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Shreveport/Bossier Edition Motorcycle Mama It’s A Woman Thang! Reverse Mortgages Tailgate Time from Holly Clegg READ US ONLINE ! www.savvyandsage.com (Click on “Your Area”) September / October 2010 Shreveport/Bossier Edition Shreveport/Boss i er Edi t i on September / r r October

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Page 1: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

Shreveport/Bossier Edition

Motorcycle MamaIt’s A Woman Thang!Reverse MortgagesTailgate Time from Holly Clegg

READ US ONLINE!

www.savvyandsage.com(Click on “Your Area”)

September/October 2010Shreveport/Bossier EditionShreveport/Bossier Edition September/rr October

Page 2: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport
Page 3: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

1www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

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Page 4: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

2 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Home Instead Senior Care opened its doors

back in February 2001. Thanks to the hard work

of the owner, Paige Locke, and her staff, the

business has grown.

No matter where a senior lives – in their

home, in an assisted living facility or even a

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help. Providing thousands of hours of senior

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Home Instead CAREGivers and office staff alike have a passionate dedication to serving the elderly. It is a

mission they take personally. Recently Home Instead moved their office to the Fern Avenue Business Park.

On the move...

(Front, L-R)Jessica Brady, Administrative Assistant

Paige Locke, OwnerRosemary Brant, General Manager

(Back, L-R)Lauren Day, Creative Designer

Marnyce Slaughter, Client Care CoordinatorBobbie Hebeisen, Community Service Representative

Melinda Langley, Staffing CoordinatorMelissa Wilson, Recruiting & Retention Coordinator

Page 5: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

3www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

Remember: you can read us online too!

savvyandsage.com4 Motorcycle Mama

7 Making Grape Jelly Dennise Aiello

9 It’s A Woman Thang! Elaine Marze

14 College Football Schedules

16 11 Ways To Break Out Of A Weight Loss Plateau Rico Boyer

22 Rachel Chappellie: Activist Dennise Aiello

24 Puzzles

26 Tailgate Time Holly Clegg

30 Reverse Mortgages Ric Cochran

32 Big Cedar Lodge Elaine Marze

36 Calendar Of Events

38 AMIkids Red River To Hold 2nd Annual Art Extravaganza

In This Issue

Savvy & Sage has made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this magazine, but assume no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. The opinions of the personalities featured in Savvy & Sage do not necessarily express those held by Savvy & Sage or The Locke Group, Inc. Savvy & Sage Magazine is published bi-monthly by Locke Group Inc. at 520 Spring Street, Suite 202, Shreveport, LA 71101. Phone 318.429.8311. Fax 318.429.8453. Email [email protected]. All rights reserved. Savvy & Sage is printed by Branch-Smith Printing, Fort Worth, TX, 800-315-4110.

7

32

9

table of contents

36

14

26

Page 6: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

4 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010d S b /O b 2010

Betty Bailes recently returned from riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle through Colorado. That state-ment takes on new meaning with the fact that Betty will soon be 80 years old! What is even more amazing is that her three sons regularly take her along on extended motor-cycle trips. Betty knows she is blessed to be included because how many other adult sons invite their mothers to go along on biker rides?

Last year, Betty and sons, Rick, 57, and Darryl, 46, flew to Montana and rented motorcycles for a ride that totaled 2,265 miles and included Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park.

“Stepping on the footrest with my left foot, I swung my other leg over the bike and settled down in my seat behind Rick, exhilarated by an irrepressible eagerness,” is the way Betty describes the trip’s beginning. “With a loud ‘Vroom’ we took off, the torque of the motor-cycle pressing me hard against the padded seatback. That’s the moment I like best of all … the feel of that awesome power and the anticipation of all the excite-ment and beauty that lay ahead! All I could think was, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord!”

She’s also traveled 1200 miles on a Mother’s Day trip with all three sons, Rick, Darryl, and 52-year-old Gary. On this trip they rode the “Talimena Trail”, a twisting, skyline drive along mountain tops between Oklahoma and Mena, Arkansas. With a mother’s joy, Betty particularly remembers, “The boys enjoyed the continuous twists and turns of Arkansas’s Scenic Highway 7. They rode along with wide smiles plastered across their faces.” So did she.

When they stop for breaks, Betty is not always pleased with how she looks in her doo rag and thinks she looks like an “old-time aviator with goggles on my head.” In cold weather she is so bundled up that only

her eyes show – unless it is too cold to remove her goggles and helmet.

Son, Gary, the family prankster, gives Betty’s heart fits sometimes with stunts like sitting sideways on his bike while riding at 65 mph, but their family camaraderie and frequent stops at such places as Blanchard Springs Caverns and the grand dining room of Queen Wilimena Lodge keeps Betty well-entertained.

“What trips! What experiences!” says Betty about their Harley rides. “Arizona…Utah…Colorado…New Mexico … All from the back of a bike!” Betty’s husband, Vance, died just three months after a family motorcycle trip in 2002. Now, her sons do all the planning and then invite her to go along. During summer, they have hauled the bikes “across the Texas inferno” and left truck and trailer in Raton, New Mexico so they can “mount-up,” or sometimes they fly to a destination and then rent Harleys. Whatever plans her boys make, Betty is good with and just enjoys going along.

“Nothing compares to seeing mountains, lakes, canyons, and gorges from a motorcycle,” says Betty. “If I ever go back again in a car, I know I’ll feel frustrated and disappointed at the difference. In fact, while we were in the breathtaking Zion National Park in Utah, we decided to take the glass-top shuttle through the valley to ‘Weeping Rock.’ Before long we all got so frustrated with our inability to see as well as we were used to, we hopped off the shuttle, caught another one back and climbed on our bikes with relief.”

Betty and Vance had viewed the Grand Canyon from the South Rim years before, but on the North Rim with her sons, she says its immense size inspired Darryl to quote Ephesians 3:18: … the breadth, and length and depth, and height of the love of Christ.” With God’s beauty so incredibly displayed, it seems only natural to Betty and her family that, “His Word bursts forth from our hearts.”

MOTORCYCLE MAMA!STAFF WRITER

heh

Bs

Betty Bailes, Keithville resident, and her son Rick.

Page 7: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

5www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010b b

Betty and sons share photos of some of the sights they’ve enjoyed

from the vantage point of a Harley.

Page 8: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

6 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

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Page 9: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

7www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

This year the grape vine in my back yard produced a bumper crop. In the past the plant had six or eight small bunches of grapes, but never enough

to make jelly. I thought about making grape jelly last sum-mer. I even bought some canning jars and Sure-Jell pectin, but last year’s vine produced only a few clusters of grapes.

On July 4 of this year, the vines were full of ripe grapes, ready to be picked. When picked and washed, the purple and red beau-ties weighed more than seven pounds. I refrigerated the grapes overnight, thinking the cold would kill any tiny bugs that survived the washing process. However, the next day the grapes were re-washed in hot water because a cou-ple of spiders survived the night’s refrigeration. They did not survive their scalding hot bath on jelly making day.

I had plenty of sugar, jars, lids, and pectin from last year which still had a few more months of “use- by date” left, but I did not have cheesecloth and lemons required by the recipe inside the pectin box. So, it was off to Walmart for the additional supplies needed.

