Mature Times - October 2012

7/30/2019 Mature Times - October 2012

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FINANCIAL

Components of a Fiscal Cliffby Jay Brooks

PAGE 2

SOCIAL SECURITY

Supplemental Security Incomeby Tony Williams

PAGE 12

OCTOBER 31, 2012

Apple fest benetsarea kids

By Midge Rothrock

The greater Aiken area has

some of the best festivals and

family fun events anywhere.

As an example, on Saturday,

November 3, from 8 am until

2 pm, you are invited to Apple

Fest, a fundraiser and bazaarsponsored by St. Johns United

Methodist Church, 104 New-

berry Street NW, at the corners

of Richland and Newberry. For

information, call 648-6891.

Apple Fest has been a part of

fall in Aiken for more than 60

years in one form or another. In1952, the women of St. Johns

began this tradition. At that

time the celebration included

a bazaar and a served turkey

dinner. Now, the event has

become so large that the dinner

is its own separate event.

The 2012 theme is Apples for

Kids. Beneftting charities areSalkehatchie Camps, Tri De-

velopment Center, and ACTS.

Heres a bit more detail about

how the funds will be helping

each of these three deserving

organizations in our midst. The

selection is made by consen-

sus from the individual Circles

which comprise St. Johns Unit-

ed Methodist Womens group.

Tri Development Centerprovides community training and

support services for children

with disabilities. These include

vocational, residential and rehabservices, and summer programs

for both children and adoles-

cents. Tri Development is well

known and greatly appreciated,

for its role with their clients and

families in our community. An

Apple Fest donation may lighten

their fnancial load. By the way,

their cinnamon rolls and cookiesare a favorite take out item for

anyone who has had the plea-

sure of eating even one! Con-

tact Tri-Development directly

to see how you can purchase

these for your next treat!

Genie Farmer helping with pie crusts

See Apple page 4


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2 Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Components of a Fiscal CliffBy Jay Brooks

You cannot turn on nancial orpolitical TV nowadays without hearingthe phrase Fiscal Cliff. All of thetalking heads are running aroundscreaming that we are headed fora meltdown unless action is taken.Its strange to me that no one everoutlines what exactly is driving usover the cliff. Today we are going toexamine what the key componentsare of this economic disaster and how

each political party feels towards theissues. By the way, were you awarethat it was a South Carolina native,Ben Bernanke, that coined the phraseFiscal Cliff?

Bush tax cutsAt roughly $200billion in 2013, its the largestcomponent of the scal cliff. If theyexpire, the top ordinary income-taxrate will rise to 39.6%, from 35%,and the long-term capital gains ratewill increase to 20%, from 15%.Dividends, currently taxed at 15%, willbe treated as ordinary income.

The sequesterThe SuperCommittees failed attempt to comeup with a viable plan to reducethe decit triggered $1.2 trillion in

automatic spending cuts over the nextnine years. It impacts two key areas:Defense spending and discretionaryspendingwith exemptions on SocialSecurity and Medicaid.

AMT patchThe alternative minimumtax is an archaic tax law aimed atthe nations highest earners withspecial rules and rates for deductions.Enacted as part of the Tax Reform Actof 1969, the AMT has been patchedto offset ination.

Even with the patch, its reach hasexpanded from 155 wealthy familiesto 4 million taxpayers, includingthe middle class. Without newexemptions, taxpayers will pony up anadditional $94 billion.

Unemployment benefts

Enacted in February 2009 as

part of the American Recoveryand Reinvestment Act, theseunemployment benets wereextended to an unprecedented 99weeks. If the extension expires, thebenets will roll back to 27 weeks,representing an estimated $140billion.

Discretionary-spending capTheBudget Control Act of 2011 placed2% growth limits on discretionaryspending through 2021, excludingthe Afghanistan war and designated

emergencies. The cap holdsappropriations for 2012 and 2013below its 2011 level. The estimateddrag on the economy will be roughly$85 billion next year.

Health-care law taxesUnder theAffordable Care Act, Americas topearners get the biggest bill, includinga 3.8% tax on investment income.When coupled with a new excise taxon medical equipment, the economicimpact totals $21 billion in 2013 andmoves higher each year thereafter.

