Mature Times - December 2012

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MYMATURETIMES.COM DECEMBER 2012 PAGE 2

SoCIAL SECuRITy CoLuMnBy Ray VigilSocial Security Public Affairs Specialist in El Paso, Texas

THE MEDICARE AGE IS STILL 65If youre in your sixties, you probably know that

the age to receive full retirement benefits has

changed. But its important to remember that theage to begin receiving Medicare has not it is

still 65. Even if you have decided to wait until

after you are age 65 to apply for retirement bene-

fits, most people should start getting Medicare

coverage at age 65.

If you would like to begin your Medicare cover-

age when you first become eligible, we suggest

that you apply within three months of reachingage 65. You can do it online in as little as 10

minutes at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly.

At the website, youll find more than just the on-

line Medicare application. Youll also find infor-

mation about Medicare, and have the opportunity

to watch some short videos about applying for

Medicare online. One is a family reunion for the

cast ofThe Patty Duke Show. In another, PattyDuke and George Takei go boldly whereyou

should be going online.

Why go online to apply for Medicare? Because

its fast, easy, and secure. You dont need an ap-

pointment and you can avoid waiting in traffic or

in line. As long as you have ten minutes to spare,

you have time to complete and submit your on-line Medicare application.

People who started receiving Social Security re-

tirement or disability benefits before age 65 do

not need to apply; they will be automatically en-

rolled in Medicare.

There is no additional charge for Medicare hospi-

tal insurance (Part A) since you already paid for itby working and paying Medicare tax. However,

there is a monthly premium for medical insurance

(Part B). If you already have other health insur-

ance when you become eligible for Medicare,

you should consider whether you want to apply

for the medical insurance. To learn more about

Medicare and some options for choosing cover-

age, read the online publication,Medicare, at

www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.htmlorvisit www.Medicare.gov.

To learn more about applying for Medicare Only

using the online application, please visit

www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly.

M E R I D I A N

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s1UALITY0RODUCTs%CONOMICAL0RICINGs5NEQUALLED3ERVICE

Texas Social Security Offices to Close to the Public aHalf Hour Early Each Day and at Noon on WednesdaysEffective November 19, 2012, Texas Social Security

offices will be open to the public Monday throughFriday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. a reduction of 30

minutes each weekday. In addition, beginning Janu-ary 2, 2013, offices will close to the public at noon

every Wednesday.

While agency employees will continue to work their

regular hours, this shorter public window will allowthem to complete face-to-face interviews and process

claims work without incurring the cost of overtime.The significantly reduced funding provided by Con-

gress under the continuing resolution for the first sixmonths of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the

agency to provide the overtime needed to handle

service to the public as it has done in the past.

Most Social Security services do not require a visit to

a local office. Many services, including applying forretirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up

for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtain-

ing a proof of income letter or informing us of achange of address or telephone number are conve-

niently available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by di-aling our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our

TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. Many of our onlineservices also are available in Spanish atwww.segurosocial.gov.


3/12


Medigap, Medicare DrgCverage Plas WhatYou Need to KnowBy Terry Savage

Dec. 7 is the deadline forAmerica's seniors to make some diffi-

cult and important decisions about one

of the most complex, confusing, and

costly aspects of their life. This is the

once-a-year opportunity for seniors

who have Medicare Advantage and

Part D prescription drug coverage to

switch to a plan that may offer better

coverage at less cost. For seniors

with a Medicare Supplement Plan,

also known as a MediGap Plan, they

can change their plan anytime during

the year, but it may require underwrit-

ing, which could increase the price or

disqualify you from being covered

under that plan.

Unfortunately, Medicare decisions are

not a one-time kind of thing. In fact,

you need to review your Medigap and

Part D (prescription drug) programs or

Medicare Advantage program every

year even if your health situation

did not change. You might find that

the plans, coverage and prices havechanged since last year. Some popular

drugs have gone generic in the past

year, affecting prescription drug costs.

So it really is worth going through the

process again.