Finally, the canning process began. The grapes smelled

delicious cooking with the lemon juice. Ummm. The fra-grant aroma coming from the kitchen attracted my hus-band, Bob’s, attention, too. I enlisted his help when it was time to strain the fruit through the cheesecloth and colan-der. I needed moral support as well as a little more muscle

to mash out the last sweet nectar left in the soft, mushy grapes.

When it was time to add the pectin and sugar to the grape juice, I should have sent Bob out of the room. He could not believe the

amount of sugar used in making jelly, 5 1/3 cups sugar for 3 3/4 cups of the prepared grape juice.

After cooking according to the directions, the jelly was ladled into sterile jars, the lids sealed tightly, and the jelly had its final boiling-water bath. To reward ourselves for work well done, Bob and I celebrated with hot tea and buttered toast, topped with fresh homemade grape jelly scraped from the bottom of the cooking pan.

Dennise Aiello is a freelance writer/photographer, and sometimes haiku poet, who lives in Benton, Louisiana. Her email address is [email protected].

Making Grape JellyBY DENNISE AIELLO

summer's bountypreserved for winter's morn

jellied sweetness

PH

OTO

S B

Y D

EN

NIS

E A

IELL

O

...the vines were full of ripe grapes,

ready to be picked.

Page 10: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

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Page 11: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

9www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

Untold numbers of books have been written and bil-lions of conversations have taken place discussing dif-ferences between the male and female species. Is it true that one sex is from Mars and the other from Venus? Is it legitimate to say men are basically left-brain and women are predominately right-brain? No mat-ter how hard enlight-ened libbers try to convince the world there is no basic dif-ference in the think-ing processes between the sexes, I think that most women and men see things differently and think differently.

At every level of life, men and women seem to have dissimilar outlooks. When a group of women go to a res-taurant and the bill arrives, they divide it up, including the tip. When a group of men go out to eat, they each throw a $20 bill on the table and won’t ask for change back. When a man shops he will pay $15 for a $5 item he needs, but a woman will pay $5 for a $15 item she doesn’t need because it is on sale. It has long been said that a woman marries a man expecting him to change, but he

doesn’t, while a man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does.

No where does the innate differences between male and female show up more distinctly than when there are

tires and a steering wheel involved. For example: my husband and I were on our way from Shreveport to Toledo Bend one day. I was pulling a ski boat, and the father of our children was pulling a camper. He insisted on driving behind me in case I “ran into problems”. I thought my biggest problem was him driving behind, critiquing me.

When we arrived at our destination and during the days we were there, he kept com-

plaining that I had driven too slow, rode my brakes, and held up traffic. When we got ready to go home, I urged him to drive in front of me so he wouldn’t be held up by my brake-riding, slower driving. No, he insisted he needed to follow me, and for me to put the cruise on 65mph and not take it off till we got back to Shreveport. That’s what he said: “Set the cruise on 65 and don’t take it off until you get home!”

So I did. I lost sight of him in the first town. I had a green light

and cruised on through, but he caught the red light and

thang!BY ELAINE MARZE

womanIt’s a

At every level of life, men and women seem

to have dissimilar outlooks.

Page 12: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

10 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

apparently HE was obeying the speed limit signs. I tell you, that boat was a swaying this way and that way, and there were a few times going around curves when it tried to go in a different direction than I was headed, but it hung on. I had set the cruise just as Mr. Driving Instructor told me to do, and like the obedient wife he wanted, my foot did not touch the brake – even when it looked like our boat was going to get ahead of me on a straight stretch. Thankfully, it was Sunday morning and the highway was nearly deserted.

According to the policeman who finally got my atten-tion and dramatically indicated he wanted me to stop, he had chased me for miles with lights flashing. I was concen-trating so hard on staying ahead of that boat that I had not noticed him. He could tell I hadn’t deliberately ignored him so he wasn’t mad at me, and he kindly shared with me about how money from speeders is what provided his small town with the income to beautify the landscaping around their single flashing light. He also mentioned in the course of our conversation that as he tried to go around me to get my attention, the sashaying boat nearly side-swiped him.

Apparently the town has a law, or maybe it’s a state law, that speeders have to pay cash at the time of the violation instead of them sending you a bill. He wanted money for the ticket right then. But I explained about the obedient wife thing and how I was just doing what my hyper-critical husband insisted. Once he understood that it was all the “big boss man’s” fault that I cruised through town at 65 mph, the nice policeman was laughing so hard he had to wipe tears away. He said it reminded him of why he was divorced. I asked the officer, and he agreed to stop my hus-band and make him pay my fine since it was all his idea. I gave the nice policeman a very good description of our truck and camper so he wouldn’t miss my fine-payer.

When my complaining half got home, I asked him if the nice policeman had stopped him so he could pay my speeding fine. His reaction was typical of the way men view things. I did exactly what he told me to do, yet he didn’t seem to appreciate it one bit, and his attitude about that nice cop was not the least complimentary. He never did tell me how much the ticket was, but on the other hand, he doesn’t follow me when I’m pulling the boat anymore either. He just heads out on his own, and has faith that I will show up in my own sweet time.

Another interesting distinction between women and men is how men actually take road signs at face value whereas women use their own judgment about when road construction should be heeded. A number of times I’ve gone around barricades and gotten out to move “Road Closed” signs that have obviously been forgotten by road crews, or else they just get a kick out of making people drive the longer “detour” routes.

I admit there was one time when I should have taken the “Road Closed” signs at face value. Work on Dean Road had been going on for way over a year, and I was running late on my way to a baby shower. The house I needed to get to was five houses off Dean Road on a side street, but road closed signs were up where I needed to turn off Bert Kouns onto Dean Road. I faced a dilemma because if I went all the way around Walker Road to Colquitt to get to my destination I was going to lose precious minutes, but if I just circled around those road closed signs and drove a half mile or so down the formerly black-topped, but currently red-dirt road, I could save valuable time. That was the plan.

It was a Sunday afternoon in December, and I could see abandoned road working machines way, way down Dean so I figured if those machines could drive on the dirt, so could I. After all, as a hostess for the shower I had strawberry / pineapple punch that needed to be on time so I gave my woman’s logic full reign and got out

Stop and pay the fine,

Big BossMan!

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11www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

and moved one of the signs just enough to let me pass through. I soon realized though that what looked like harmless dirt was actually muddy, clay-like substance that caused my maxi-van to slide around. I had trouble stay-ing in the middle of the road. Who would have thought that professional road builders would have topped a road with snot-slick red clay? The rain that morning hadn’t helped matters either, but as it was too late (and impos-sible) to turn around, I just aimed the van straight ahead and hung on – until I slid off the road into a water-filled ditch. At least it was pretty close to the street I needed to reach.

Getting out of the van was exciting. I tried to stand on the running board to open the back door to get the punch bowl out, but in all the skidding around a lot of mud got thrown onto the running boards so I ended up slipping off into the ditch. I sat there a while as the shock of chest-high, cold, muddy water soaked through my Sunday dress with the thought that I should have removed my high heels first and the hope that all the snakes were hibernating. It also crossed my mind to hope nobody was looking out their windows at me. Eventually I got up and got the back door open, still standing in the muddy water. With the way the van was angled downward, I had to get my short legs up the slippery side of the ditch and climb into the van to get the punch bowl. Everything attached to me made it onto the running board except my shoes which were stuck somewhere in the mud, snaky-looking grass and cold water. It took a few tries before I could get my wet, slippery arms around the sloshing punch bowl without sliding back down to sit on my rear-end in the ditch again. I was still imagining there were a host of snickering people watching out their windows with good intentions of helping me once they stopped laughing, but nobody showed up by the time I climbed out the other side of the ditch holding tightly to the heavy punch bowl. I didn’t bother locking the van or shutting the door because my main priority was getting out of the muddy, water-filled ditch without losing the punch bowl and it took both arms.