The doc fxA deferral of cutsto physician reimbursement underMedicare that dates back to theBalanced Budget Act of 1997.Renewed annually since inception, itis expected to detract $20 billion from

2013 GDP if re-upped

Social Security payroll taxA 2%reduction in the amount employeeshave taken out of their paycheck forSocial Security benets. Introducedunder the Tax Relief, UnemploymentInsurance Reauthorization and JobCreation Act of 2010, it was extendedalong with unemployment benets,but may expire on its own.

Estate taxThe estate-tax exemptionwill fall to $1 million from $5 millionfor any estate not left to a spouse ora recognized charitable organization.

Estates above the exemption levelwill be taxed at 35%. With more than50,000 estates expected to take a$40 billion hit, its an important issuefor nancial advisors who offer estateplanning.

Tax extendersVarious taxcredits related to research andexperimentation, local sales taxes,foreign investments and alcohol fuelthat are set to expire.

This perfect storm of tax increasesand budget cuts is driving oureconomy crazy with uncertainty.Businesses and individuals have noidea what their tax rates are goingto be and whether new healthcarecosts are going to be forced uponthem. What we do know is that you

the investor can still create some

peace of mind with well thought outplans. Please feel free to contact usto discuss your concerns.

Securities offered through HighStreet Securities, Inc. (MemberFINRA/SIPC) 1251 Lakeside Road,Suite B, Hot Springs, AR 71901 (800)756-0920and Advisory Servicesoffered through Brooks FinancialServices, 124 Laurens Street, NW,

Aiken, SC 29801, phone number(803) 648-1008, sa RegisteredInvestment Advisory Firm. Jay Brooks,

SC Insurance License #500027.Brooks Financial does not give legalor accounting advice.

Cliff Component Fiscal Impact Democratic View Republican View

Bush tax cuts* $305billion Expire ExtendThe sequester $160billion Repeal RepealAMT patch $225billion Extend ExtendUnemployment benefits $30billion Expire ExpireDiscretionary spending cap $170billion Expire Extend

Health-carelawtaxes $50billion Implement RepealThedoc-fix $30billion Extend ExtendSocial Security payroll tax $120billion Expire ExpireEstate tax* $35billion Extend ExpireTax extenders $60billion Extend ExpireTotal fiscal hit $1.2 trillion

% of GDP 6.9%

Jay Brooksowner of Brooks Financial


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Wednesday, October 31, 2012 3


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Apple...

From Page 1

Salkehatchie Summer

Service

is a pioneering ministry at se-lected sites in South Carolina,including Aiken County. Thisministry involves engaging highschool and college-aged youth,adult community leaders andpersons of different cultures inupgrading housing and help-ing people to help themselves.

The cost to run the summercamps have increased so muchover the last few years, chal-lenging their budget. These

Apple Fest funds will be used toprovide scholarships for youthwho need a bit of help so theycan participate in these camps.Not only do those youth attend-

ing donate their time and hardwork, but they have to pay a sti-pend exceeding $250 for roomand board. When more thanone youth from a family wishesto help, it can be a signifcant

fnancial decision.

ACTSstands for Area ChurchesTogether Serving. Their pur-pose is to give temporary andemergency aid in the name ofChrist to persons in need in the

Aiken area. The funds they willreceive from St. Johns AppleFest this year will be placed

exclusively in a ChildrensClothing Fund. The fund willenable them to keep childrensclothing such as socks, under-wear, jeans and jackets in stockfor these children. Several ofSt. Johns United MethodistWomen volunteer at ACTS, andhave been disappointed upon

occasion, when opening a binwhich should contain jeans, orsimilar clothing, only to fnd the

supply had been depleted.The Childrens Clothing Fund

is particularly important to oneof this years chairs of AppleFest, Betty Holloway. Bettyand her husband Newt livedin Aiken many years ago, forthe frst time. His career with

Owens Corning caused themto move all around. His last

transfer was back to Aiken,

which suited them just fne.Betty has helped with AppleFest and ACTS for many years.She was particularly drawn tohelping grade-school children.Her career, portable enough to

move with Newt, was mostlythat of teaching in elementarygrades. Betty also worked with

tots as young as aged two.Can you imagine what fun it isfor her three children and twograndchildren to have a momwho knows all the games andcrafts elementary teachersbring to their students? Bettyand Newts children and fami-lies are close-by, in Atlanta andCharlotte.

