Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

Just mentioning Palm Springs brings up the cliché thoughts of well to do celebrities, escaping Hollywood to a retreat oasis out of the lime light and adoring fans, with incomparable warm weather never to disappoint. While that is true, today, Palm Springs is a tourist’s mecca with many festivals and events that may make the town over crowded where reservations for a mid-day lunch is mandatory.
I visited there for four short days in Mid-February in the midst of the popular mid century architectural festival. There seems to be something commercially happening in Palm Springs most weekends, if not at least once a month, making an enjoyable, leisure stay a challenge. With this information in hand you can find your way to the preferences that fulfills your holiday wish list.
Having visited Palm Springs off and on for over thirty years, I have seen it change and my preferences have also changed. I still like the romantic idea of passing by the places where celebrities lived, and the remains of their houses through a formalized celebrity house bus tour. This was accomplished surprising well with Celebrity Tours, with their office and pick up point in neighboring Cathedral City.
www.PalmSpringsCelebrityTours.com
Your bus driver narration is the key to your enjoyment and my Jeff, could not have been more informative or entertaining. Many of the houses in the Movie Colony Section are surrounded by high fences and vegetation, making it difficult to even get a peek at the property. The Las Palmas area houses are much easier to view. Some of the celebrity houses and stories that are seen and lives told about included celebrities of old: Liberace, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Hope among others, and contemporaries like Cher and Matt Damon. The brief history of some of these celebrities are told with humor, but the ending of their lives gives one pause with a touch of sadness. Many of the houses viewed today have fallen into disrepair or are smaller and less glamorous than you would expect.
The reason Palm Springs became a Hollywood oasis was during a time when the actors were under contract to movie studios. Back then using film, some of the scenes would need to be re shot on short notice to the actors. Their contract read that they must be able to show up on a twenty-four-hour notice, and Palms Springs was close enough to allow such.
After sightseeing or shopping your thoughts and stomach might turn to dining. I found all my pre-reserved dining options to surpass expectations. You might think in fine upscale dining establishment that you might want to order something experiential or exotic. I prefer to test restaurants with some of the staples of dining. If they can knock my socks off with comfort food, then they can do anything.
What’s more comforting than meatloaf, which happens to be the specialty of TRIO, https://triopalmsprings.com. I started with their batter artichoke hearts with Caper Aioli dipping sauce. The homemade meatloaf entree with red wine reduction and caramelized onions near sour cream mashed potatoes, was quickly served and the combinations of meat flavors were excellent, living up to its reputation. I ordered my traditional extra cold martini and it arrive so cold it was bubbling! Asked how this was accomplished was told there was a special machine that deep froze the bottom of the glass and when the Vodka was added, it bubbled like dry ice. The visual was stunning although it made the beverage a bit bitter – but enjoyable just the same. Located on the very popular Canyon Drive, it can often be over crowed and noisy, which might add to your celebrity watching.
Also on North Palm Canyon Drive, is Copley’s (https://www.copleyspalmsprings.com) with its welcomed Valet parking. It is situated in a long ranch house style compound once owned by Cary Grant. With expansive patio seating and fire pit prime for outdoor dining, I preferred inside from the cool night air where elegant tables invite you to step away from the intimate popular bar area and begin your culinary adventure. One of my comfort staples is a lemony Cesar Salad, which I ordered and was delighted to see it was served with smoked bacon, Padano cheese and roasted pineapple as a crouton substitute. Extraordinary as the citrus added that zest, I usually get with lemon. The dressing was just enough, and the diced lettuce easily satisfied. What goes well with Cesar but a prime grilled filet in port wine reduction, which I had prepared Medium Plus – another test for any fine dining establishment. Again perfection and with one more beverage with blue cheese olives for dessert, I topped off a posh evening.
If your appetite has been teased, be sure and see next months issue with more dining suggestions, as I end my Palm Springs comfort food foray. Until then check out, www.greaterpalmsprings.com.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn

