Ask an angel: July 28, 2011

Q: My friend had a stroke and her communication is affected. I can tell she knows what she wants to say, but she is unable to get it out. Our relationship is challenged right now, not because of the stroke, because I care for her as much as I ever did, but the communication challenges are frustrating for both of us. I feel bad for her. Is there something I can do to help her along in this journey?

Laughter by Paul: July 28, 2011

An applicant was filling out a job application. When he came to the question, “Have you ever been arrested?” he wrote, “No.”

Ask an Angel: July 14, 2011

Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Certified Senior Advisor and Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.

Tip 20: More Air Conditioner Information

In the last issue we talked about normal maintenance that all residents should be doing, such as changing filters and washing the condenser fins. In this issue, we will discuss some of the things you can do when using your air conditioner to get the most out of it.

Tip 19: Garage Door Maintenance

Back on January 13, we talked about things you need to do to keep your garage door working well. (To review this article, go to the mysundaynews.com website and search under columnists.) We have heard about a few door spring failures and have some more complete information on how to deal with this type of failure.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes

I received a number of emails from readers who responded to our last column on the Federal Gift Tax. They noted that the Gift Tax was imposed on the donor versus the recipient of the gift, and they raised the question of what taxes, if any, must be paid by the recipients. Currently, there are no taxes paid by recipients of gifts at the Federal or Illinois state levels for Illinois residents. Residents of other states should check with the applicable state’s revenue department to determine if the state imposes taxes on recipients of gifts.

Dining out with the Geezers: Georgia’s

This is a new and hopefully informative column written by residents for residents. Our columnists are not trained or paid professionals, nor do they get complimentary meals from the restaurants they visit. They arrive unannounced and do not reveal that they will be doing a review. The criteria for evaluating each dining experience will include the following: quality, variety offered, quantity of food vs. dollars spent, service, ambience, and desire to return. They will usually be accompanied by another couple whose opinion will be included in the evaluation.

Gone 500 miles when the day is done

On a cold April Monday morning in 1970, Steve Goodman sat on a southbound Illinois Central train, gazing out the window. Beside him sat his young wife, Nancy. They were taking a day trip to visit Nancy’s grandmother, who was already in her 90’s, so that the old lady could meet the young man that her granddaughter had married.

Body and mind teaming up for good health

Competition. It’s like breathing, eating, or talking. It’s part of our natural makeup. We were born with the instinct to compete.

Laughter by Paul: June 16, 2011

Sally was a very nervous flyer. During a trip from Arizona to Maryland, it didn’t help that her connecting flight from Denver was delayed twice because of mechanical problems.

Drifting into town

Folks, when you talk about The Drifters at this point, you’re talking about 58 years of musical history and it’s a history that’s been marked by some of the great voices of American music including people like Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, Ben E. King and Johnny More. And I can’t tell you how cool it is for the Mojo Man to be here today with another one of those great voices of the Legendary Drifters, Chicago’s very own Jerry Hendrix. Jerry, thanks so much for joining me here today.

The Federal Gift Tax

The current economic environment has created some unique circumstances for us Baby Boomers. Our sources of income from retirement resources may be fixed or declining due to market losses, yet, we see ourselves needing to pay for goods and services that are rising in cost. We may also need to subsidize family members who are victims of the unemployment crisis or fund long term care costs for aging parents.

Tip 18: Setting the water heater temperature

Question: How to I correctly set the water heater temperature? I believe it should be set around 120 degrees.

Laughter by Paul: June 2, 2011

A man who was involved in an extremely serious accident was unable to speak when he regained consciousness.

Laugh Tracks: June 2, 2011

A cartoon by John DiDonna.

Ask the Woodchucks: Live and in person

On April 20, every workbench in the Millgrove Woodshop was covered with broken furniture and parts of furniture. Small teams of Woodchucks hovered around each bench, squinting at their projects and talking to the other team members, deciding on the best way to fix the problems.

Credit vs. Debit Cards

A 2010 survey conducted by Credit.com revealed how American consumers pay for their purchases. The survey said 40% use cash, 39% use debit cards, and only 21% use credit cards. Apparently the downturn in the economy has driven the majority of consumers to not spend what they don’t have.