Joyce Bowmanis Bettys 2012 co-chair. Bettyinsists there was no arm twist-ing involved with these veryclose pals! Working with some-one whose friendship each

treasures already makes sucha difference. They are enjoyingthis role. Joyce and John havemoved to Aiken in 2005. Johnscareer was with Carrier Corpo-ration, where Joyce also spenta decade working, in Syracuse,NY. In fact, when their sonwas in college, Joyce returned

to Carrier for a time, work-ing for the President. FromNY, they spent some years inLittle Rock, Arkansas, whereJoyces commitment to vol-unteering became even moreearnest. Spending time work-ing at the area hospital, in herchurch, and with RepublicanWomen, Joyce was purpose-ful and valued. In 1996-98, aonce-in-a-lifetime opportunitytook them to Cairo, Egypt withCarrier. Upon their US re-

turn, they retired frst in MountDora, Florida, enjoying golf andvolunteering. Friends living inWoodside coaxed them here.With time out for visits to theirthree grandchildren in Cincin-nati, they give of themselves inmany ways to the Aiken com-munity.

Some folks have been workingwith this event since its incep-tion. There are many photosaround St. Johns, from cel-ebrations past. Of particulardelight are those from 1965sFrench-themed event withpictures of then-teens Nancy

Leer Perrine and Susan Bodie

Rhoden. Nancy shares thesememories, from that year: Forme, Apple Fest memories at St.Johns go back a long time towhen it was the Fall Festival.The bazaar ran from 8 am to8 pm and included the turkeydinner from 5 pm to 8 pm. Itwas a wonderful day peopleeverywhere, delicious aromaswafting throughout the church,and so many items to purchaseor just look at! In 1965, I was

16 years old and the theme thatyear was Paris Sidewalks.Teen girls were French wait-resses and served the turkeydinner. In the mid-1990s, wechanged to Apple Fest withturkey dinner on a separateday. No matter the changes,St. Johns festival is always a

magnifcent day with peopleworking together to raise fundsfor needed charities. A day ofwarm fuzzies! (Nancy hasworked tirelessly for decades,assuring success for this ba-zaar of whatever name).

See Apple Page 5

Joyce Bowman, Betty Holloway, co-chairs of Apple Fest

Wednesday October 31 2012 5


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At the other extreme, the new-

est member to the St. Johns

staff is Sarah Bassham, admin-

istrative assistant to the minis-

ters. Sarah is looking forward

to a day of fun with her family

of rst-time attendees. Maybein a future year, her darling

Libby, now three, and some-

times sporting a pink tutu, will

join the dancing entertainers.

Back to details of this coming

eventOn Monday, October

15, St. Johns kitchen was full

of rolling pins and laughter, asvolunteers were getting the

crusts ready for the fried apple

pies. UMW President Mary Jo

Wilson and several others were

attentively watching while Linda

Endler shared the closely-

held secrets for making these

scrumptious pies. (They are

prepped in advance, but fried

at the Fest).

There will be plenty of apples!

Rumor has it there will even

be two additional kinds, Pip-

pin and Winesaps. Last min-ute instructions to the women

of the church are being sent,

including how to label ingredi-

ents and baking times for their

frozen casseroles and baked

goods.

Consignment sale clothing

always offers versatile items forwomen, children and men at af-

fordable prices. Twice-Loved

Treasures offers a variety of

household goods, sports and

games, and will again be lling

the Gym, along with the book-

worms corner. Handmade

items and collectibles of all va-

rieties are arriving. There will

even be some vintage cloth-

ing. The quilts and handmade

items are always exquisite.

This is a great opportunity to

do some Christmas shopping,

since many of these treasureswould make perfect gifts to

hand down from generation to

generation.