And since the most efficient way to do

this is on your computer, I am appeal-

ing to the younger generation to sitdown with Mom and Dad or Grandma

and Grandpa before you turn on the

football games this holiday weekend.

They may really need your help to get

through this process.

The key programs you want to com-

pare are your Medicare Advantage

plan and your Part D Prescription

Drug plan to see if those are giving

you the best coverage in your area

since most of those Advantage Plans

"bundle" all of Medicare parts into

one monthly payment, with a "cap" onyour out-of-pocket expenses.

The place to start this process is a ter-

rific website that is designed to easily

help you do the comparisons. At Plan-

Prescriber.com, more than 6 million

people will use the calculators to com-

pare thousands of offerings from vari-

ous companies for Medigapsupplements, Part D and Medicare Ad-

vantage programs. A recent survey of

their users found average savings on

Part D of $654 per year over their cur-

rent plans.

Even better, if you get confused, you

can call their toll-free number 888-

312-5447 and they will help youover the phone. This is an unbiased

comparison from experts who will ac-

tually help you choose a plan, get

signed up, set up an automatic

monthly payment from your checking

account and hold your hand through

the process. Or you can do it all on-

line, from research to sign-up. There is

no additional cost to the consumer for

either personalized help over the

phone or applying online through the

PlanPrescriber.com website.

Continues on page 5


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overmedicati Is Chric Realit fr Elderl

As we grow older, the num-ber of chronic medical problems co-

existing increases astronomically.Patients frequently go from doctor to

doctor to have their individual ail-

ments addressed. Medications are

prescribed and keep mounting, until

eventually the symptoms may well

reflect the side effects of medica-

tions rather than the underlying ill-

ness.

Polypharmacy is defined as taking

six or more medications, which may

include prescription drugs, over-the-

counter medications, herbal remedies

and multivitamin preparations. Take

more than six medications and the

side effect risk is 20 percent; take 10

or more and the chances of a serious

side effect approaches 100 percent.

The problem is aggravated by ad-vancing age, which significantly af-

fects the way drugs are metabolized

and excreted.

Of all the medications overused in

older people, none are more worri-

some than narcotics for pain. Drug

addiction is frequently thought to be

a problem of younger adults, but isincreasingly seen in epidemic pro-

portions among the elderly. Once

therapy is commenced with a mor-

phine medication, such as oxycontin,

the patient is usually on it for life.

Nothing is sadder than seeing a pa-

tient in his late 80s taking massive

doses of oxycontin and oxycodone,almost always initially prescribed for

chronic pain. As the patient becomes

more tolerant to morphine, the need

increases, the pain worsens and the

dose is increased. And often manag-

ing these patients falls on the shoul-

ders of a physician who did not

prescribe the narcotics in the first

place.

When a patient is at this very old

age, the physician is placed in a

hopeless situation. The patient com-

plains of the most devastating pain,

is desperate for narcotics, and even

though it is obvious that dependency

is present, the thought of denying

drugs at this age seems cruel. Andfor a person close to 90 or even

older, admission to a drug rehabilita-

tion program is almost certainly fu-

tile.

These patients present with the same

drug-seeking behavior as a younger

person. Often narcotics are pre-

scribed by more than one physician;

admissions to the emergency room

are frequent because of severe pain

(most often back); multiple CT scans

and MRIs show significant chronic

problems that have previously been

treated by surgery and local pain

therapy; it is obvious that pain med-

ication is the only choice, and more

narcotics are prescribed.

Just as serious is the overuse of tran-

quilizers, sleeping pills and antide-

pressants. It is all too easy for a

physician to prescribe a tranquilizer

for anxiety or a sleeping pill for in-

somnia. And once a person is on

these drugs, stopping them is very

difficult.

Particularly serious are Xanax and

Ativan, which are prescribed for

anxiety, and Ambien, a frequently

used sedative. Often more than one

tranquilizer and sleeping pill is pre-

scribed that cause drowsiness and

lead to depression. As a conse-

quence, antidepressants are added tothe medication list.