I walked barefoot past the first four houses looking like the victim of a tsunami; pieces of fruit and punch mixing with the muddy water running down my formerly Sunday best dress. Finally reaching my destination, I rang the doorbell with an elbow and stood there dripping till the other hostesses opened the door wide-eyed but sym-pathetically understanding about the short-cut I took on Dean. They took the crystal punch bowl to the kitchen to clean the mud off it while I went directly to the shower. I had to borrow some dry clothes from the woman of the house which was a problem since she was eight inches taller than me, but at least I was covered and dry when guests began arriving. None of us were particularly sur-prised when the doorbell rang and Sharon stood there with her muddy shoes in hand and mud up to her knees. “I could see Elaine’s van parked down Dean Road so I thought it was okay to drive around the road closed signs …” she starting explaining.

It made perfect sense to us women why Sharon decided to ignore the road signs, but explaining to our husbands about why they needed to come pull us out of the mud on a closed road … well, let’s just say that men lack understanding.

It was unfortunate that when other people saw my van and Sharon’s new sports car on Dean, they thought it was alright for them to go around the signs too. And, then when our husbands came to rescue our

cars, they had to call in reinforcements because they got stuck. I got all the blame from Mr. Sensitivity because by the time it was over, there was a whole line of vehicles slimed and stuck on Dean Road that Sunday. Apparently, when residents (mostly women) of the community who had been having to detour to get home, saw our cars on the road, they thought, “Oh, the road must be passable now,” and here they came. It was a muddy mess! It was also a learning experience, and now before I drive around road closed signs, I make sure the surface is dry and hard.

Who would have thought that professional road builders

would have topped a road with snot-slick red clay?

Page 14: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

12 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Men excel in understanding about the number of horses under their hoods whereas a lot of us women don’t under-stand the power and ability of our ride. One day when I went to visit a friend in the hospital, I couldn’t find an empty space in the full parking lot. Cars were circling like vultures waiting for somebody to pull out. I was behind a young man in a jacked-up pickup truck with huge tires when he drove over two barriers and a sidewalk to the parking lot of a neighboring business. I waited to see if he made it, and then I asked his opinion about whether my

Expedition could do the same thing his big truck did. He said, “Yes, Mam, that hoss you’re driving will go anywhere you want it to!”

Alright! I was excited. My husband had never told me I was driving a “hoss” that would climb barriers and

sidewalks. But I knew it now, so I hit the gas and bumped across to the adjacent parking lot, not even worrying about the grinding noises I heard because, hey, I was driving a “hoss.” I parked, got out and was walking across the lot when I saw a lady in a new, pastel-colored Cadillac who tried to do what I had done. Her car got hung up on the first barrier, and it wouldn’t go forward or backward. I com-miserated with her and explained that the truck guy and I were driving “hosses”. She tearfully called her husband. The last thing I heard was her telling him, “It’s all your fault for not buying me a hoss car like this other woman has.”

Yep, men and women think differently; I don’t care who says otherwise.

Elaine Marze is a freelance writer who also works in public relations and advertising. She can be reached at [email protected].

You’re buying me a

hoss car!

P L U M B I N GS H O W R O O M

Page 15: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

13www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

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LOUISIANA TECH09/04 vs Grambling St. Shreveport 6:00pm

09/11 at Texas A&M College Station 6:00pm

09/18 vs Navy TV Ruston 6:00pm

09/25 vs Southern Miss Ruston 6:00pm

10/02 at Hawai’i Honolulu 10:30pm

10/09 vs Utah State Ruston 3:00pm

10/16 vs Idaho Ruston 3:00pm

10/26 at Boise State Boise 7:00pm

11/06 vs Fresno State Ruston 3:00pm

11/13 at NM State Las Cruces 5:00pm

11/27 at San Jose State San Jose 7:00pm

12/04 vs Nevada Ruston 2:00pm

LOUISIANA STATE09/04 vs North Carolina Atlanta 7:00pm

09/11 vs Vanderbilt Nashville 6:00pm

09/18 vs Miss. State Baton Rouge 6:00pm

09/25 vs West Virginia Baton Rouge 7:00pm

10/02 vs Tennessee Baton Rouge 7:00pm

10/09 at Florida Gainesville TBA

10/16 vs McNeese Baton Rouge 7:00pm

10/23 at Auburn Auburn TBA

11/06 vs Alabama Baton Rouge 7:00pm

11/13 vs ULM Baton Rouge 7:00pm

11/20 vs Ole Miss Baton Rouge 7:00pm

11/27 at Arkansas Little Rock TBA

12/04 SEC Championship Atlanta TBD

COLLEGE FOOTBA

14 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Page 17: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

NORTHWESTERN09/04 at Air Force Colorado Spgs 1:00pm

09/11 vs Samford Natchitoches 5:00pm

09/18 vs Tarleton State Natchitoches 6:00pm

09/25 at North Dakota Grand Forks 4:00pm

10/02 vs McNeese State Natchitoches 2:00pm

10/09 at Central Arkansas Conway 6:00pm

10/23 at Texas State San Marcos 3:00pm

10/30 vs Sam Houston Natchitoches 6:00pm

11/06 at SE Louisiana Hammond 6:00pm

11/13 vs Nicholls Natchitoches 2:00pm

11/20 at Stephen F. Austin Nacogdoches 2:00pm

UNIV OF LA MONROE09/11 at Arkansas Little Rock 6:00pm

09/18 at Arkansas State Jonesboro 7:00pm

09/25 vs SE Louisiana Monroe 6:00pm

10/02 at Auburn Auburn TBA

10/09 vs Florida Atlantic Monroe 6:00pm

10/16 at W. Kentucky Bowling Green 6:00pm

10/23 at Mid. Tennessee Murfreesboro 3:30pm

10/30 vs Troy Monroe 2:30pm

11/06 at FIU Miami TBA

11/13 at LSU Baton Rouge TBA

11/20 vs North Texas Monroe TBA

11/27 vs UL Lafayette Monroe TBA

ALL SCHEDULES

15www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

Page 18: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

16 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

If you’ve been eating right and exercising, chances are you’ve been losing weight at a rate of one or two pounds a week. However, as you get closer to your optimum weight, it usually gets harder to lose those last few pounds. “You know you’ve hit a plateau when more than two weeks have gone by without any further change in your weight,” says Rico, owner/trainer of Fitness Together in Monroe, La. “Many times, people slip out of plateaus on their own, but it can get discouraging to wait it out.”

What do you do then? Although it’s tempting to slip into crash diets, the best way to break the plateau is to review your current weight-loss program and try to find where lies the problem.