As always, a huge selection

of books will delight the avid

reader of any age. This is

a great place to nd picture

books to delight a grandchild at

bedtime. (E-readers are great,sure, but nothing can top those

memories of having a real book

read aloud at bedtime). There

will be plenty of hard-bound

and paperback books on every

topic, from cookbooks to mys-

teries to best sellers. The price

is right!

Susan McDonald has a particu-

lar air for setting up the items

for silent auction. These items

of distinction range from gift

certicates and themed-bas-

kets all the way up to antique

and unique furniture pieces.One enchanting piece has nu-

merous cubby holes. It could

become a true conversation

piece and decorators dream,

in the right setting. Theres a

marble-topped antique desk

which would be a great place

to roll out pie crusts, in the right

kitchen, too.

What can be eaten at the festi-

val itself? Yummy food items in-

clude continental breakfast and

apple crisp at the Apple Seed

Caf`, as well as fried apple

See Apple page 6

6 Wednesday October 31 2012


6/16


pies, and homemade baked

goods. While sitting down to en-

oy the delicious food, be enter-

tained. For years, JoAnn Glass

has rounded up local talent to

add to the festive atmosphere.

Expect clowns, big band music,cloggers and comedy routines,

all inside the Gym this time.

The cloggers will range in age

from a team of three-year-olds,

to a troupe of 50+.

Behind the scenes, folks have

to plan well for childrens ac-

tivities, layout of the varioussegments, and for setting up

the spaces for entertainment.

Getting the word out and main-

taining our contacts with chari-

ties starts weeks in advance.

Commie Peebles may have

ust retired from her career, but

shes got plenty to juggle these

days, coordinating all these be-

hind-the-scenes volunteers and

activities required to appear to

be effortless. One tireless vol-

unteer who with authority and

wit rounds up

the greeters

and assignsthose folks

working in

the park-

ing lot for

both Apple

Fest and the

turkey dinner

every year is

Vera Keisler.She even

talks her hus-

band Lamar

into donning a bright orange

vest!

After the event, Mary Ward

plans to share the unsold books

this year with sister-church

Trinity UMC. They will use the

proceeds of any books they can

sell for a Christmas program for

seniors. Consignment clothing

designated for donation goes to

ACTS, and Sal-

vation Army, with

occasionally otherdeserving chari-

ties. If there

is leftover food

from the Caf`,

by Sunday night

our Youth will

see that it is de-

voured! Speak-

ing of our amaz-ing youth, these

days, we have

over 60 attending

our Foundation Youth on Sun-

day nights. They even run a

Sunday evening worship ser-

vice at least once a month. The

Foundation Chorus has over

30 members, and they have a

band worthy of attention, too.

They will be invaluable, with all

the help they plan to provide,

making this years Apple Fest

truly a multi-generational tradi-

tion. See you there.you will

be glad you came, and will ulti-mately help the kids beneftting

from 2012 proceeds.

This year, the delicious andpopular turkey dinner will be

prepared and served onNovember 15. The cost is $10

for adults, and $5 for children.Carry out is available. Tickets willbe sold at a booth at Apple Fest,and from the United MethodistWomen. This event is chaired inrecent years by Mary Jordan,

along with Brenda Meeks.Call 648-6891

to reserve your spot!

Wednesday October 31 2012 7


7/16


Linda Farron KnappAttorney at Law

A member of the National Academyof Elder Law Attorneys

Boomer BriefingsQ. Are pet trusts allowed in

South Carolina? If so, what can

you tell me about them.

A. Actually 46 states now allowpet trusts, including South Carolina,but you cant leave monies and assetsdirectly to the pet. A decade ago only4 states allowed pet trusts.