Many of these patients also have

pain, and are often on hydrocodone

or a morphine derivative as well as

other medications, such as

gabapentin that partially relieve pain

but also affect mood and sleep. From

that point on, differentiating symp-

toms from drugs or disease becomes

very difficult. And a symptom

caused by a drug side effect can lead

to prescription of more drugs.

No matter

your age,

there must

always bea serious

under-

standing

of the devastating negative side ef-

fects of many powerful drugs.

When used appropriately, narcotics

are a godsend and improve the qual-

ity of life of patients with severepain. And, of course, therapy to re-

lieve serious symptoms should never

be denied.

However, if multiple chronic dis-

eases are present, nothing is more

critical than having one physician in

charge of all aspects of care. The im-

portant role of the responsible physi-cian must be to reduce medication

use to a minimum while assuring

that the patient achieves the needed

relief.

Today overuse of medications and

their side effects are as serious an ill-

ness as heart disease, cancer or

stroke. Once the age of 70 is

reached, find one physician who

truly coordinates care, questions the

use of every medication and under-

stands the key role of the pharmacist

in providing you with key informa-

tion on the upside and downside of

all those drugs swallowed morning,

noon and night.

Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of

the book "Breaking The Rules Of

Aging." More information is avail-

able at: DrDavidHealth.comCOPYRIGHT 2012CREATORS.COM

By Dr. David Lipscitz

MYMATURETIMES COM DECEMBER 2012 PAGE 5


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Continued from page 3

(Medicare.gov has a similar tool, but

it's not as user-friendly, nor does it

offer personal guidance in making a

choice.)

Start by lining up all your prescrip-

tion drug bottles so you'll be able to

enter the exact prescription and

dosage. Then go to

PlanPrescriber.com and click on

"Part D Drug Plans." You'll be

asked if you have a current drug plan

so you can do the comparisons. Then

input the names of all your drugs and

the dosage. With a few clicks you'llbe able to compare plans based on

monthly premium, deductible, gap

coverage and other factors.

Since last year, popular drugs like

Lexapro, Plavix and Lipitor became

available in a generic version. In

2013, Singulair, Cymbalta and Nias-

pan go generic all affecting yourplan decision.

And while you're choosing plans, re-

member to consider mail order of a

90 day supply for maintenance

drugs, as well as the convenience of

your local pharmacy. That decision

could go a long way to lowering

your overall costs.

To get started on the comparison of

MediGap plans at

PlanPrescriber.com, all you need is

your ZIP code! But that's the only

simple thing about choosing a sup-

plement, since there are literally

hundreds of different offerings, stan-

dardized, with plans ranging from"A" to "N" all explained in a sim-

ple chart. The greater the supplemen-

tal coverage, the higher the cost. The

trick is in finding the correct and

maximum coverage, while minimiz-

ing the monthly premium. That's

where the combination of computer

research and personal hand-holding

can be the most help.

When you see how the costs of Part

D and your supplement add up each

month, you may want to use the

PlanPrescriber.com search feature

for Medicare Advantage, which bun-

dles all aspects of Medicare into one

monthly premium. Nationally, nearly

one-third (31 percent) of Medicare

Advantage plans in 2013 will be

available for $0 above what a person

already pays for Medicare Part B,

but some plans do have additional

monthly premiums.

Medicare Advantage plans must

by law cap your maximum out-

of-pocket (MOOP) costs at $6,700or less. The 2013 average will be

$4,516 annually (plans have already

been filed). Those costs include co-

payments on drugs, so you'll need to

make sure your drugs are covered

and find the co-pay amount before

choosing a Medicare Advantage

plan.

Some Advantage plans may offer

much lower maximum costs but

may increase your cost-sharing re-

quirements for certain services such

as staying in a skilled nursing facil-

ity. That's why you'll want help in

comparing the plans, based on cost

and coverage. But most important,

you'll want to be sure that your cur-

rent physicians and hospitals are in

the network of the plan you choose.

You've seen the television commer-

cials aimed at seniors and likely re-

ceived many mailings from

MediGap and Part D drug plans. But

you have no real way of knowing

what's best for you without doingcomparisons. Don't panic. Help is

available. Take full advantage of this

opportunity. It is certainly worth the

effort. And that's The Savage Truth!