Keep a Food DiaryAs you get comfortable with your diet, it’s easy

to lose focus and fall back into old habits. A nibble here, a slightly larger snack, an extra glass of wine… It’s usually the little things that make the difference. Starting a food diary will help you become more aware of what you’re actually eating. Most people underestimate amounts by up to 20 percent. “I think journaling is a great idea,” says Cary Rousel, a personal trainer at FT. “It helps you stay honest with yourself. As long as you are in denial you will

never reach your goals. Seeing it in black and white is the best way to break

that plateau.” To keep a food diary, start

with a blank notebook and for a week, record everything you eat (down to a piece of gum or cup of coffee), when you ate it, how much, and how hungry you were before and after. According to the

You’re eating right, exercising, and yet you are no longer losing weight. You’ve hit a plateau. Plateaus are common to anybody who’s been on the same diet and exercise plan for a while.

HELP!

Ways to Break Out of a Weight Loss Plateau

BY RICO BOYER

Sage Health

Page 19: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

17www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

American Academy of Family Physicians, a food diary must contain not only the food you ate, but also what were you doing and who you were with when you ate. It will make you aware of any negative pattern.

It’s important to be completely truthful while keeping the diary. Also, remember to be specific --A baked potato is not the same as a baked potato with gravy and butter.

Break Up Your MealsIf you’re eating three times a day, eat five.

If you’re already eating five times, upgrade to six or seven. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eat-ing more food; you’d just be breaking it into more meals. Eating frequently stabilizes your blood sugar, controls appetite, and keeps your energy up. Ideally, you shouldn’t go more than three or four hours without eating some-thing. Doing so slows down your metabo-lism and makes your body burn fat at a slower rate. Instead of going for a second serving, stick to one plate and then eat a small snack two hours later.

Always eat before you’re hungry. A feeling of hunger indicates your blood sugar is going down, which makes you prone to craving simple sugars. “Your body has no idea that there is plenty of food around, only what is com-ing in. You need to reach a sense of well being for your body to feel free to burn up some storage.

Eat MoreA big mistake many people make is to cut

down on calories so much that they starve their bodies. When you eat too little, your metab-olism goes down. The body goes “ yikes”, metabolism drops, frustration rises, moods drop, motivation dies. You start overeating and gain weight again, creating a viscous cycle that hinders your success.

If you’re consuming less than 1,200 calories a day (1,500 for a man), your body may react by slowing down as a self-preservation measure. This means you’ll be actually storing fat even if you’re working out consistently.

Rely on a FriendIf you’re having a hard time finding the

motivation to step up your program, find a like-minded buddy, either real or virtual. Join a support group, find an appropriate chat room, or sign up with a motiva-tional website or enlist a personal trainer.

A recent study by the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences of The University of Vermont found that web-based support programs are as effective as tra-ditional face-to-face meetings when it comes to helping people maintain weight loss. The study followed 250 overweight adults through an initial six-month weight loss program, and then set them up with either in-person or internet support. Surprisingly, both groups did remark-ably well. Many people can’t or don’t want to attend face-to-face meetings. Having access to virtual support, while no substitute for one-on-one counseling, it’s still a step-up from going at it alone.

Watch Your CarbsYou don’t have to go on a low carb diet (in

fact, low-carb and exercise don’t mix well), but do watch out for the extra refined carbohydrates that tend to slip into everybody’s diet –Be mindful not only of white flour and sugars, but also look for hidden carbs in foods

such as ketchup, salad dressings, dairy products, and even soups. Read labels. Many low-fat products,

including fruit juices and energy bars, are high in sugars. Avoid carbs at dinnertime,

and opt for a larger salad as a side dish. When you do eat carbs, stick to whole grains.

Plateaus are sometimes due to water retention. Restricting salt intake and

reducing carbs can give you the jumpstart and the motivation to keep going.

Always eat before you’re hungry.

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Page 20: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

18 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Move MoreBe more active even beyond your workout..

The FDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week to maintain health, and at least 60 minutes to help manage body weight. If you’re going to the gym four times a week, that leaves you with three days where you still need to be active. Walking is the best exercise for those “off” days. It’s gentle enough to allow your body to recuperate from the heavy work-outs at the gym, but still raises your metabolism to carry on the weight loss.

Get a pedometer and aim for at least 8,000 steps a day. You’d be surprised to learn most people barely make 4,000. Office workers sometimes stay under 3,000. Activity is the key. “You can walk at a brisk pace, ride a bike (but be sure you are working at this little bike ride), swimming, tennis, even golf (for-get the cart) are all ways to keep your body moving and increase the energy you are burning.

Shake Up Your Workout

It takes your body only four weeks to get used to a work-out. Once something becomes a routine for your metabolism, pla-teaus are likely.

Are you doing the treadmill for an hour every day? Give it up and enroll in a kick-boxing class instead. Doing the station-ary bike? Switch to the Stairmaster. Or try playing with the

intensity of the workout. Add one minute intervals at a high speed or incline (not both) followed by three or four minutes at a lower intensity. If you’ve been work-ing alone, it may be a good idea to enlist the help of a workout buddy or even a personal trainer. Whenever you change a workout rou-tine your body will respond by dropping fat/weight.

Many people do not work hard enough. You need to understand it isn’t only the kind of activity you are doing but the frequency, the duration of each exercise session, and the intensity dur-ing your session. A little walk in the park is not exercise necessary to drop weight. People come to me and say, I ride my bike every night with my 4-year-old and I am not seeing any changes in my body. They need to keep the 4-year-old home while they ride hard for an hour and then come back for a cool down with their child.

Pump It Up

A common mis-take women make is skipping weights because of the fear they would look “bulky.” Truth is, women lack the testosterone needed to develop large muscles. Done appropriately, weight training can break a plateau faster than any other method. According to Wikipedia, “The body’s basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss and helps dieters avoid yo-yo dieting. Moreover, intense workouts elevate the metabolism for several hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss.”

The increase in metabolism rate is immediate and it can be as significant as 10 percent. “It takes more energy to maintain healthy muscle than fat. This

Aim for at least 8,000 steps a day.

Many people do not work

hard enough.

Page 21: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

HEALTHY

way you are burning calories while you sleep! Also, if all you are doing is cardio and dieting you will be flabby. Skinny flab is just as unattractive as fat flab. If you’ve never tried weights before, start slowly with light weights, mixing machines and free weights. Work with a personal trainer or someone who has a good knowledge of resis-tance training. Weights should be done three times a week, alternating muscle groups.

Drink Plenty of WaterThirst is often mistaken

for hunger. Every time you feel the urge to snack, drink a glass of water first and see if the urge goes away. Decaf teas, calorie-free drinks, and seltzer water count towards your eight glasses of water a day, but add an extra glass for each cup of coffee you drink, as caffeine dehydrates.

A recent study by the Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center in Germany showed a basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body burns at rest) increase of up to 30 percent after participants drank 16 ounces of cold water. Researchers estimate that drinking an additional 16 ounces of water over the required 60 ounces (eight glasses) a day can result in an annual weight loss of almost two pounds.

Cut Down Your Alcohol Intake

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 stress the fact that while alcoholic beverages supply excess calories, they do not supply any essential nutrients, making it difficult even for moderate drinkers to maintain a healthy weight.