In December of 2011, 94-year-oldItalian heiress Maria Assunta, whohad no living relatives, left her entire

estate valued at over $13,000,000 toTomasso, a four-year-old black catshe found wandering in the streetsof Rome. Assunta named her nurseStefania as trustee for Tomasso in herwill, and the cat reportedly becamethe third richest animal on the planet behind a chimp and a Germanshepherdi. In 2007 real estate tycoonLeona Helmsley left $12 million of hermulti-billion dollar estate to her pet,a dog named Trouble, and expressly

excluded her grandchildren in her willii.And Womans Day magazine oncereported that Oprah Winfrey will leave$30 million for the benefit of her pets,which includes five dogs. As a resultof these and similar stories, somehave come to consider pet trusts asplanning tools for the ultra rich oreccentric, but many rational peopleof modest means love animals andconsider their pets part of the family.

With all the purring, tail-wagging-

welcomes, companionship, play, love,protection and related health benefitspets provide to their owners is it anysurprise we want to ensure Mittensand Fido are cared for af ter onesadmission to a nursing home or anowners death. Some studies haveshown up to 50% of Americans nowprovide in some way for a pet in theirwill.

Of course an open or prearrangedadoption by a family member or friend

is an inexpensive alternative to anactual pet trust.

Pet trusts are fairly traditional instructure, with a designated human orcorporate trustee and a trust protectorthat ensures the animal actuallyreceives the intended benefits. Thetrust may be testamentary or intervivos which means they can becreated in a will or while the settlor,

the one who creates and contributes

property or funding to the trust, is still

alive. The latter may be part of or anamendment to an existing revocableor living trust. Under South Carolinalaw the pet must be clearly identifiedand be alive or in gestation at the timethe trust is created, but an additionalanimal may be added to a trust ifdone so prior to the settlors death. Apet trust terminates on the death ofthe animal or last surviving animal.Before meeting with your lawyer youshould determine your pets standard

of living - exercise and nutritionalneeds, veterinary checkups scheduleand shots, etc. and estimate the cashand/or assets needed to cover theseexpenses for a typical life span of your

See page 11



8/16


SeniorNet Classes are in SessionThe 2012 fall term has started with

a very successful Open House onSeptember 10th. In fact an extra class

in SRN101 Beginning Computer wasstaffed to handle the demand of ourbeginning students. Our classroomat The McGrath SeniorNet LearningCenter on the campus of USC Aikennow has 12 computer stations, andas a result several class enrollmentshave been increased to serve theneeds of our students.

Our mission is to teach computerskills to seniors (50 yrs of ageand older), starting with studentswho have absolutely no previousexperience with computers. We alsooffer advanced courses to seniorswho already know how to use thecomputer but want to learn a specificskill, or improve their current skills.

In addition to the regular classeswhich are already in session,Aiken SeniorNet offers a series of

workshops that are usually 2 hours

in length, and are conducted in ourclassroom each Friday for the lowprice of $20. You can still register for

workshops that will be held the firsttwo Fridays in November. Workshopsthat may still have openings are: First Steps in Facebook, Friday,Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to noon. Topicscovered will include navigating theFacebook menu bar; learning aboutbasic Facebook features, protectingyour privacy; and updating yourProfile and Wall. To enroll in this3-hour workshop you must alreadyhave a Facebook account and be ableto sign into your account in class. Youmust register for this workshop by 9a.m. on Thursday Nov. 1st. New World of Windows 7,Friday, Nov. 9, 9-11 a.m. You canlearn about the new features ofMicrosofts latest version of theWindows operating system. The newfeatures to be covered include the

significantly-changed taskbar, window

management using thumbnails,the Aero enhancements Peek,Snap, and Shake, and improved

file management using libraries. Ifyou would like to take one of theseworkshops, please call Laura

Anderson at USC Aiken at 641-3563as soon as possible.

FANTASTIC NEW COURSES

COMING IN JANUARY

Now is the time to consider takingone of our courses in the Winter 2013term, following our Open House inearly January 2013. In addition toour regular computer users coursesSeniorNet volunteers have beendiligently at work creating two entirelynew courses that will be describedin more detail in the November andDecember Mature Times articles.

One of these courses isappropriately named Computer

Skills for the Senior Job Hunter.

This is an 8 week course that coverscomputer skills from the viewpoint of asenior who wishes to improve his/her

computer skills in word processing,spreadsheet creation, internet andemail use, and basic presentationskills using Powerpoint in preparationfor a job search.

