What is one of your favorite things about living in Oklahoma? Epworth Villa

“I like the climate here in Oklahoma.  It is very pleasant.  It is better than any other state that I have been to.” Reba Dawkins

“My family is here.  My nieces and nephews helped me get settled in here and it makes me feel good to know they are here.” Martha Johnson

“I like the people here.  I have been to all the states and people here are so nice.” John Culbertson

“One of my favorite things about living in Oklahoma is the weather.  I’ve lived here all my life and I love the weather.” Diane Freeny

Photography and Text by Rick Steves

No city in Ireland connects the kaleidoscope of historical dots more colorfully than Derry, which is in British-ruled Northern Ireland. Small and pretty, the city is a welcoming and manageable place for visitors – and most of its sights can be covered easily on foot.
Now a worthy tourist destination with the best city walls in Ireland, during the 20th century, sectarian struggles plagued Derry. When Ireland was divvied up between the North and the Republic in the early 1920s, Derry’s waterway – the River Foyle – was a logical border. But, for sentimental and economic reasons, the Protestant North kept all of this predominantly Catholic Nationalist city. Subsequently, the two sides have fought over its status.
Even its name has been a source of dispute. It’s “Derry” to the Catholics and “Londonderry” to the Protestants. I once asked a Northern Ireland rail employee for a ticket to Derry; he replied that there was no such place. Still, I call it Derry since that’s what most of the city’s inhabitants do.
The name has a good pedigree, dating back to 546. In that year the holy St. Columba established a monastic citadel here. He chose a hilltop site in the middle of an oak grove, or “doire.” The name stuck.
Fast-forward a thousand years to 1613, when the English arrived. To establish a Protestant toehold in this Catholic part of Ireland, they began “planting” the region with loyal Protestant colonists imported from Scotland and England. Since many were financed by wealthy London guilds, they changed the name to “Londonderry.”
To keep out the Irish, who’d been forced onto less desirable land, the English surrounded the city with a stout defensive wall. Today those walls make Derry one of the best-preserved fortified cities in Ireland. They stand almost 20 feet high and nearly as thick, with 24 cannons standing sentinel.
The walls are a good place to start a Derry visit. Poetically described as the city’s “necklace,” they form a mile-long loop encircling the original old town, and give a good view of its 17th-century street plan. The top o’ the wall promenade (open from dawn until dusk) is a popular destination for Derry’s inhabitants too.
The walls proved their worth in 1688-89, when the Catholic King James II and an Irish army besieged the city. Derry’s determined Protestant defenders, loyal to King William of Orange, slammed the town gates shut and successfully outlasted their foes for 105 grinding days.
The townsmen held off James with the help of “Roaring Meg,” a cannon renowned for the fury of its firing. You’ll find her, beautifully restored, on the walls at the Double Bastion, a fortified platform.
From the Double Bastion, you can also enjoy a fine panoramic view over the Catholic Bogside neighborhood. These days, this gritty part of town is quiet and safe, but it wasn’t always so.
For many years, Bogside was the tinderbox of the modern “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Most notably, the tragic 1972 Bloody Sunday events unfolded here, during a march protesting the internment of pro-Catholic activists. When a British regiment moved in to make arrests, 13 marchers died. The clash sparked a sectarian inferno whose ashes took decades to cool.
Today, visitors come to Bogside to honor this sad past and to view 12 memorial murals, painted along a 300-yard stretch of road where the march took place. Dramatic and emotional, these political murals – and others around Northern Ireland – form an enduring travel memory.
Sectarian violence in Ireland has given way to a settlement that seems to be working. Both sides have come to the position that “an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.” In Derry, the growing hope for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland is expressed in a powerful public-art sculpture of two figures extending their hands to one another.
Given the city’s complex history, it’s worth taking the time to drop by the Tower Museum Derry. Occupying a reconstruction of a fortified medieval tower, the exhibits at this well-organized museum help sort out Derry’s tangled historical roots.
These days, the once divided city sees itself as a shared city. The symbol of that recalibration is the Peace Bridge across the River Foyle. This pedestrian span, built with European Union funds, is intended to bring the two sides together: east bank and west bank, Irish and British, Catholic and Protestant, Nationalist and Unionist. And to the surprise of locals, it’s working. In a sign of the times, a British army base that once occupied prime real estate near the old city wall has been transformed into an outdoor concert venue and a gathering place for all of Derry. It’s an emblem of what’s happened here; you’ll find that now the long-divided communities love their “legend-Derry” Irish city.
IF YOU VISIT…
SLEEPING: Merchant’s House, on a quiet street a 10-minute stroll from Waterloo Place, is a fine Georgian townhouse with nine rooms (moderate, www.thesaddlershouse.com). Inside Derry’s walls is Maldron Hotel, offering 93 modern and immaculate rooms (splurge, www.maldronhotelderry.com).
EATING: The Custom House Restaurant and Wine Bar is the classiest place in town, serving great meals and a selection of fine wines in a posh, calm space (Queens Quay, tel. 028/7137-3366). Busy Fitzroy’s is stacked with locals, serving quality food at reasonable prices (2 Bridge Street, tel. 028/7126-6211).
GETTING AROUND: Derry is compact enough to see on foot, so you won’t need a car or public transportation to get around.
TOURIST INFORMATION: www.derryvisitor.com.