JOIN US FOR SENIOR DAY AT CROSSINGS COMMUNITY CHURCH MAY 10TH

Key Note Speakers including Elaine Dodd, Oklahoma Banking Association and Berry Tramel, Sports Editor Daily Oklahoman PM. Do you understand Social Security or how to choose a retirement community? Have you researched Alzheimer’s’ caregivers, Veterans benefits, or the million-dollar business in Oklahoma called Medicare? Senior Day is designed for those who are interested in diving deeper into these specific issues. There will be a selection of break out classes with topics like these for attendees to select and a very special Key Note speaker at lunch, Sports Editor Berry Tramel with the Daily Oklahoman.
This year there will be a raffle for “DUDE’S NIGHT OUT WITH BERRY TRAMEL, the host will be Lance Ward Pastoral Staff Crossings. Raffle tickets will be available at registration. Elaine Dodd, Oklahoma Banking Association will also present on how to limit elder fraud. Elaine worked with the OSBI for over twenty years and is well trained on how to identify and stop bank fraud for Seniors. Kim Lopez, TRIAD Director Oklahoma County Sherriff’s Office, will share how to shop safely in a mall or grocery store. We have a new presentation this year- how to Use your I Phone! Mia Munnerlyn, Media Director for Well Preserved, will share some easy to follow tips for the I Phone. Ray Walker, Director Medicare Assistance Program will be thoroughly explaining Medicare. Jose’ Olivero, Public Affairs Specialist with Social Security, will share your options on Social Security.
We are very excited to have Blair Schoeb, Director of Area Wide Aging for Oklahoma, Canadian, Logan and Cleveland County. Area Wide serves over 25,000 seniors a year. Blair recently returned from the National Association of Area Agencies in Washington, DC. There will be classes on downsizing your home. Nikki Higgins Lifestyle Realty will conduct a panel for an easy transition for a Senior home owner. How to choose a retirement community, presented by Jill Huff with Spanish Cove. Who needs Memory Care? Presented by Keri Dennis with Stone Creek Assisted Living in Edmond. What is Adult day care? Presented by Brian Rush, Director of the Daily Living centers. Daily Living Centers have four locations in the metro and Edmond. Kathy Logsdon will share the amazing story of Epworth Villa. There will also be Vendor displays for attendees to find out information from business that support Seniors in the Metro Area.
Last year the Crossings 4th Quarter event donated $2900.00 to RSVP. RSVP is a volunteer organization that serves 130 nonprofits in the Metro. This year, proceeds will be donated to non-profits that serve seniors in the metro area. Our thanks to the Title Sponsors Quail Creek Bank, Epworth Villa, Lifestyle Realty, Spanish Cove & Well Preserved Advisory Group,
Those topics plus many more will be explained on May 10th. If you are a Senior and want to come and learn—- JOIN us for SENIOR DAY at Crossings Church, 14600 N Portland, OKC – on May 10, 2019. Registration will begin at 8:30AM. This will be an all day event and will finish at 4:30. Registration is only $12.00 and that includes lunch.
To register go to CROSSINGS.CHURCH/SENIOR-DAY or call 848-5790 for more information.

Did you know that Identity theft is an increasing threat to all Americans, including senior citizens? Unfortunately, the numbers of people that are victimized by identity theft continue to increase each year. Older adults are particularly vulnerable and deeply concerned about this threat to their financial assets.
Below is a summary of how Identity Theft happens, the warnings signs to watch out for, how to protect yourself and what to do in the event it happens to you.
How Does Identity Theft Happen?
* Opportunistic – e.g., stolen or lost wallets or purses, misappropriated credit or debit cards, re-approved credit applications that you’ve discarded
* Intentional schemes – e.g., asking for personal information in emails, calls or letters (called phishing), pretending to be you to use your benefits, applying for loans in your name
Warning Signs of Identity Theft
* ATM or bank withdrawals you didn’t make
* Credit card charges you don’t recognize
* Bills from medical offices you haven’t visited
* Mail you’re expecting that doesn’t arrive
* Calls from debt collectors
* Notices from the IRS about unreported income or multiple tax returns
Protect Your Identity
* Don’t share personal or account information on social media or emails
* Shred documents others could steal
* Check your credit reports routinely
* Report any suspicious financial transactions immediately to limit losses
What to Do If Your Identity Is Stolen
* Don’t be embarrassed—act!
* Call your bank and credit card issuers immediately so they can close your accounts
* Put a fraud alert on your credit reports to prevent opening of new accounts
* File reports with police and Federal Trade Commission
* Follow up with the IRS, Social Security Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service for theft of benefits
* Keep a record of who you contacted and when
For more information, visit aba.com/Seniors