Terry Savage is a registered investment ad-viser and is on the board of the Chicago

Mercantile Exchange. She appears weeklyon WMAQ-Channel 5's 4:30 p.m. newscast,

and can be reached at

www.terrysavage.com. She is the author ofthe new book, "The New Savage Number:

How Much Money Do You ReallyNeed to Retire?"

COPYRIGHT 2012 TERRY SAVAGE PRODUCTIONS

Medigap, Medicare Drg Cverage Plas


6/12

MYMATURETIMES COM DECEMBER 2012 PAGE 7


7/12


Marion Hughes is well acquainted with

second chances in life. At age 55, she battled

breast cancer and survived, and she knew that she

had to take action about her weight problem or itwould put her at risk for the cancer to return. A

few years later, at age 63 and at 275lbs., she de-

cided to change her fate one more time by under-

going a full gastric bypass, a weight loss surgery

that helps patients lose weight by limiting the

amount of food they can eat.

For Hughes, a 64-year-

old lively and spry re-

tiree, struggling with

her weight was a con-

stant battle she had

grown weary of. After

trying different dietsand exercise and failing

to lose the weight, she

decided she had had

enough. Something

radical had to be done

to change her life. Mar-

ion toyed with the idea

of bariatric surgery for over three years until a one

of her friends, pleased with her own results,pushed her to do it.

I was always a very active person, but my weight

kept me from a lot of things, says Marion, a re-

tired military wife with a lively spirit. She

painfully recalls the times she felt insecure about

being around large groups of people and picturing

her family struggling to find a coffin her size ifshe ever died of an obesity-related disease.

Thought such as those crossed her mind con-

stantly and the more she tormented herself, the

more she realized that it was time for her to take

action to lose the weight and with it, her bad

thoughts about herself.

Her family initially opposed to the surgery. They

were worried I would need to be put in feedingtubes or that it would affect me if the

cancer ever came back, but Dr. Ben-

jamin Clapp answered all our questions

and put us at ease, said Marion. Once

she decided to have the surgery, the

specialists at Sierra Providence

Bariatrics, provided Marion with an ex-

ercise routine and a session with a psy-

chologist. Marion, who travels for a

couple of months with her husband in

Cloudcroft each summer in their RV,

was so committed and determined that

she began traveling back to El Paso

three days out of the week to complete

her exercise routines before her sur-

gery.

After the surgery, Marion remained in

the hospital for three days and was upand walking the day of surgery. Some

of the people who saw me that day

could not believe I had just had

bariatric surgery, my cheeks were rosy

and I was walking the same day, said

Marion.

Fourteen months after her full gastric

bypass surgery, Marion has lost 125lbs,regained her confidence and started a

new life. She has new gained confi-

dence, new wardrobe, different attitude,

more energy and an amazing love life.

Not many 64-year-old women can describe their

marriage like she does, I feel like Im on my

honey moon again! When asked how her hus-

band feels about her transformation Marionreplies with a smile, I cant say that here.

Not only has Marion lost over 125lbs, she has also

learned how to eat by becoming an avid food label

reader and has developed a daily exercise routine.

Bariatric weight loss surgery has given her the

tools and capacity to lose the weight and keep it

off.

Continues on page 11

before

Mari is a hge ispirati fr seirs t there wh arelkig t trasfrm their lives thrgh bariatric srger.

after



8/12


If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHTS Out & About section, please send all your relevant databy e-mail to: [email protected]

Out & AboutCalendar of upcoming events for El Paso/ Southern New Mexico are

from November, 2012

NORThEAST/CENTRAL

Pre-Christmas Bash Dancefor Dreams presents the Christmas

dance event Saturday, Dec. 1, at

Leos Mexican Restaurant, 9420

Montana, with music by DJ NCen-

dio, dancing to salsa, merengue,bachata, reggaeton, EDM and more

and a Sexiest Miss Santa competi-

tion. Dinner is 8 p.m. with dance les-

sons 9:30 to 10 p.m. and dancing 10

p.m. to 2 a.m. A new Happy Hour is

8 to 9 p.m. with live music 8:30 to9:30 p.m. Raffle also held. Tickets

on sale mid-month. Attire is semi-

formal. Cost: $15 ($12 members);

available in advance at El Paso Ball-

room Dance Academy and Lunas

and Son Grocery. Information:

Deliris Montanez or Dance for

Dreams Foundation (found on Face-

book and active.com) or (704) 293-4307.