The other new course isDownloading and Using

Freeware. This is also an 8 weekcourse which will introduce you toseveral software programs that youmay download from the Internet atno cost. For the most part these freeprograms are comparable to well-known programs that are usuallymore costly. More significantly, whenyou complete the course you willhave the tools to find and downloadadditional free programs on your own

In the meantime, if you wouldlike to learn more about AikenSeniorNet, please visit our web page

at aikenseniornet.com



9/16

y

Magic of Christmas

Trees helps ElderlyFestival of Lights lights up AikenNovember 21st - 25th

Building on the success of its debut

last fall, the Festival of Trees is back

to raise awareness and funds for the

Aiken Area Council on Aging, a multi-

service agency devoted to the well

being of seniors. Last year, the festival

raised enough money to continue

the Meals on Wheels program and

provide 5,300 meals to the countys

seniors in need. The AAOC has

bigger goals for its major annual

fund-raiser this year. The number of

seniors participating in our programs

grows every year, and Meals onWheels is by far our most popular

form of outreach, says Scott Murphy,

agency executive director. We have a

wait list for the program, and I want to

eliminate the wait list.

A dazzling start to the holiday

season, the Festival of Trees presents

exquisitely decorated Christmas trees,

along with wreaths, garland, and other

decorations all available for purchase

through a silent auction. Items are

sponsored by local businesses and

decorated by volunteers with vision.

Each tree is designed with a specific

theme, and decorators go above

and beyond clever to create one-

of-kind masterpieces worth every

penny they bring in for the AAOC.

Members of three sewing guilds have

collaborated to make ornaments for

a Victorian-designed tree, friends of

Barbara Sue Brodie NeedleWorks

have needlepointed the Twelve

Days of Christmas, and designer

Zoe Meldrum is back after her wildly

popular Christmas in the Woods

tree on behalf of Sand River Womens

Club sparked a bidding frenzy last

year.

Set in the historic Fermata Clubthis year, the festival kicks off the day

before Thanksgiving with a morning

viewing for seniors. That evening, the

Festival Unplugged hopes to loosen

up bidders with a cocktail party where

guests can enjoy drinks, food, and live

music. A much-anticipated addition to

the party is a decorating contest that

pits local media against each other

armed with glue guns, tinsel, and a

surprise element to incorporate into

their designs. Its Wreath War, and it

will be front and center up on stage for

all to see. The winner will be selected

by popular vote, and the results, too,

will be available for bidding.

The last special event planned for

the festival is Breakfast with Santa

on Saturday, November 24, where

families with young children can eat

among the forest of twinkling lights

and have their photograph taken with

the jolly man himself.

The festival is open daily,

November 21-25, when guests

can tour and bid on the trees and

other decorations while enjoying

complimentary cookies and

beverages. Visitors who find a favorite

tree to light up their home this seasonmay purchase it immediately at a Buy

It Now price.

Festival of Trees is a new holiday

tradition for the entire community to

bring awareness to and generate

funds for the Aiken Area Council on

Aging. Now in its second year, the

Festival of Trees hopes to remain an

annual affair whose funds will be used

to continue the Council on Agings

Meals on Wheels program, which

delivers food Monday through Friday

to homebound seniors in Aiken,

Gloverville, Jackson, Wagener, and

Windham House; and provide van

transportation for the disabled and

daily lunches at five locations within

Aiken County.

Tickets for daily admission and

special events can be purchased atBarbara Sue Brodie Needleworks,

the Council on Aging, Floyd & Green,

Plum Pudding, and Tea Garden Gifts.

The Fermata Club is located at 841

Whiskey Road in Aiken.

DAILY HOURS AND TICKETS

Wednesday, Friday & Saturday

November 21, 23 & 24

Noon-6:00 p.m.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day2:00-6:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 25

Noon-3:00 p.m.

