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Clinical trials and tribulations
I’ve been writing about the chance to participate in medical research by applying for clinical trials that could not only help oneself, but countless others. Being in the Chicago area, there are plenty of medical trials to choose from, so I decided...
Spawned out salmon: A personal reflection
It gives me a good feeling to spend my final days surrounded by family, friends and lovers. We are a great generation. We all were out at sea for our five year migration and life cycle. Most of us didn’t make it back. But look around... We are the...
Follow these steps to make gardening easier
I have noticed the last few years that although I love gardening and working outside, it seems a little harder each year to lift watering cans, bend and kneel on the ground, and work compacted soil. Gardening’s positive effects include relieving...
Don't overlook Medicare during your summer activities
Regardless of the area you live in, there are ‘must dos’ for the summer months for Alaskans. It is a time to plant, gather, harvest and, for many, fish. On the Kenai Peninsula, fishing is active with subsistence, dipnetting, setnetting, drift...
Managing pain and fatigue from injuries
Q: I was recently treated in the emergency room for falling when stepping out of a boat. One week later, my ankle is still painful to touch and I am tired. A: Thankfully you were treated by medical...
Alaska's amazingly resourceful raptors
Alaska has a diverse range of habitats and ecosystems that support over 534 different species of birds. Most of these birds are migratory and travel great distances to spend the brief summers here to...
Suburban outhouse has rustic lineage
"I think I opened the wrong door and went into the 'men's'", her friend said to my sister, Shirley, after returning to their car, which was parked in the driveway of my house. "The one I went into...
Ship Creek school oversight causes delay
When Land Office chief Andrew Christensen opened the auction for townsites above Ship Creek on July 10, 1915, bidding became so brisk that prospective lot owners couldn't hold down prices. After sales...
Cynthia Geary heads to hospice in new TV series
Emmy-nominated actress Cynthia Geary was immediately drawn to her latest character Charley Copeland, a hospice nurse in the compelling new drama series "Going Home." Season one began streaming in...
Paying for long-term care without insurance or savings
Dear Savvy Senior: What types of financial resources are available to help seniors pay for long-term care? My 86-year-old mother will need either an assisted living facility or nursing home care in the near future, but she doesn’t have long-term...
How to sell unwanted burial plots
Dear Savvy Senior: How do I go about selling unwanted burial plots in my hometown cemetery? When my parents died about 25 years ago, my husband (at the time) and I bought two plots near them in the same cemetery. But we’ve gotten divorced since...
Dickens, codicils and the Underwood
In a corner of my office is an old Underwood typewriter. It was built sometime around the 1920s, it weighs a ton, and there is no electricity involved in its operation. The keys still work, but if I...
Web blockers, Cellular 911, new laptops
Q. Is it possible to block a website from view? A. Yes, but like so many questions, the how-to part of the answer begins with “it depends.” There are many different apps that filter website content. They use various methods behind the scenes and...
Legislation would expand, strengthen Social Security
Editor’s note: This press statement was received June 9, 2022. Congressman Peter DeFazio and Senator Bernie Sanders today introduced joint legislation, the Social Security Expansion Act (SSEA), to strengthen and expand Social Security for current...
Adapting to transition is an ongoing process
Q: Due to a change in my health and physical capabilities, I moved to assisted living away from close friends. I’m not happy about this new situation. I feel lost and alone. A: Starting a new phase...
Legislature fails to pass limits: Now what?
The Alaska state legislature failed to pass any bills this session to replace the campaign finance laws that were struck down by a federal court recently. So now, there are no limits to how much a person can donate to one or more candidates running...
Legislature: AARP Alaska as fierce defender
Note: This story was updated after the printed version went to press. AARP Alaska advocates for public policies that matter most to Alaskans age 50 and older and their families. During the 2021-22 legislative session, we passed 15 of our 22 budget...
Focus on food, exercise for lifetime health
Is your “lifestyle” correlated to your health? Although the intuitively obvious answer is a resounding “yes”, very little credence is given in the standard of care to the powerful impact of your day-to-day choices on your wellbeing. It’s...
Staying cool in hot, smoky weather
We all love summer and sometimes our Alaska summers are warmer and smokier than others. How do you stay cool? Seniors need to be careful of overheating, our bodies don’t adjust as well to higher temperatures, and we tend to get more dehydrated....
When self-sufficiency and chickens collide
Living at our place on Chena Hot Springs Road out of Fairbanks the spring of 1975, my husband Gary and I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible. We had five acres, but no electric power. Besides...
Beacons in the wilderness for prospectors
Some courageous pioneers saw the possibilities of the Yukon Basin years before the Klondike Gold Rush. And a few stand out above the rest, including Leroy Napoleon "Jack" McQuesten, Alfred Mayo and...
Singing legend Johnny Mathis still touring at 86
Chances are, every time velvet-voiced Johnny Mathis takes center stage during his current U.S. tour, the atmosphere could turn Misty. Sure, some devoted Mathis fans might swoon teary-eyed with waves...
People don't read instructions
A long time ago, in a land far, far away (well, Juneau is pretty far away) there was a group of legislators who tried to do the right thing. They wanted to update and improve the laws about what...
Podcasts, Internet Explorer, two great websites
Q. How do I listen to podcasts? A. As the old saying goes, “there is an app for that.” Many different apps, in fact. And beyond apps, most podcasts are just a click away on the Web. Podcasts are audio-only programs that have exploded in...
Get the facts about the Equality Act and LGBTQ+ seniors
The Equality Act is a piece of federal legislation that would update current civil rights laws for the 21st century. It includes significant and explicit protections for LGBTQ+ people in public accommodations, federally funded programs, employment,...