Lend Me A Tenor El PasoPlayhouse, 2501 Montana, presents

Ken Ludwigs comedy Nov. 16-Dec.

8. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday and

Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Di-

rected by Vanessa Keyser. Tickets:

$10 ($8 seniors, $7 military/studentswith ID; $5 students under 18). In-

formation: 532-1317, elpasoplay-

house.com.

The Cleveland Opera Company has

spent thousands of dollars to bring

the world famous tenor Tito Merelli

to sing. When he shows up, things

go from bad to worse as he falls ill

and someone must take his place.

The mistaken identity results in hi-

larity as both the real and fake Tito

interact with the company.

Seussical the Musical

Kids-N-Co. 1301 Texas, presents the

musical based on the works of Dr.

Seuss Nov. 23-Dec. 16. Written by

Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and

co-conceived by Eric Idle. Directed

by Laura Sambrano. Showtimes are

7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and

2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $7 ($5

children, seniors, students and active

military); available at the door one

hour before show. information: 351-1455 or facebook.com/elpasokids-n-

co.

UU Christmas Bazaar Uni-tarian Universalist Community of El

Paso, 4425 Byron St., will host its

annual Christmas Bazaar 10 a.m. to

2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 and 9. The

bazaar features handmade arts andcrafts, chocolate truffles, jewelry and

a white elephant table. Admission is

free. Information: 584-7823 or uuel-

paso.org.

Magoffin Holiday Open

House The annual holiday sea-son event at the Magoffin Home

State Historic Site, 1120 Magoffin,is 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1.

Enjoy the holiday decorations, re-

freshments and music by school

choirs amid the authentic art and fur-

nishings of this historic home. Ad-

mission: $1. Information: 533-5147.

El Paso Gem and Mineral

Show The annual show is Nov.30-Dec. 2 at El Maida Auditorium,

6331 Alabama. Hours are 10 a.m. to

6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10

a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The show

features gems, minerals, fossils,

beads, silver jewelry, tools and

equipment, geode cutting, silent auc-

tion, demonstrations and door prizes,

Ticket information: Gem CenterUSA, 533-7153, 1-877-533-7153 or

[email protected].



9/12

Vivaldis Gloria Sun CityChorus, directed by Dr. Carl Smith,

presents its first concert of the sea-

son with the Vivaldi classic at 3 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 2, at St. Albans Epis-

copal Church, 1810 Elm. Ticket in-

formation: Carl Smith,

[email protected].

The chorus rehearses at 7 p.m.

every Monday at St. Albans. Partici-

pants ages 8 and older of all voices

are sought; particularly altos, basses

and tenors.

Flying J Wranglers Christ-

mas Show The popular Rui-

doso-based western swing groupsChristmas show is 7 p.m. Saturday,

Dec. 1, at Scottish Rite Theater, 301

West Missouri. Tickets: $20. Parking

available next door at City Hall and

behind Insights Museum after 5 p.m.

Information/reservations: All That

Music & Video, 594-9900.

MISSION VALLEY

The Nutcracker Interna-tional Danz Academy presents the

traditional Christmas favorite at 7

p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at Chamizal

National Memorial, 800 S. San Mar-

cial. Admission: $5. Information:

449-7904.

Holiday Special Ms. Bakers

Dance Studio presents its modern

jazz and ballet performance at 4 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 2, at Chamizal Na-

tional Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial.

Tickets: $5. Information: 740-1392.