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you help me calculate about how much my wife and I need to save for retirement? We are both in out late-fifties and want to see where we stand. Looking Ahead

Dear Looking,
Calculating an approximate number of how much you’ll need to save for a comfortable retirement is actually pretty easy, and doesn’t take long to do. It’s a simple, three-step process that includes estimating your future living expenses, tallying up your retirement income and calculating the difference. There are even a host of online calculators that can help you with this too.
Living Expenses
The first step is the most difficult – estimating your living expenses when you retire. If you want a quick ballpark estimate, figure around 75 to 85 percent of your current gross income. That’s what most people find they need to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement.
If you want a more precise estimate, track your current living expenses on a worksheet and deduct any costs you expect to go away or decline when you retire, and add whatever new ones you anticipate.
Costs you can scratch off your list include work-related expenses like commuting or lunches out, as well as the amount you’re socking away for retirement. You may also be able to deduct your mortgage if you expect to have it paid off by retirement, and your kid’s college expenses. Your income taxes should also be less.
On the other hand, some costs will probably go up when you retire, like health care, and depending on your interests you may spend a lot more on travel, golf or other hobbies. And, if you’re going to be retired for 20 or 30 years you also need to factor in the occasional big budget items like a new roof, furnace or car.
Tally Income
Step two is to calculate your retirement income. If you and/or your wife contribute to Social Security, go to ssa.gov/myaccount to get your personalized statement that estimates what your retirement benefits will be at age 62, full retirement age and when you turn 70.
In addition to Social Security, if you or your wife has a traditional pension plan from an employer, find out from the plan administrator how much you are likely to get when you retire. And, figure in any other income from other sources you expect to have, such as rental properties, part-time work, etc.
Calculate the Difference
The final step is to do the calculations. Subtract your annual living expenses from your annual retirement income. If your income alone can cover your bills, you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to tap your savings, including your 401(k) plans, IRAs, or other investments to make up the difference.
So, let’s say for example you need around $55,000 a year to meet your living expenses and pay taxes, and you and your wife expect to receive $30,000 a year from Social Security and other income. That leaves a $25,000 shortfall that you’ll need to pull from your nest egg each year ($55,000 – $30,000 = $25,000).
Then, depending on what age you want to retire, you need to multiply your shortfall by at least 25 if you want to retire at 60, 20 to retire at 65, and 17 to retire at 70 – or in this case that would equate to $625,000, $500,000 and $425,000, respectively.
Why 25, 20 and 17? Because that would allow you to pull 4 percent a year from your savings, which is a safe withdrawal strategy that in most cases will let your money last as long as you do.
If you need some help, there’s a bevy of free online retirement calculators to assist you, like the ones offered by T. Rowe Price (troweprice.com/retirement) or Financial Mentor (financialmentor.com/calculator).

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.

It’s a reality no mother ever wants to imagine; being discharged from the hospital and leaving your newborn baby behind.
That fear became real for Keely Mallory. On Jan. 17, with more than a month left in her pregnancy, Keely gave birth to her first child, Rhett.
“We had a talk the morning I gave birth to him. I told him he was only 35 weeks and that he needed to stay in there, but he was determined to make a grand entrance,” Keely joked.
Keely laughs about it now, but for almost a month she and her husband put their lives on hold to be by Rhett’s side in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.
They found comfort in a surprising place: a tiny piece of handmade cloth in the shape of a heart. Rhett had an identical heart inside his neonatal incubator. Keely would wear or sleep with hers one night, before exchanging it with the heart in Rhett’s bassinet the next day. “The idea is that the mother’s or child’s scent rubs off on the cloth,” said Mercy Hospital Chaplain, Trisha Wiscombe, who helped implement the idea. “We found through research that scent plays a large role in bonding.”
In turn, the scent of her child may help release a flood of happy hormones in the mother that assist with milk production. For Keely, she said it also helped provide her with a sense of comfort and calm during a time that was often stressful.
“It was a way to have him at home when he couldn’t be,” Keely said. “It was so hard leaving him at the hospital every day, so to just be able to lay the cloth on my pillow at night was very comforting and helped with our transition.”
Each of the hearts is handmade by Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City volunteer Fran Thibedea, who estimates she’s made close to 200 so far. All mothers with children in the NICU receive them. The idea is also in place at other Mercy hospitals in Missouri.
Rhett was discharged from the hospital on Feb. 12. Both he and Keely are doing well.

