SOLON & BEYOND: Embden Historical Society releases schedule for 2021

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Am very happy to have some recent news to share with you as I sit here at this computer early this morning. As always, my many thanks go out to Carol Dolan for faithfully keeping us informed.

Embden Historical Society, Inc. 2021 Program. All meetings are on the second of the month. The meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with program at 7 p.m.

There will no meetings in January, February, March and April.

May 6, 2021, at 9, Rain date May 7. Clean Town House and Grounds. May 10, 2021, Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. Program: Properties, Trails, & History of Somerset Woods. Carol Dolan (slide presentation) by Jack Gibson, Location: Embden Town House, 751 Cross Town Road, Embden. Refreshments: Lois Erickson and Sara Donovan. Open building: Larry Witham.

June 14, 2021: Car Pool from Town House 6:30 p.m.; 7p.m., History and Tour; Brief business meeting following program: History and Tour of the South Solon Meeting House, Chairman: Andy Davis. Meet at: Embden Town House, 751 Cross Town Road, Embden, Car Pool to South Solon Meeting House Rd. Solon. July 12, 2021, Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. Program: The 1947 Fires in Maine, Could it Happen Again? Two old short films; Questions by Kent Nelson, Forest Ranger Specialist. Refreshments: Greg Scribner and Carol Dolan. Open, Air, & Clean Building. August 9, Program following the meeting, “Winter Walk” in Maine and Labrador, by Alexandra Conover-Bennett. Refreshment Committee: Jeanne Moore and Rita Tripp. September 13, 2021. Social Time: 4:30 p.m., Meal 5 p.m. Annual Potluck Meal. Drinks, plastic ware and plates provided. Members to bring your choice of: Casserole/Salad /Bread /Pickles or Dessert. Location: Jim/Jenny Lightbody, 133 Kennebec River Rd., Embden. Tour the Lightbody’s Museum. Annual meeting and Election of officers. Committee: Lois Erickson, Charlie and Mary Frear.

September 20, at 7 p.m. Program: Executive Committee Meeting to plan 2022’s Program. Location: Jim/Jenny Lightbody’s home, 133 Kennebeck River Rd., Embden.

October 11, Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Program. Embden’s Changes Over the Last 200 Years: Chairman: Bob Donovan, by Bob Dononovan. November 8 ( Meal: 5:30: Meeting 6:30: Yankee Swap follows) Program: Harvest Fest ( Pot Luck) / Yankie Swap: Jim Lightbory, Sr. Meal Chairpersons: Lois Erickson, Larry Witham & Elaine Jillson. Lois Ericson (pies) Mary Hatch (rolls) . There won’t be any meeting in December.

Another welcome bit of news is from Hailey Dellarma with 4-H news. Solon Pine Tree met on Saturday, December 12, at the Solon Fire Station. In attendance there were Kaitlin Dellarma, Devyn and Katelyn DeLeonardis, Desmond and Jillian Robinson, Isabella Atwood, and Autumn Ladd.

Craft projects were making Gromes from cardboard triangles, fabric, ribbon yarn and miniature Christmas bulbs for the nose.

The club purchased a Christmas dinner for a family of four. The dinner will be delivered next week. They collected items at the meeting to be donated to the Somerset Animal Shelter. They also read theThank You card from Tim Curtis for raking at the church.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, January 9, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., at the Solon Fire Station.

This is to inform you that the Embden Community Center Thrift Shop will be closed until further notice. It’s a “wait and see” approach after the first of the year.

And now for Percy’s memoir called, “Don’t Quit!” When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, when the funds are low, and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Life is odd with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns and many a failure turns about, when he might have won had he stuck it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, you may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out. The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are it may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit. It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Many Older Americans Heading Into The Holidays Feeling Depressed

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The isolation of the pandemic can cause some older Americans to feel depressed—but doctors can help.

Nearly Two-Thirds Of Seniors Who Feel Depressed Won’t Seek Treatment

(NAPSI)—Many older Americans say they feel depressed—yet the majority of them are not planning to get help, according to a new national survey—though it could make a tremendous difference in their health and well-being.

With the onset of colder weather, fewer daylight hours, and the effect of the pandemic on holiday celebrations and traditions, more seniors than ever could be struggling with depression.