What’s your favorite thing about spring? Emerald Square Assisted Living

Gardening and being outside. I like to help plant.

Jean Miller

Warm weather, the birds and the flowers.

Jean Sczerbacki

The thing I like about spring is it’s a new beginning for us all.

Leta Ringwald

I love the flowers, being outside and being able to wear shorts again.

Billy Stevenson

I CAN SEE!

By Darlene Franklin

I can see close to twenty-twenty for the first time since I was a little girl. Cataract surgery has restored my sight to near perfect vision. New glasses will fix what remains unclear.
I can’t wait.
A couple of year ago I began to notice the middle of hymn pages faded out while I played the piano. No amount of blinking or leaning in closer brought them into focus. Since I know most hymns fairly well, I only stumbled for a few notes here and there.
At first, I blamed the situation on poorly reproduced copies. Although the print was small and the ink somewhat faded, I gradually realized it was my eyes. I couldn’t deny it when I had the same problems reading fine print or when working on my computer.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately fifty percent of all Americans have cataracts by age seventy-five. My mother’s experience had left me a little on edge. She had felt uncomfortable when she felt pressure on the eye. But when I asked the surgeon—especially when he talked about using knives—and he basically said I would be too out of it to notice.
Maybe not. But regardless, I wanted to see again.
I did feel the pressure, but it didn’t hurt at all. When he began cutting into my cornea, I saw pretty pink squares. The surgery itself took less than ten minutes per eye.
If you’re like me, you take your sight for granted. I know a few authors who are also blind. But since I’ve always had my sight, learning to function without it would be difficult beyond what I care to imagine. I am thankful for the surgery.
We’re all born with poor vision when it comes to spiritual things, and the older we get, it only worsens. At my salvation, God performed surgery, removed my dead eyes and replaced them with eyes that could take in more and more of his glory. My corrected “far vision” allows my breathless voice to break through in power when I sing, “This is how I fight my battles—I am surrounded by You.” It allows me write poems and books that praise God.
My near vision—other people—remains pretty dense. I frequently ask God to help me to see them as He does.
That requires me to truly look at them. The problem is, especially here at the nursing home, I expect them to look at me.
Sometimes I get it right. Recently, when a worker who’d always been kind and loving to me, gazed in the distance, her mind clearly on something else.
“You look like you’re having a bad day.
“How’d you know?” She asked. “Yes, I am. A terrible day.”
She didn’t tell me what was troubling her, and I didn’t ask. And I was tempted to leave it at that. Instead, I asked if she wanted to pray and, yes, she did.
“You don’t know how much that helped.”
The next day, she was doing much better
I wish I had that kind of sight all the time, to sense when people are in pain and simply need someone to care.
To my shame, often I’m grumpy because an aide has been inattentive or short with me, only to find out later they spent the night at the hospital with a sick baby. I overlook the fact they are first of all individuals dearly loved by God, and that they choose to work with me and for me.
Nurses, certified nurse’s aides, and other professionals in the nursing home environment often feel a strong calling for what they’re doing. They want to help people. For the Christian, that makes me not only their job, but also their ministry.
How easy that is to forget that when I am tired, sore, and I’ve been waiting for help.
Although God has given me new sight, I might not be following His aftercare instructions correctly. I may not be applying the ointment of His word to the area where I have the most vision problems. Perhaps my eyes are dry from spending too much staring at things of little or no value.
Please join me in praying that God will cause us to see the people around us as He does, and to act accordingly.
Darlene is a resident at Heritage Manor in Oklahoma City. Check out her other writing at https://www.darlenefranklinauthor.com/