Alcohol is, in fact, very dense in calories. 7kcal/gram compared to only 4 for proteins and carbs, and

that’s without taking into consideration that many alcoholic drinks (such as cocktails) are high in sugars

and fat. Alcohol consumption slows down the fat burn-ing capabilities of the body, as the body focuses on using the alcohol (a toxin) as fuel, rather than burning fat for energy. Alcohol also dehydrates, which, in turn, can make you hungry.

Keep Your Chin UpFinally, it’s important to keep your eyes

on the large picture. Focus on health, not fat. Focus on feeling good (looking good is just a side effect of feeling good). Forget the notion that some excess weight just got there by accident, and that you are going to get it fixed by “six weeks of torture”. It is lifetime behavior changes that provide for a longer, happier life!

Rico Boyer, Exercise Science, M. Ed., Advance Certified Exercise Specialist, is a health/fitness professional with Fitness Together in Monroe, Louisiana.

19September /October 2010

Page 22: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

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Rainey Asset Management uses the expertise of Matson Money, Inc. (CEO Mark Matson) to coach investors to help find financial peace of mind while establishing a true purpose for their money.

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22 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

The gentle sound of splashing water from a small water fountain beside the fireplace sets a relaxed mood in the home of a very busy lady. Eighty-

seven-year-old Republican activist Rachel Chappellie, like the water in the fountain, seems to never slow down. Rachel retired from the registered mail section of the U. S. Postal Service in 1974. She had worked all her adult life, her first job right after high school graduation in Crowley, Louisiana. Retirement did not mean that Rachel would stop or even slow down. A friend invited Rachel to a meet-ing of the Women’s Republican Club of Shreveport, and with that invitation, a new niche was waiting for Rachel. She joined the club, held several offices and was elected as president of the club in the late 1970s. Rachel said that she had always voted and was interested in civic matters, “but I never worked in campaigns until my retirement and membership in the Republican women’s club.” In that club, Rachel became a volunteer in campaign activities for local school board candidates, Mark Milam and Mike Powell.

Both campaigns were successful. Since that first involve-ment, Rachel has stuffed and addressed envelopes, made phone calls and personal visits on behalf of candidates in Caddo Parish ranging from district judge, juvenile court judge, parish commissioner and coroner. However, Rachel doesn’t limit her volunteer efforts to Caddo Parish, but has also worked for candidates in Bossier Parish. She has manned election headquarters of candidates for state and federal offices that include governor, state representative, state senator and state attorney general as well as presiden-tial campaigns and campaigns for U. S. Senator and House of Representatives.

And those candidates that she’s help get elected do not forget her hard work. In 2008 Rachel worked daily for Dr. John Fleming who was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. “Rachel has proven to be the hardest working and most dedicated campaign worker that I have ever known. She sets the pace and works rings around oth-ers,” says Fleming. At a Town Hall meeting last fall the

Rachel Chappellie: ACTIVIST BY DENNISE AIELLO

Rachel and Congressman John Fleming (4th District Louisiana)

Rachel and Shreveport City Councilman Bryan Wooley

Page 25: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

23www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

Congressman introduced Rachel as his oldest, but best campaign worker. When he asked if she would mind if he told her age, her reply to him was to “just be sure to get it right.” Congressman Fleming’s wife, Cindy, who knows Rachel from the Professional Republican Women of Caddo as well as from the congressman’s campaign, agrees with her husband. “Rachel is a force to be reckoned with. She is a real inspiration to women. If she can do it, why can’t we?” In the election cycle of 2008, Rachel racked up more than 3,000 volunteer hours. Now a member of the Professional Republican Women of Caddo, the club presented Rachel with a plaque recognizing her service hours. She was also recognized in the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women for her outstanding service. Argiro Morgan, presi-dent of the LFRW says, “Rachel Chapellie, despite her small physical stature and her white hair, is one of the most formidable Republican women possibly in America! How honored we are in the Louisiana Federation of Republican

Women to experience her dedica-tion, diligence, and leadership!”

Besides her involvement in individual campaigns, Rachel volunteers at the Caddo/Bossier Republican headquarters on East 70th Street in Shreveport where

she learned to use the computer after her retirement. Jim Allen, Parish Executive Committee chairman, believes that because of her competence with the computer, the 87-year-old, “should be a poster child for seniors wanting to learn to use the computer.”

As if her volunteer efforts were not enough, you will find the spry, white-haired Rachel at 5:30 a.m. on election day, opening Precinct 11 located at Arthur Circle school. She has worked as a parish election commissioner since 1975, moving up to the position of commissioner-in-charge, never missing an election day along the way. In spite of the 15-hour-or-longer day, Rachel enjoys working at the polls.

Along with all of her Republican activities, Rachel is also involved with the TEA Party in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Rachel attends monthly meetings and sends out email notices of TEA party events. At the TEA party rallies, Rachel can be found in her patriotic tee-shirt, handing out pins and bumper stickers. Rachel believes the TEA party efforts will bring about a change in the government with the 2010 fall elections. She plans to be busy with TEA party efforts and will also work in the re-election campaigns for Congressman Fleming and Senator David Vitter. She will divide her time to also include campaigning for Shreveport mayoral candidate Bryan Wooley.

Rachel Chappellie believes that staying busy is one rea-son that, at 87 years old, she is physically and mentally very healthy. She cooks healthy meals for herself and in particu-lar enjoys using tomatoes and herbs from her patio garden. She starts each day working the crossword puzzle from the newspaper, and reads the paper and watches television news to stay informed about current events. Rachel is looking forward to her 88th birthday next year and, like the water in the fountain by her fireplace, she has no plans to slow down.

Dennise Aiello is a freelance writer/photographer who lives in Benton, Louisiana. Her email address is [email protected].

Rachel Chappellie

believes that staying

busy is one reason

that, at 87 years old,

she is physically and

mentally very healthy.

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24 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Puzzle Savvy

ACROSS

1. Experienced5. Ottoman officer8. Place a load on (archaic)12. Hodgepodge13. Happening15. Modify written material16. One of 52 in a deck17. Slowly, in music18. Expert19. Accidental22. Floral necklace23. Escape24. Where the sun rises26. Lace place29. Author31. President Lincoln32. Bowel cleasing34. Sensational36. But not quite all38. Sully

40. A military installation41. Communion table43. Place45. Two short of a dozen46. Ventilate48. “Dracula” author50. Learning method51. Foot digit52. A spring month54. Little tiny pieces61. Matured63. Earlier in time64. With a short hollow

thud65. An elaborate Hawaiian

feast66. A ring-shaped surface67. Slave68. Cousin of a gull69. Neither ___70. Marsh plant

DOWN

1. Central points2. Flair3. Former Italian currency4. Walk unsteadily5. Affirm6. Lady’s man7. Initial wager8. Chair part9. Mixed with impurities10. Calamitous11. Decorative case13. Chemical14. Laser printers need this20. Sheltered spot21. A dog wags this25. Counterfoil26. Hemorrhagic fever27. Past times28. Flirt29. Declines30. Stair part31. American Medical

Association

33. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

35. Lair37. Tropical root39. Rags42. Rodents44. A swinging barrier to a

room47. Entice49. Zoo or book ______52. Kiln-dried barley53. Chills and fever55. Weightlifter’s pump this56. Novice57. 60 minutes58. If not59. Not a single one60. Moved fast62. Horse of a dull brownish

grey color

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15

16 17 18

19 20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44 45

46 47 48 49

50 51

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

61 62 63 64

65 66 67

68 69 70

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25www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

6 4 78 4 2 6

22 8 1

3 55 7 9

52 7 5 6

1 8 3

Sudoku RulesSudoku rules are extremely easy. Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 3x3 box.