The GeneSight Mental Health Monitor reported that about two-thirds of adults 65 and older who are concerned they may be suffering from depression say they won’t seek treatment. That’s compared to fewer than half of adults over age 18. In addition, three in 10 of these older adults think “they can just snap out of it.”

“The ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mindset and reluctance to talk about mental health may be preventing seniors from getting the help they need,” said Dr. Mark Pollack, chief medical officer of Myriad Neuroscience, makers of the GeneSight test, a genetic measure that identifies potential gene-drug interactions for depression medication. “People seek treatment for conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Depression is no different. It is an illness that can and should be treated.”

One GeneSight patient, Carmala Walgren, a 74-year-old resident of New York, agrees that depression should be treated regardless of age.

“There is such a stigma about depression among people my age,” said Walgren. “It is worth it to find treatment that helps you.”

Canceling Holiday Celebrations and The Effect on Mental Health

The pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of older Americans. Nearly one in four people over age 65 said that the news about the pandemic has left them “feeling consumed with sadness.” For those seniors who think they might have depression, the number climbs to nearly 4 in 10. Concerns about COVID are also why more than one in three seniors worried about being depressed say they are “somewhat” or “very likely” to cancel holiday celebrations such as Thanksgiving.

Even as some consider canceling holiday festivities, isolation from friends and family remains a concern. Just under half of these seniors say they feel “isolated and disconnected from family,” compared with 28% of all respondents over age 65, and 24% of respondents over age 18.

Connecting Can Help with Depression

Parikshit Deshmukh, M.D., CEO and medical director at Balanced Wellbeing, LLC, specializes in geriatric psychiatry. According to Dr. Deshmukh, families should make plans to connect virtually if they don’t feel comfortable about getting together in person. Further, caregivers should be vigilant in looking for the signs of depression in their older loved ones.

“It’s more important than ever to let each other know we care and that we are not alone—even if it feels that way,” said Dr. Deshmukh. “Video calls might not be for everyone. Yet, if that’s the only way to stay in touch, we need to do it.”

And Dr. Deshmukh reminds seniors to talk to their doctors. “If your clinician recommends treatment, ask about the GeneSight test. The results can help them make decisions about medications to treat your depression.”

That’s just what Carmala Walgren’s doctor did. “The results I got from this personalized genetic test helped my doctor and me to finally find the medication that worked for my depression.

He told me that because I was covered by Medicare, there would be no cost for me to take the test.

“The GeneSight test made such a difference in my life,” added Walgren. “I don’t know where I would be without it, especially now.”

Learn More

For further information on older adults and depression, visit www.genesight.com/olderadult.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: The holiday season 2020

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by Debbie Walker

Okay, so the holiday season of 2020 has begun. It is sure to have some differences for just about everyone. I hope you all had a great turkey day, enjoying good food and loving family and friends.

Included in my family’s celebration was our new little one to introduce to the holiday season. Thanksgiving was a small group of family: grandparents, aunts, and uncles, all looking forward to spending time with six-month-old Addison Grace. She is full of curiosity and two new teeth. Every day is an adventure to her.

Our weather here in central west coast Florida was a bit warmer than yours, we were able to still spend a good part of the gathering time outside without freezing. Now, that being said, I want to tell you that tonight is a reminder for me. A reminder of the cold in Maine. At 9:51 p.m., in Lecanto, Florida, on December 1, it is 36 degrees! I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal to you, however… Just the other day it was in the 80s! Day before yesterday it was 60+ degrees at 7 a.m. This 36 is not acceptable! Good thing it is only supposed to last two days.

OK, I am finished with the latest weather update, I am including a few jokes I found in a book from Reader’s Digest. Laughter, The Best Medicine – Holidays. Published in 2012

“One of the great unsolved mysteries of life is how you can get 24 pounds of leftovers from an 18-pound turkey,” by Robert Green.

“A three-year old’s report on Thanksgiving, ‘I didn’t like the turkey, but I liked the bread he ate.”’ by Art Linkletter.

“Bless oh Lord, these delectable vittles. May they add to thy glory and not to our middles.” By Yvonne Wright.

When my mother began teaching, she was known as Miss Smeed to her grade one students – or so she thought. She found out differently when she met one of the dads the following January.

“I’m so glad to meet you, he said warmly. Do you know it was Christmas before I found out your name wasn’t Mincemeat!”