Health and Fitness Fair The

health fair is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun-day, Dec. 2, at El Paso County Coli-

seum, 4100 E. Paisano, focusing on

healthy eating and fitness, and will

include exercise routines, diabetes

prevention, education and nutri-

tional. Admission: $5. Information:

790-3821.

EPCC Winter Fest El PasoCommunity College will host its

Charity Winter Fest noon to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Valle Verde

Campus, 919 Hunter, with a car

show, food, games and entertain-

ment. Fee to enter car show or to

vote in the Best of Show category is

one toy for Toys for Tots. Informa-

tion: 831-3722 or epcc.edu.

EASTSIDESuper Scholars Run ClintISDs 5K run and 1 mile walk is 8

a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Desert

Hills Elementary, 300 N. Kenazo in

Horizon City. First 200 registrants

receive t-shirt. Cost (by Nov. 29):

$20 per event ($15 students and per

runner for teams of 10 or more).

Registration After Nov. 29 is $25.

Packet pick up is noon to 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 29, at Clint ISD Cen-

tral Administration, 14521 Horizon

Blvd., noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov.

30, at Up and Running, 1475 George

Dieter, Suite O and on 7:15 to 7:45

a.m. on race day at the race site.

Its Beginning to Look A Lot

Like Christmas Craft FairPebble Hills Elementary School,

11145 Edgemere, hosts its 16th an-

nual holiday arts and crafts fair 9

a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1.

Sponsored by the Pebble Hills PTO.

Admission is free. Information: 434-

5613.

Tamela Mann The

actress/gospel singer performs in

concert at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec.

1, at Christian Joy Center, 1208

Sumac Dr. Tickets are $16 to $30.

Information: 595-1307 or

joycenter.org/TamelaMann/.

Manns music career started with

the Grammy-winning Kirk Franklin

and the Family. She has recorded

several albums and was featured on

the soundtrack of Diary of a Mad

Black Woman.

DOwNTOwN/

wESTSIDEThe Nutcracker Ballet ElPaso Youth Ballets 34th annual

presentation of Tchaikovskys classic

ballet is Nov. 30-Dec. 2, at UTEPs

Magoffin Auditorium. Showtime is

7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $15, $20 and $25. Informa-

tion: 747-5234 (UTEP Ticket Cen-

ter), 760-6062 (Marta Katz) or

elpasoconservatoryofdance.org.

Desert Lights Art Show &

Sale The Alazan Artists impres-

sionistic..CONT.NEXT PAGE

THE EL PASO SYMPHONY GUILD

presentsA SYMPHONY OF

HOLIDAY

HAPPENINGS & WREATH

AUCTION

El Paso, Texas - The El Paso Symphony Guild is pleased to present A

Symphony of Holiday Happenings on Saturday, December 1st,1pm to 5pm at 150 Sunset. Participants can ring in

the holidays with friends while enjoying an as-

sortment of hors doeuvres, wine, treats, style

show by Trend Society, and a variety of

workshops that provide holiday tips from

experts on decorating and entertaining dur-

ing the holidays. Among Santas Work-

shops are: Mantel Dressing by Debbies

Bloomers, Your Holiday Table by AnneSteele, Holiday 911 by Caroline Whitemore,

Holiday Mixology, Kids Craft Corner by

Suncity Sitters and more!

Beautiful one-of-a-kind wreaths by local florists and artists will be

auctioned in a silent auction throughout the afternoon. Proceeds from this

event benefit the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and its Education and Out-

reach Programs.

Cost is $35, $30 Active Military and Seniors 65+, $5 children ages

3-13. For more information or tickets call the symphony office (915)

532-3776, online at www.epso.org, ticket may also be purchased at the

door.



10/12

ACROSS1 Sirius?

5 Brainy ones, for short

9 Phoenician goddess?

13 Sailor's patron saint

14 Ananias, e.g.

15 Try a second crop

16 Complaint

17 Author Seton

18 Wrathful

19 Saint-Exupery's Wind,___?

21 Organ accouterments

22 Arouses wonder

23 Ooze

24 Artillery discharges

27 1984 Jeff Bridgesfilm?