See page 14



10/16

CAMELLIA

DAZERio Grande Dave

Sasanquas are not the only early

blooming camellias. There are several

varieties of Japonicas that also bloom

early. One of these Japonicas is called

Daikagura. (deye kuh goor uh) or as it

is often pronounced in the South ( die

kaag uh ra) or if youre in a hurry just

Dike. This japonica is a medium to

large sized peony form bloom. Its a

bright rose pinkish color with varying

amounts of white splotches. If its all

white, it goes by the name of Joshua

Youtz and if it is all pale pink, it is

called High Hat. Maybe you have one

of these in your yard. Records show

Daikagura or Great Sacred Dance, as

it is known there, has been grown in

Japan since 1788 and probably even

earlier. In the USA, its

been around since 1895.

Daikagura is a long

lasting bloom on the

bush. You have to pluck

it off since it doesnt fall

off by itself or shatter.

This makes it popular for

use in floral displays. It

is also a slow growing compact plant

for your yard. It does not run rampant

and take over and crowd out other

plants. Since it blooms so early, it is

also free of any petal blight diseases.

This camellia is one that you can find

frequently in the big box stores and

local nurseries, but you have to shop

early for it (October-early November),

since it tends to sell out. People will

buy any camellia when it is blooming.

By the time you are reading about

Daikagura, the 2012-2013 CamelliaShow Season has begun. The official

first Sanctioned Show in the Southeast

occurred at The Georgia National

Fair in Perry, Georgia on October 13,

2012. The first show in South Carolina

occurred at the Columbia Fair on

October 19, 2012. Hope you attended

and saw Daikagura in person.

Heres hoping to see you along the

Camellia Trail.



11/16

continued from page 7

pet. You may also want to decide howthe body of your pet will be handledat the time of passing cremation,burial, a pet cemetery, etc. Youshould choose a beneficiary to receiveany remaining funds that are not usedup by the pet trust.

You may also want to considermaking a generous contribution to ananimal welfare project in your will. In2011 Daniel J. Garr, an urban plannerand Professor at San Jose StateUniversity left $50,000 to Project Purr,an all-volunteer feral cat advocacyorganization, to fund the neuteringof cats. There are wonderful South

Carolina nonprofit organizations thatprovide animal rescue, medical care,feeding, spay and neutering, adoption,

pet care education and other servicesto domestic animals. These programsoften rely exclusively on donations andvolunteers. Some operate second-hand shops where your gently usedhousehold goods and clothing canhelp an abandoned or abused pets.

For additional information check outThe Humane Societys website whichoffers a free five page booklet you candownload on how to provide for yourpets future when extended illness oraccident would affect your ability tocare for your pet as well as addressingan owners death.

i Woman leaves $13M Fortune to Pet Cat

(Dec. 12, 2011, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/12/woman-leaves-13m-fortune-

to-pet-cat/.

ii Oh Leona! (Aug. 1, 2008, http://wealthmanagement.com/litigation/oh-leona-0).

If you have a question for Boomer Briefings:Write to Attorney Knapp at P.O. Box 714, Barnwell, SC 29812 or fax a

question to 803-541-7677 or email her at [email protected].

Questions may be rephrased and all answers will be addressed onlyin Boomer Briefings articles.



12/16

Supplemental Security

Income (SSI):Forty Years of Helping People In NeedThe Social Security Amendments

of 1972 created a new federal benefitprogram. This month, that program the Supplemental Security Income(SSI) program celebrates its 40th

anniversary.Administered by Social Security,

SSI is a needs-based program forpeople 65 or older, blind, or disabledwho have limited income andresources.

For income, we count things suchas wages, Social Security benefits,and pensions. However, SocialSecurity does not count all of yourincome when it decides whether you

qualify for SSI. For example, we dont

count food stamps or most homeenergy assistance.

For resources, we count the thingsyou own, such as real estate (otherthan the home you live in), bank

accounts, cash, stocks, and bonds.A person with resources worth nomore than $2,000 may be able to getSSI. The resource limit is $3,000 forcouples.