A fall can happen in a split second, but it may take a lot of time, pain and rehabilitation to recover. Falls can cause injury at any age, but they can be especially devastating for seniors. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among individuals over age 65.
About one-third of the population over age 65 falls each year. (Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control) This is a serious problem affecting seniors. As we age, the risk increases for injury from falling and these injuries may result in hospitalization and long term loss of freedom and independence. However, you can reduce your risk.
To help you, INTEGRIS Third Age Life Center in collaboration with INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation, developed an educational program, Prevent Slips, Trips and Broken Hips. The program includes discussion of risk factors for falling and prevention of falls, and the opportunity for individual assessment of one’s risk for falling.
The program is available to senior groups in the metro Oklahoma City area. To schedule Prevent Slips, Trips and Broken Hips at your location, please contact Marge Jantzen, 405-717-9823, at INTEGRIS Third Age Life Center. For more information click here:  http://integrisok.com/senior-community-services-third-age-life-oklahoma

by Bobby Anderson
Staff Writer

It’s Thursday morning at 10 a.m. and the parking lot to Pastor James Gann’s Faith Pointe Baptist Church in Norman is completely full.
On this day there isn’t a service scheduled but people are pouring in from miles away to find help, hope and healing.
“You know that’s what the church is for,” Gann said after bellowing out the name of the next military veteran who will find help that day.
Gann isn’t preaching God’s word but he is making sure the flock is being tended to. That’s why he routinely opens up the the doors to his church to allow staff from the Dale K. Graham Veteran’s Corner to minister to America’s vets.
Graham’s 501(c)(3) organization helps vets navigate the seeming labyrinth that often separates them for the benefits they so rightfully deserve.
People from across the country have made the trek to one of the weekly workshops.
Graham started the ministry in the early 1990s. He began opening up the workshop at his country home.
By 2008, he was in the Goldsby community center. He separated from his original organization and now works out of Norman.
“I just want to help people,” Graham said. “My board of directors and I couldn’t agree. We parted ways and moved on.”
“This move to Norman has been the best move I’ve ever made. What we’re doing is we’re changing lives one at a time.”
Graham estimates his organization helps nearly 150 veterans a week in addition to 10 surviving spouses.
Benefits that veterans once thought impossible or didn’t even know about are often within reach.
Veterans who can get a 70-percent service-connected disability rating can enter a state VA center free of charge.
“One of the biggest drawbacks of getting old is they’re going to take everything you’ve got when it’s finished,” Graham said. “I like to see the kids or grandkids get something.”
An army of between 30 and 40 volunteers – all clad in red polo shirts – are present to help veterans at any given workshop.
The organization supports itself through donations and grants.
Currently, Graham says there is a desperate need for a donation of transportation to help veterans get to the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center and doctor’s visits.
A handicap van would also be a lifesaver as would a permanent location to open up daily for veterans.
The stories continue to flow in. On this morning a woman from Kansas City called and told Graham her brother was living with her after being homeless. After the Gulf War he was unable to function and struggles daily with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
She asked if there was anyone in her area that could do what Graham’s organization does.
Sadly, he couldn’t think of any.
“Most people don’t care,” Graham said. “The main thing is people don’t know how to do it.”
Graham is accredited as a claims agent for veterans.
He says he accepts no pay.
Volunteer Rhonda Reynolds recently retired as chief deputy of the Western District Federal. Her late husband was a Navy pilot.
“It’s money they’ve earned,” Reynolds said. “The difference is we’re not talking thousands of dollars we’re talking hundreds of dollars but to people living on $750 a month” it’s a huge difference.
Graham’s group has a network of doctors and healthcare providers that understand the needs of our veterans.
Shirley Clark Crowdin’s Navy husband passed away from Agent Orange exposure. She specializes in working with the spouses of veterans who have passed.
She said World War II surviving spouses, kids or grandkids whose loved one died of cancer are eligible for up to $75,000 in radiation benefits.
“They should have got it 50 years ago,” Crowdin said. “I’m doing claims for surviving spouses (whose husbands served) in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Nobody told them.
“One of the toughest things is we have so many suicides, but we’re able to service connect them once they pass away.”
Vietnam Veterans are of particular concern.
“Vietnam Veterans – there shouldn’t be one alive that doesn’t get 100 percent (disability),” said Crowdin, who notes the average age at death of a Vietnam Veteran is 63 years old, due to chemical exposure.
“We have World War II surviving spouses that live on about $300 per month and we can get then another $400,” Crowdin said, fighting back tears. “During the holidays we worked with three that had committed suicide.”
Graham nods his head.
“Every time you deal with one of them you feel the pain,” Graham said.
If you or a loved one need help with benefits you can contact Graham at 405-609-9895 or email him at dalekgrahamveteranscorner@gmail.com. Tuesday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon are open for veterans. Walkins begin at 6:30 a.m. until noon on Thursdays.
“So far, we’ve never sent anybody home,” Graham said.