29 Stovepipe

32 Steaming

33 Agitates

34 Workers' fed.

35 Touch down

36 Roman dictator

37 Had the lead?

38 Driving hazard39 TV saga?

40 Wing: prefix

41 Share the billing?

42 Dregs

43 Thefts

44 Tibia

46 Envisioned

47 Burns' stream

49 Like clearnights?

54 Idiomaticspeech

55 Writer Bag-nold

56 Teacher

57 Prolific Ameri-can author

58 Communica-tions satellite?

59 Driving force60 Map abbrevia-tions

61 Tartan pattern

62 Modernists

DOWN1 Socialist presi-dential candidate

2 Olive genus3 Govt. agents

4 Judaic symbol?

5 Geometric surfaces

6 Female red deer

7 Venus?

8 Short ladies ofSpain

9 Lofty perch

10 Rayed gems?11 Lug

12 Ovines

15 Reaches fruition

20 Mil. opprobrium

23 Poet Teasdale

24 Frankish

25 Bahama islands

26 Texas?

27 Catches off guard?

28 Exploit

30 Notify31 Fusses

33 Confident

36 Early Hollywood ac-tress

37 Racer's signal?

39 Black birds?

40 Hammer part

43 Pre-school program?

45 Sharpens46 Released contents

47 Hebrew zither

48 Off key

49 Eastern Orthodox ad-viser?

50 Dagger

51 Entice

52 Therefore

53 Membership fees

*Studded

Continued from page 9.. oil

painters groups 4th annual

exhibit, sale and reception

for recent works is 3 to 7

p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at the

150 Sunset Event Center,150 Sunset. Admission is

free. Information: 526-1367.

Desert Crossing Holi-

day Market Ar-dovinos Desert Crossing

Restaurant and Banquet Fa-

cility will host its 8th annual

market 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 2, in the Sun-

set Hall. This years market

is their largest ever, with

more than 70 local artists,

craftspersons and vendors

from the Farmers Market.

Admission is free;

brunch/dinner cost varies.

Information: (575) 589-0653or ardovinos.com.

Brunch served 10 a.m. to

2:30 p.m. Dinner service be-

gins at 5 p.m. Reservations

recommended.

Los Chismes de la Co-

madre The farewell

spoof and dinner show forElvia Hernandez is Sunday,

Dec. 2, at Camino Real

Hotel, 101 S. El Paso Street.

Social hour begins at 5 p.m.,

dinner at 6 p.m. and show at

7 p.m. Proceeds benefit

LULAC Council 4875s

scholarship fund. Cost: $40

in advance; $45 at the door.Tables for 10 are $350. Tick-

ets/information: 731-5948 or

329-1967.

Desert Lights Art Show

& Sale ...



11/12

Continued from page 7

She says she can still eat many foods but her por-

tions are a smaller fraction of what she used to eat.

Im a cheap date now, said Marion, who doesnt

deprive herself of food but rather, makes healthier,more nutritious food choices.

One look at her before pictures is proof of her ex-

treme change. I love the way people dont recog-

nize me, said Marion. People cannot believe I

have lost all this weight. Marion noted that her self-

esteem has improved dramatically. I feel like a real

woman again, said Marion, who also says that

shopping has become fun for her again.

The bariatric surgery has not only given Marion the

ability to lose weight, its given her an opportunity

to become a healthier, therefore, more confident

woman. Marion never thought she would say this

but she now feels the best she ever has in over 20

years. And I look forward to lots of tomorrows,

said Marion.

Marion offers this piece of advice to other women

who are in the same situation she was in: Women

should never give up on themselves, no matter their

age. Women in general work very hard as mothers

and wives, always taking care of others and some-

times, they just need to take care of themselves.

Marion says she is able to do things thinner people

take for granted like crossing her legs while sitting,

and being able to stand for hours on end. The sur-gery has helped her become more physically able

and tasks like vacuuming baseboards and gardening

are enjoyable again.

These days, Marion is an active volunteer in our

community. She volunteers at Providence Childrens

Hospital Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit as a NICU

Nanny and does plenty of work at the Susan G.

