Tbsp. of honey if you absolutely have to have more sweetness.
· Store in the refrigerator in a clean jar.
This does not make a lot, but home-made peanut butter should be used in about two weeks. For an added flavor try toasting the nuts in a fry pan until golden brown before grinding. Happy salt-free eating.
Did You Know...
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won’t have to pick the little ‘stringy things’ off of it. That’s how the primates do it. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic.
Reheat Pizza—Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Easy Deviled Eggs—Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting—When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread—To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
No More Mosquitoes—Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away! To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.
Goodbye Fruit Flies—To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it ½’ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid.