TipsUse a soft erasable pencil.

Double check before placing a number.

Make small pencil marks to show which numbers are allowed in empty squares. This will come in handy when analyzing techniques are used.

Never guess. Only make moves based on logical deductions.

Answers to both puzzles can be found on page 40.

Page 28: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

HOLLY CLEGGHolly Clegg, author of the best sellingg trim&TERRIFIC™ cookbook seriesCCincluding a diabetic cookbook with the ADA and Eating Well Through Cancer, has sold almost 1 millionrrcopies. Holly has appeared on nationalshows including Fox & Friends, NBC Weekend Today, and Tyy he 700 ClubTT .

Known as the healthy “Queen of Quick,” her focus is on fast,easy and healthier recipes using everyday ingredients. You cancheck out Holly’s Web site at www.HollyClegg.com or her blogThe Healthy Cooking Blog.gg

BY HOLLY CLEGGBY HO

ment, anxiety and anticipation fill the air each weekend to watch football Excitem. Whether you are a college or pro football fan, sit in front of the games.on or hang out at the stadium, you can guarantee there will be a crowdtelevisiod the food. Tailgating is the number one party this time of year. Here aroundme recipes that will insure a great tailgating party. Instead of finger are som

wiches, wait until you taste these mouth-watering Mini Muffalettas. sandwe to prepare, I make them ahead of time, freeze and bake when readySimpleve. These toasty bites filled with ham, olive salad and cheese make a tes filled with ham, olive salad and cheese make a to servg impression. No nneed to purchase chicken fingersed to purchase chicken fingerslastingn you can prepare ttheeese fantastic grab-and-goese fantastic grab and gowhen

ned Blackened Chhickkken Fingers. Another make seasond recipe that may bbee served with a sauce or plain. aheadmpt your sweet toootthh, these easy and outstanding To temp German Chocolatte Cream Cheese Bars madepick-upGerman Chocolaateee Cake mix will win you overwith a

f your team is lossinggg.even if

26 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Food Savvy

Page 29: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

BLACKENED CHICKENTENDERSQuick, spicy, and always a hit — a full-bodied sauce provides the perfect harmoony to well-seasoned chicken tenders. Serveover pasta or rice for an entrée, or serve the tenders alone as an appetizer with thhe sauce on the side.

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons paprika1 tablespoon chili powder1 teaspoon light brown sugar1 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon salt1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

breasts, cut into strips1 tablespoon olive oil1 green bell pepper, cored and

chopped1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped1 cup chopped red onion1 (5-ounce) can evaporated skim

milk1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, commbine paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, pepper, and salt. Addchicken and shake to coat.

2. In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat and sautéchicken until browned and done, about 5–7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.

3. To the same skillet add green pepper, red pepper,and onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes oruntil tender, scraping bits from bottom of pan.

4. Add milk, stirring for one minute or until heated andbubbly. Serve chicken with sauce and sprinkle with green onions, if desired.

Nutritional information per servingCalories ............................................................................299Calories from fat ............................................................. 19%Fat 6 g Saturated Fat ..........................................................1 gCholesterol .................................................................100 mgSodium 472 mg Carbohydrate .........................................16 gDietary Fiber ......................................................................4 gSugars .............................................................................10 gProtein............................................................................ 44 gDiabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 6 very lean meat

27www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

Page 30: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

MINI MUFFALETTASAll it takes is four easy ingredients and 15 minutes to create my popular version of this Louisiana favoriteItalian-style sandwich. Make them ahead of time andrefrigerate or freeze until ready to bake.

Makes 32–40 mini muffalettas

2 (12-ounce) packages party-size rolls(16–20 to a package)

1/2 pound thinly sliced lean ham1 1/2 cups shredded Italian five-cheese blend1 (16-ounce) jar chopped Italian olive salad, drained

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.2. Split rolls in half and lay on a baking sheet. Divide

ham, cheese, and olive salad onto each roll.3. Replace bread tops. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until

cheese is melted.

Nutritional information per servingCalories ............................................................................107Calories from fat .............................................................48%Fat 6 g Saturated Fat ..........................................................1 gCholesterol .....................................................................9 mgSodium.......................................................................260 mgCarbohydrate...................................................................10 gDietary Fiber ......................................................................1 gSugars ...............................................................................1 gProtein...............................................................................4 gDiabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fat

28 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Page 31: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

GERMAN CHOCOLATECREAM CHEESE BARSThis simple-to-makeTrecipe combines tworpopular desserts in one.p

Makes 4 dozen squaresM

1 (18.25-ounce) box German chocolate cake mix1 egg1/3 cup flaked coconut1/3 cup butter, melted1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese1 (16-ounce) box confectioners sugar3 egg whites1 teaspoon coconut extract1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, coconut, and butter. Press into the bottom of prepared pan.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat all remaining ingredients until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour over mixture in pan.

4. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until top is goldenbrown. Cool and cut into squares.

Nutritional information per servingCalories ............................................................................108Calories from fat ............................................................. 26%Fat .....................................................................................3 gSaturated Fat .....................................................................2 gCholesterol ...................................................................11 mgSodium....................................................................... 116 mgCarbohydrate...................................................................19 gDietary Fiber ......................................................................0 gSugars .............................................................................15 gProtein...............................................................................1 gDiabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate; 1/2 fat

29www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

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Page 32: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

30 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

I’m often asked about reverse mortgages. You’ve prob-ably seen the TV ads. In one, a repair crew shows up and tells the homeowner his house sent them. Anoth-

er’s pitchman is an actor who played a thief in the popular sixties series, “It Takes a Thief.” Now he wants to send you a free DVD from a company offering reverse mortgages.

Reverse mortgages are heavily promoted these days. Lenders don’t have to be concerned with a borrower’s creditworthiness or ability to make payments. They have some of the highest fees and interest rates in the indus-try so lenders love them. Homeowners, over 55, can cash in some of their home’s equity without having to move out. How does it work? The simple answer is that you can borrow against a portion of your equity without making monthly payments. The interest and fees quietly accrue until you die, sell, or move out. Then you, or your heirs,

must pay off the loan or the home is sold to pay what’s owed. If anything’s left, it’s paid to you or your estate.

And there’s the rub… if anything’s left. Lenders don’t lend anywhere close to the full value of the home. At least, they don’t intend to. Steep declines in some markets made the loan to value ratios of some earlier loans less favorable to lenders as well as borrowers. Lenders need room to collect interest and fees from the un-loaned equity. Age is also a fac-tor. Lenders expect to wait longer to be repaid by younger borrowers. Most reverse mortgages have adjustable rates. As interest rates adjust upward, equity disappears faster. Since you’re not required to make payments, you may not even notice. And because lenders don’t know how long they must wait to be paid, fees are high.

Lenders are quick to point out that if the loan balance exceeds the value of your home they won’t pursue your heirs

Will they take you forward, or set you back?

BY RIC COCHRAN

Page 33: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

31www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

after you’re gone. That’s nice. It’s not like they could pursue them anyway unless your heirs were cosigners. The lender might make a claim against your estate unless the contract includes a “non-recourse clause.” Some have government backed insurance to protect the lender, for which a fee is charged to the borrower.