Komen Race for the Cure. Next year, she will startvolunteering at a senior citizen center in Cloudcroft.

I stopped existing and started living, said an ex-

cited and vivacious Marion.

Mari Hghes...San Jacinto Plaza Christmas TreeLighting The City of El Paso Parks andRecreation Department and evolve Federal

Credit Union present the 77th annual Evolve

Credit Union Celebration of Lights holiday

tradition of the plazas spectacular Christmas

tree and displays Saturday, Dec. 1, at San Jac-

into Plaza downtown. The ceremony begins at5:30 p.m. with live entertainment. The lighting

of the Christmas tree at 5:55 p.m. followed by

the 15th annual lighted Christmas parade. In-

formation: 541-4331 or elpasotex.gov/parks.

Chamber of Commerce Gala The113th annual Greater El Paso Chamber of

Commerce gala, A Tribute to Our Armed

Forces, is 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at the ElPaso Convention Center. Special guest is U.S.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes. Cocktails at 6:30 p.m.

with dinner at 7:30 p.m. followed by music

and dance. Tickets: $100 ($150 upgraded

seats). Table sponsorships available. Informa-

tion: 534-0500. Online registration at

elpaso.org.

A Big Band Christmas Concert JazzUnlimited Big Band, with vocalist Jachin Ford,

hosts its 7th annual holiday concert at 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 2, at St. Marks United

Methodist Church, 5005 Love Road. Admis-

sion is free, donations welcome. Information:

637-4569.

Young Ladies Choir holiday concert

El Paso Choral Society and the El PasoConservatory of Music present the concert at 3

p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Trinity-First United

Methodist Church, 801 N. Mesa. The program

will feature Brittens Ceremony of Carols

and other seasonal music. Tickets: $10 ($8 sen-

iors/military; $5 students K-college). Informa-

tion: 479-0156.

The Birth of Opera El Paso Operahosts a performance by Jeffrey Lentz at 8 p.m.

Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1-2, at El

Paso Museum of Art, One Arts Festival Plaza,

in conjunction with its Rembrandt, Rubens

and Golden Age Painting in Europe 1600-

1800 exhibit. Tickets: $40 ($75 couples) for

Saturday; $25 all tickets Sunday. Information:

581-5534 or epopera.org.

A Holiday Afternoon Concert El

Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra hosts its an-nual family concert of traditional holiday

music at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Plaza

Theatre. Proceeds provide college scholarships

for local high school students. Tickets: $12.50

($9 students, seniors and military; $4 ages 2-

12). Family Packs (2 adults and 2 juniors)

$6.25 per ticket, plus service charge (Ticket-

master). Information: 532-3776 or 566-4066.

Holiday vocal concert El Paso Choral

Society and the El Paso Conservatory of Music

present a concert of holiday songs by vocalist

Jose Mario Sanchez at 7:30 p.m. Saturday,

Dec. 1, at Trinity-First United Methodist

Church, 801 N. Mesa. Tickets: $10. Informa-

tion: 479-0156.

Franklin High Guitar Concert Theannual winter concert is 7 p.m. Friday, Nov.

30, at the Franklin High School Fine Arts The-

ater, 900 N. Resler. Led by instructor Stefan

Schyga, one of El Pasos best-known gui-

tarists, Franklins student Guitar Quartets and

Trios perform South American and Spanish

compositions, as well as some original music,

boleros, pop, jazz and rock tunes. Proceeds

benefit the guitar program and students. Ad-mission: $5. Information: 433-6734 or fhsfin-

earts.com.

UTEP Department of Music Per-formances are at 7:30 p.m. at Fox Fine Arts

Recital Hall,. Tickets for most performances

are $5 ($3 seniors/military/non-UTEP students;

free for age 6 and younger/UTEP students/fac-

ulty/staff). Ticket information: 747-5606 orutep.edu/music.

UTEP Choirs Holiday Festival Thursday

and Friday, Nov. 29-30, with familiar and new

music celebrating the season.


12/12

Documents

Mature Times - December 2012