by Sheryl Presley, TRIAD Coordinator for all of OKC Police Department

An event that our Police Department is proud to put on for our seniors is Informed Senior Seminar. Event will be on April 12th at 8:30am at OSU-OKC 900 N Portland student Center 3rd floor. Event is FREE. You do need to register by calling our City of OKC action Center at 297-2535 by April 5. Event will start at 8;30am. We start with a panel discussion and this year our panel discussion will be active incident. We will have MSGT.
Loruse and Captain Samuel from our agency Oklahoma City Police Department and 2 other officers from other agencies on the panel. You will be able to ask the officers anything related to this topic. Then we will provide 4 breakout sessions that will repeat after the 1st session on nutrition and fitness, scams, Medicare updates and transportation for seniors. We have a wonderful committee that works hard to provide different programs every year to educate and inform our seniors. OSU-OKC has been a great partner to allow us to have Informed Senior Seminar here for almost 17 years.
We look forward to having this event and providing resources for our seniors for FREE. Any questions please contact Sheryl Presley at 405-316-4336.
Spring has arrived and with it the scammers come out of the woodwork. Some of the most common scams are home repair frauds. This is the most common and costly of all property crimes. Some tips and red flags to protect yourself from becoming a victim. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER agree or engage the services of anyone who solicits door to door. If the contractor does not have a local address and arrived in the area following the disaster. If the contractor claims to have materials left over from a previous job and offers to use them on your project for a steep discount. The contractor does NOT use a written agreement for the project. Always get 3 estimates and check the company and or name of person representing the company. This can be done by going to your computer and typing in OSCN.NET and checking to see if the person or company has any claims or lawsuits against them. Also check the company name by contacting the better business bureau by calling 405-239-6081. If you are needing roof repair to make sure the contractor is registered with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board ( www.ok.gov/cib/ or 405-521-6550. Also avoid using workmen or services found in flyers delivered door to door or placed on your car in a parking lot. Ask for the business address and verify the address. Never pay upfront for services that have NOT been completed. Ask for references of other people that have used the business or person you are wanting to do the work. Deal with local contractors who have been in your community and have a good reputation. Make sure you have everything in writing that you are agreeing to have done and the exact amount it will cost. Never sign anything up front. Don’t allow yourself to be rushed or price is only good for TODAY only. If you are a person living alone if possible have someone with you when you have contractors out for estimates and then when you decide on having the work done. In today’s time you don’t want to let the worker or workers to know you live alone. You can also report and fraud to the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Unit at 405-521-2029. In Oklahoma we have had our share of disasters. Tornados and Ice storms have hit us hard over the years. Having a plan and knowing what to do will help you. In our local Triad meetings in the metro we discuss how to handle the storms and prepare. We have
speakers and information that we provide in the meetings. This information will help keep you from being a victim.

Dear Savvy Senior, Since retiring a few years ago, my husband has become increasingly irritable and apathetic. I’m concerned that he’s depressed, even though he may not admit it. Where can we turn to get help with this, and what, if anything, does Medicare pay for?  Concerned Spouse