Does all this mean reverse mortgages are a bad deal? The answer depends on the circumstances. One possible candidate might be someone with no heirs, a need for cash and nowhere else to get it. They should still consider whether it makes sense to get a reverse mortgage or to sell and move somewhere that’s cheaper to maintain. Borrowers should consider where the money will come from, if, after they’ve tapped all the available credit, they need money for home maintenance or other expenses.

Lenders tout that the money received is tax-free. Of course it is! It’s principal you borrowed against your home. Why would it be taxed? On the other hand, the interest charged is not deductible on a reverse mortgage as it might be on a traditional mortgage. A homeowner in a higher tax bracket might be better off with a traditional mortgage if they really need addi-tional cash and their chief resources are retirement plans, like an IRA or 401k, where a mortgage interest deduction could offset income taxes as funds are withdrawn. Traditional mortgages typically offer better rates and lower fees, though they require monthly payments.

All options should be considered. Borrowers should shop for the best deal and consider paying an attor-ney of their own choosing, who has their interest at heart, to evaluate loan offers. I would recommend lenders with a strong presence in the state rather than out-of-state lenders.

Planning for the possibility of long-term care should always be part of the process. Lenders require the

home to be sold when borrowers move out, for instance, to an assisted living facility, or nursing home. While a home-stead is treated as a non-countable resource by Medicaid, any money left for borrowers after the lender has been paid will be treated as a countable resource. This can affect Medicaid as well as VA Aid & Attendance benefits so it’s a good idea to seek advice from those of us who specialize in understanding the ins and outs of qualifying for long-term care assistance before signing on the dotted line.

Ric Cochran works with S.A.F.E. Planning assisting families facing the financial crisis of paying for nursing home care and those wishing to plan ahead to avoid a financial crisis. He can be reached at 1-888-836-2738.

Page 34: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

Some resorts are surrounded by big city lights, heavy traf-fic, lots of glitz, glitter and

glamour – and then there is the 800 plus acre resort at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri where night lights are strategically placed under rocks amid mountain streams flow-ing alongside moonlit paths bordered by fragrant flowers. Called “America’s Premier Wilderness Resort,” estab-lished in 1921, at Big Cedar you will see slow moving vehicles and guests who are eager to explore the walking trails. If and when they tire of walking, guests can hitch a ride on conveniently provided trams driven by friendly and informative drivers. Some people pro-vide their own glitz by dressing up to dine in one of the three fine restau-rants on the grounds, but other than that, the “glitter” comes from rainbow trout reflections or water sprays shoot-ing out from paddle and ski boats on Table Rock Lake.

Big Cedar is a four-season play-ground where the outdoors plays a significant role. This is where families can come for a fun, relaxing retreat or

honeymooners can get away to them-selves in their own Garden of Eden-like atmosphere. Our stay in Falls Lodge was pleasant in every aspect. The large double-queen room had feather beds and down duvets. It was unique from the double balconies (corner room) where French doors opened out on beautifully landscaped grounds fea-turing flowers of every color and the trickling sounds of waterfalls cascad-ing into a flowing creek that mean-dered alongside our room. Inside, the glassed-in Jacuzzi hot tub and separate oversized sit-down shower provided luxury bathing and a unique layout. We loved the rustic, log interior and the matching rustic, but comfortable, furniture. To say that the room was out of the ordinary would be simplify-ing the obvious because many folks do not wake up each morning looking at dead animals on their walls, but here, it fits right in. The lodge itself is homey and welcoming. The many displays of wilderness life surely inspire guests to want to don a coonskin cap and go track down some critter to bring back for dinner!

BY ELAINE MARZE

Savvy Travel

32 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

Page 35: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

Guests may also choose to stay in a private one-room log cabin with wood-burning fireplace, private deck, and an outdoor grill. Cabins come with Jacuzzi bath and beauti-ful views, some overlooking the lake.

There are recreational pur-suits for all ages. Guests can rent boats for fishing or skiing on Table Rock Lake or go exploring in a canoe or paddle boat provided free at the full-service marina. Numerous pools provide swimming opportuni-ties, or enjoy a good time hiking, bik-ing or horseback riding with friends. There are plenty of wooded trails to explore, and there is also golfing on championship courses surrounded by magnificent scenery. For amateur golf-ers, mini-golf is provided and may be more in line with your idea of relaxing fun.

Other amenities offered at Big Cedar include basketball, tennis, a spa and a Lazy River for kids. The resort also provides a Little Cedar Kids’ House in a separate building for guest’s age 4 to 12 years where they can play while parents take some time for themselves. A trained activi-ties staff keeps the children busy with games, crafts and snacks. Extra special experiences are offered in the Little Cedar Kids’ Club where kids can fish at a special fishin’ hole (supervision provided), take a nature hike or learn a craft.

Swimming pools, hot tubs and the Lazy River are situated indoors and outdoors so inclement weather does not prevent water activities. Towels are provided at all the pools. The Swimmin’ Hole Hot Tub is designed

to remind you of old-timey hot springs, and this uniquely landscaped tub will seat up to 30 people and is open year round. There is also a large swimming

pool and a special children’s pool at Devil’s Pool, where our favorite res-taurant is also located.

The Worman House provides fine dining with an excellent wait staff, and the brunch is delicious, especially served in the historically-inviting setting. There is live enter-tainment Monday through Saturday evening and during Sunday brunch in the Worman House.

Massages are available at The Spa. Try the ultimate 90-minute Cocoa butter massage with hot shell therapy, or visit a personal fitness trainer for a 90-minute consultation. Facials and pedicures are also available.

If you fail to pack enough clothes for your stay, shop at Collections Boutique. In addition to fashionable clothes, the Boutique also has acces-sories, home décor and gourmet snacks. Or take a romantic carriage ride about the grounds after visiting the photographer’s studio where you can capture some special vacation memories.

My husband and I took a trail ride

at the Cedar Mountain Stables. The young trail bosses, Kim and Chris, were personable and capable, and the horses looked to be fit and well-cared

for. (That’s not true about some stables we’ve visited in other areas.)

Dogwood Canyon is nearby and features open-air trams, fish-ing, horseback riding, biking and hiking. There is a two-hour wild-

life tram tour which winds through

the canyon floor, past picturesque waterfalls and towering bluffs and it crosses over the Arkansas state line. (Best to have reservations.)

Among the canyon’s wooded acres

33www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

Page 36: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

34 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

sits Hope Wilderness Chapel, a replica of churches from the 1800’s constructed of hand-stripped pine logs. Oak plank flooring is comple-mented by antique wooden pews, and the chapel is available for wed-dings, receptions and other special events.

For those who want an added element of excitement, you can ride back-country logging roads on pri-vate guided Jeep tours which are available year round. Many people come to the Canyon’s spring-fed waters to fish for rainbow trout. No license or trout stamp is required, and tackle and rental rods are avail-able. Fly fishing schools and fly cast-ing clinics are offered seasonally. Call 1-800-235-9763 for costs and times.

Log cabins rentals are avail-able, and each cabin includes wood-burning fireplace, covered deck with patio furniture, gas grill, fully equipped kitchen and satellite TV. Call 417-779-5983 to ask about the Adventure Pass that provides the added value of combining multiple activities for one price.