To qualify for SSI, you also mustlive in the United States or theNorthern Mariana Islands and be aU.S. citizen or national. In rare cases,noncitizen residents can qualify forSSI. If you live in certain types of

institutions or live in a shelter for the

homeless, you may qualify for SSI.People with blindness or a

disability who apply for SSI may beable to get free special services tohelp them work. These services may

include counseling and job training.The monthly maximum federal SSI

payment is the same nationwide andamounts to $698 for an individualand $1,048 for a couple. However,the amount you receive depends onfactors such as where you live, yourliving arrangements, and your income.Some states add money to the federalpayment.

Funding for the SSI program comes

from the general revenues of the U.S.

Treasury, not from Social Securitypayroll taxes.

To learn more about SSI, read theonline publication, You May Be AbleTo Get Supplemental Security Income

(SSI) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11069.html or visit the SSI page

at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi.

Tony WilliamsSocial Security public affairsspecialist in Aiken.



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Kimchi, Kefr, Kombucha, Oh My!By Cynthia F. Catts

Fermented foods and drinks havebeen around for thousands of

years but are inching their way into

the spotlight recently as consum-

ers are learning about the inherent

probiotic health benets of these

foods and beverages.

Fermented foods provide good

bacteria to the gut that we all need

to usurp the not-so-benecialbacteria that may be present. The

fermentation process (converting

carbohydrates to alcohols and car-

bon dioxide or organic acids using

yeasts and/or bacteria or simply

put, the conversion of sugars into

ethanol) allows the nutrients in the

foods to be more easily absorbed

since they're already predigested

by the benecial bacteria. These

foods also include the addition of

lactic acid, acetic acid and alkalisor the addition of protein, essential

amino acids, essential fatty acids

and vitamins.

This process is used to produce

alcoholic beverages such as wine,

beer and cider from juice or grain.

It is also employed in the leavening

of bread and to produce lactic acid

in sour foods such as sour dough,sauerkraut, salami, prosciutto,

kimchi and yogurt and in the pick-

ling of foods with vinegar (pickled

chutneys, beets and cucumbers).

My clients are asking me about

probiotics, "good bacteria" and

prebiotics. They are seeing inter-

esting items in the grocery stores

that boast of enhancing digestibil-

ity, especially good for people with

chronic diarrhea, IBS and evenmore serious conditions such as

heart disease and hypertension.

Kimchi (also spelled gimchi, kim-

chee or kim chee) is a traditional

Korean dish of soured (usually with

vinegar) vegetables. (I remember

well the stinky jar of cucumbers

that seemed to hang around for

years in my Aunt Lee's refrigera-tor).

Ker is a fermented milk drink

made from ker grains plus cow,

goat or sheep milk.

Kombucha is a non-alcoholic

fermented sweet tea, also known

as tea fungus or mushroom tea.

(Pretty nasty in appearance but

with great benet).

I have seen improved digestion inmy clients who include fermented

foods. These foods and beverages

also enrich the diet through devel-

opment of a diversity of avors,

aromas and textures. Fermented

foods often need less or no cook-

ing time.

Including fermented foods can be

exotic, as with some of the foodsnamed above or simple such as

pickled beets, sauerkraut, wine

and sour dough bread.

For more information about

improving digestion or to make

an appointment, Cyndi may be

reached at [email protected]

or at 803-642-9360



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continued from page 9

Adults and children 13 and older, $5Children 12 and younger, $3

SPECIAL EVENTSSenior Stroll - Wednesday,November 21, 9:00-11:00 a.m., $4

Festival Unplugged - Wednesday,November 21, 6:00-10:00 p.m. $50.Tickets are limited and must bepurchased in advance at Barbara SueBrodie Needleworks, Floyd & Green,Plum Pudding, Tea Garden GiftsBreakfast with Santa - Saturday,

November 24, 10:00-11:30 a.m.Adults and children 13 and older, $12;children 2-12, $9; children under 3,free. Tickets are limited and must bepurchased in advance.

The Aiken Area Council on Aging,

established in 1971, provides health,

wellness, nutrition, transportation, andother basic services that enhance the

quality of life and aids in the prevention

of critical acute-care needs of those it

serves. The Council on Aging, a 501c3

organization, is dedicated to empowering

Aiken-area seniors to live independently

and with dignity.



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Documents

Mature Times - October 2012