Dear Concerned,
Depression is unfortunately a widespread problem among older Americans, affecting approximately 15 percent of the 65-and-older population. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips and resources for screening and treatments, and how Medicare covers it.
Identifying Depression
Everyone feels sad or gets the blues now and then, but when these feelings linger more than a few weeks, it may be depression. Depression is a real illness that affects mood, feelings, behavior and physical health, and contrary to what many people believe, it’s not a normal part of aging or a personal weakness, but it is very treatable.
It’s also important to know that depression is not just sadness. In many seniors it can manifest as apathy, irritability, or problems with memory or concentration without the depressed mood.
To help you get a handle on the seriousness of your husband’s problem, a good first step is for him to take an online depression-screening test.
He can do this for free at Mental Health America, a national nonprofit organization that offers a variety of online mental health screening tools at MentalHealthAmerica.net – click on “Take a Screen” in the menu bar. Or at HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org, which is offered by Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
Both of these tests are anonymous and confidential, they take less that 10 minutes to complete, and they can help you determine the severity of your husband’s problem.
Get Help
If you find that he is suffering from depressive symptoms, he needs to see his doctor for a medical evaluation to rule out possible medical causes. Some medications, for example, can produce side effects that mimic depressive symptoms – pain and sleeping meds are common culprits. It’s also important to distinguish between depression and dementia, which can share some of the same symptoms.
If he’s diagnosed with depression, there are a variety of treatment options including talk therapy, antidepressant medications or a combination of both.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a particularly effective type of talk therapy, which helps patients recognize and change destructive thinking patterns that leads to negative feelings.
For help finding a therapist who’s trained in CBT, ask your doctor for a referral, check your local yellow pages under “counseling” or “psychologists,” or check with the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (FindCBT.org), or the Academy of Cognitive Therapy (AcademyofCT.org).
And to search for therapists that accept Medicare, use Medicare’s Physician Compare tool. Go to Medicare.gov/physiciancompare and type in your zip code, or city and state, then type in the type of profession you want locate, like “psychiatry” or “clinical psychologist” in the “What are you searching for?” box.
Medicare Coverage
You’ll be happy to know that original Medicare currently covers 100 percent for annual depression screenings that are done in a doctor’s office or other primary care clinic. They also pay 80 percent of its approved amount for outpatient mental health services like counseling and therapy services, and will cover almost all medications used to treat depression under the Part D prescription drug benefit.
If you and your husband get your Medicare benefits through a private Medicare Advantage plan, they too must cover the same services as original Medicare but they will likely require him to see an in-network provider. You’ll need to contact your plan directly for the details.
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 Jose M Olivero, Social Security Public Affairs in Oklahoma City

Unfortunately, tragedy can strike without any warning. The loss of the family wage earner can be devastating both emotionally and financially. Social Security helps by providing income for the families of workers who die.
Some of the Social Security taxes you pay go toward survivors benefits for workers and their families. The value of the survivors benefits you have under Social Security may even be more than the value of your individual life insurance. When you die, certain members of your family may be eligible for survivors benefits. These include widows and widowers (and divorced widows and widowers), children, and dependent parents.
Here are the people who can get survivors benefits based on your work:
* Your widow or widower may be able to get full benefits at full retirement age. The full retirement age for survivors is age 66 for people born in 1945-1956, with the full retirement age gradually increasing to age 67 for people born in 1962 or later. Your widow or widower can get reduced benefits as early as age 60. If your surviving spouse is disabled, benefits can begin as early as age 50.
* Your widow or widower can get benefits at any age if they take care of your child younger than age 16 or disabled, who is receiving Social Security benefits.
* Your unmarried children, younger than age 18 (or up to age 19 if they’re attending elementary or secondary school full time), can also get benefits. Your children can get benefits at any age if they were disabled before age 22. Under certain circumstances, we can also pay benefits to your stepchildren, grandchildren, stepgrandchildren, or adopted children.
* Your dependent parents can get benefits if they’re age 62 or older. (For your parents to qualify as dependents, you must have provided at least half of their support.)
You can read more about Survivors Benefits at:
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10084.pdf.
How much your family can get from Social Security depends on your average lifetime earnings. The more you earned, the more their benefits will be. For more information on widows, widowers, and other survivors, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/survivors.
Social Security is with you through life’s journey. Be sure to tell friends and family about our Survivors Benefits and how we can help in times of need.