The Big Cedar experience is also

available to shoppers at Bass Pro Shops where they can sign up for a guest package at reduced rates providing you attend a Wilderness Club Tour Presentation while you are there. If you want to check out the facilities first, go to www.big-cedar.com, and if you are looking

for a few days of “back to nature” rather than “glitz and glamour”, you’ll surely enjoy Big Cedar.

Elaine Marze is a freelance writer who also works in public relations and advertising. She can be reached at [email protected].

Photo taken from our balcony porch.

Page 37: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

35www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 2010

F u nera l Homes | P re -Need | Ceme ter ie s | F lower Shop

www.rose-neath.com

318-222-0348

1815 Marshall StreetShreveport, LA 71101

Kilpatrick’s Rose-NeathFuneral Homes,

Crematorium and Cemeteries, Inc.

A Lifestyle That’s Just Right In Every Way!

Professional, compassionate staff

Spacious, private apartments

Complete housekeeping services

Full-time nurse on staff

Personalized care & service

Restaurant-style dining

Planned social activities

7110 University Drive Shreveport, LA 71105www.emeritus.com

An Emeritus Certified Assisted Living CommunityWe comply with the Fair Housing Act.

(318) 524-2100

Page 38: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

36 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

calendarof eventsSeptember 22-26Lion in Winter600 Clyde Fant Pkwy.Riverview TheaterShreveport318-868-5888

September 25Germantown Bluegrass FestivalGermantown ColonyMinden318-426-4691

September 28Got Heart for the Homeless BenefitMunicipal Auditorium

Shreveport318-227-2868

October 2-9Red River Revel Arts FestivalFestival PlazaShreveport318-424-4000

October 2-3Classic Car Show - Return to the 50s781 Front StreetNatchitoches800-259-1714

October 3-31 (Sundays only)Angola Prison RodeoLouisiana State PenitentiaryAngola

October 7-9Zwolle Tamale Fiesta1100 S. Main St.Zwolle318-645-2388

October 8-9Annual Springhill Lumberjack Festival301 Church StreetSpringhill318-539-2071

October 8-1056th Annual Pilgrimage:Tour of Homes781 Front StreetNatchitoches800-259-1714

Page 39: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

37www.savvyandsage.comSeptember /October 20101100200000200200r 220202

October 9Main Street Antique Car & Motorcycle ShowFrank Anthony ParkSpringhill318-539-5699

October 15-16Fall FestFair GroundsJena318-992-4111

October 21-November 7State Fair of LouisianaFairgroundsShreveport318-635-1361

October 30Great Pumpkin Run for Research2911 Centenary Blvd.Shreveport318-813-1056

October 31Spooky Cruise on the Red820 Clyde Fant Pkwy.Boat Dock DowntownShreveport318-564-3560

November 5-6Main to Main Trade Days, Webster ParishSpringhill318-371-4258

November 5-7Florien Freestate FestivalVillage of Florien318-586-3521

November 13 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival Columbia Park Shreveport 318-869-5706

Page 40: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

38 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

MAGAZINE

There is only one

520 Spring Street, Suite 202, Shreveport, LA 71101Phone 318.429.8311 • Fax 318.429.8453

[email protected]

®

and the rest of the mature market? Want to be seen in a high quality publication

that is read cover to cover? Want to be part of a resource that is referenced again and again?

Want to be one of a few instead of lost in the crowd?Wa

Photo by Albritton Photography

Jan/Feb 2010

®

Jan/Feb 2010

®®®®

Shreveport/Bossier

READ US ONLINE

at savvyandsage.com

(Click on “Your Area”)

READ US O

Acupuncture

by Elaine Marze

Stages of

Senior Care

A Step-by-Step Guide

Shreveport

Symphony Returns

Love Fulfills Dreams

by Tara R. Thomas

Shreveport/Bossier

Play A Game

Help The Caddo Council On Aging

“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start

the music.”Ronald Reagan

Want to reach the

AMIkids Red River will hold its 2nd Annual Art

Extravaganza on Saturday, October 23, 2010, from 6:00

p.m. till 9:00 p.m. The event will be

held at the school, 2890 Douglas Drive

in Bossier City. The festive evening will

feature a silent auction of paintings by

local and regional artists. Heavy hors

d’oeuvres from the Culinary Arts School

of Bossier Parish Community College and

a cash bar will be available for guests.

AMIkids Red River is a school for

adjudicated juvenile offenders from age

12 to 18, who are given an opportunity for a new start

and a new turnaround in their lives. Founded in 1999,

the school is located in the former Douglas Street YMCA

building in Bossier City. Since its inception, the school has

served more than 1,200 students from Bossier, Caddo,

Claiborne and Webster Parishes.

Funds raised from the Art

Extravaganza will be used for after

school programs, particularly academic

tutoring, athletics, swimming instruc-

tion and technical training.

The aftercare program is estimated

to cost $60,000 per year and all pro-

ceeds from the Art Extravaganza will be

used to fund the program. AMIkids Red

River is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. Tickets for

the event are $25 per person and may be purchased by

calling the school at (318) 747-2224.

AMIkids Red River to Hold 2nd Annual Art Extravaganza

Saturday, October 23, 20102890 Douglas Drive

Bossier City, Louisiana6:00 - 9:00 PM

Page 41: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

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Page 42: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

40 www.savvyandsage.com September /October 2010

520 Spring Street, Suite 202, Shreveport, LA 71101

®

SO10-SB

We’re not falling for that whole “I was just double-checking” excuse.

We know you’re cheating. Guess what? It’s ok!Here are the answers to the puzzles on pages 24 and 25.

F E L T A G A L A D E

O L I O E V E N T E D I T

C A R D L E N T O G U R U

I N A D V E R T E N T L E I

L A M E A S T

E Y E L E T W R I T E R

A B E E N E M A L U R I D

M O S T T A I N T B A S E

A L T A R S T E A D T E N

A E R A T E S T O K E R

R O T E T O E

M A Y S M I T H E R E E N S

A G E D P R I O R P L O P

L U A U T O R U S E S N E

T E R N N O R R E E D

2 9 6 5 3 4 1 8 78 4 7 2 9 1 5 6 3

3 1 5 7 6 8 4 9 27 3 2 4 8 9 6 1 5

6 8 9 3 1 5 2 7 4

4 5 1 6 7 2 9 3 8

5 6 8 9 2 3 7 4 1

9 2 3 1 4 7 8 5 61 7 4 8 5 6 3 2 9

Page 43: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

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Page 44: Sept/Oct 2010- Shreveport

Hospice of Shreveport/Bossier

orks for family or friendsassummed the role of caregiverwho have a

October 11th • LSU-Shreveport • 10am-2pm

TO:LEARN T

Give a Bed Bath Give OOral Care

Lift and Transfer e Mediccal EquipmentUse

RECEIVE INFORMATA IONN ABOUT:

Caregiver Support lzheimeer’s DiseaseA

Lewy Body Dementia mmunitty ResourcesCo

Financial Resources Hoospice

Spponsored by

FORSomeone Elderly,Disabled or Sick?

Must Pre-Register*

www.ce.lsus.edu or

Call (318) 798-4177

*Register online and ordera $6 box lunch. If you’d

like to bring your own lunchor purchase lunch fromThe Port, call to register.