So writing this column has taken a couple of days of putting together. I have been at Nana Dee’s (Wandering Nanas) for the past couple of weeks during her recuperation from open heart surgery. She had a mass they had to get rid of (like my medical terminology?!) and thankfully it is a total success. That means we will be wandering still!

The follow-up to our weather was this morning’s numbers. Sandy, Nana Dee’s dog, doesn’t care what the temperatures are, she still expects to be walked. Today that was my job. You will have no sympathy for me, I understand. Roxie’s and my time outside was in 28 DEGREES!

I found an article in our local Seniors paper about Surviving the Holidays and the writer was Beverly Thomassian.

One thing she pointed out was Sleep is particularly important. You need about seven hours of sleep. It helps you make better decisions.

Keep active. Try for 30 minutes of activity. Could be exercise, it could just be playing music and dancing or even playing cards.

Keep hydrated by enjoying plenty of water.

Limit alcohol to one drink a day for women and two for men. Do I know why the difference? Of course, I don’t, that kind of stuff irritates me.

You are already sweet enough. Limit sugar.

List the things for which you are grateful. This would be a great thing to do every day just to help create perspective.

I’m just curious what you might add to this. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any questions or comments. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great week!

REVIEW POTPOURRI: A Down-Home Country Christmas

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

A Down-Home Country Christmas

Sea Shell
P 14992, LP, anthology released 1981.

The above anthology featured selections from the Columbia/Epic Special Products catalog of artists. It was one of dozens of such Christmas anthologies released during the decades of LP availability and these records were usually priced at $1 under the auspices of Goodyear’s, B.F. Goodrich, Grant’s or other outlets.

Ray Price

Ray Price (1926-2013) sang Jingle Bells with commendable persuasiveness via his rich effusive baritone, although my favorite version of this song is still Peggy Lee’s with a children’s chorus.

Initially, Price had considered majoring in veterinary science after high school graduation but had second thoughts, because of his small size, working around large steers and horses in his native Texas. Having already shown talent as a singer and guitarist during his teenage years, he began performing on local radio, made some recordings for small labels and, by perseverance, and sheer luck, achieved fame and fortune.

In 1999, Price made headlines when he was arrested for possession of marijuana. When Willie Nelson, being no stranger to pot smoking himself, heard about Price’s arrest, he hailed it as good news for his friend, claiming that the arrest would give Price $5 million worth of free publicity.

Johnny Cash (1932-2003) narrated the seasonal Spirit of Christmas to the tune of Little Town of Bethlehem.

Jim Nabors (1930-2017) poured on his richly syrupy baritone in singing Come All Ye Faithful.

Jimmy Dean (1928-2010) intoned Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 movie, Meet Me in Saint Louis; who could forget Jimmy’s 1961 megahit, Big Bad John, his appearance in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever and his breakfast sausage.

Lynn Anderson (1947-2015) was the daughter of singer/songwriter Liz Anderson (1930-2011) and began her career as a regular on the Lawrence Welk Show for two years before heading to Nashville. A few years ago, I wrote a column about one of her Columbia albums, which was co-produced by her ex-husband, Glenn Sutton. She, like her mother had a sweet voice and her Soon It Will Be Christmas Day, not to be confused with Silver Bells, is quite lovely.

Marty Robbins (1925-1982) charted in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s with four very captivating classics, White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation, Story of My Life, Seventeen, and Devil Woman. He died very early just after heart surgery. His Hark the Herald Angels Sing is good but not his best.

Now 62, Tanya Tucker did a very good Silver Bells during her teenage years after achieving fame and fortune at 14 years old with What’s Your Mama’s Name? and Delta Dawn. She had romances with singers Merle Haggard, Andy Gibbs and Glen Campbell, and actor Don Johnson.

The three remaining tracks are as follows:

Charlie Rich (1932-1995) – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Jody Miller , now 79, What Child Is This.

And the last selection, an absolute gem, is the Chuck Wagon Gang’s a cappella Joy to the World.

A solid recommendation for Christmas music.

SOLON & BEYOND: The Passing of the Back House

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Have been going through all my old stash of memories of days gone by and decided to write some of the funny things I have written about to give you a good laugh in these troubling times.

Probably many of you won’t know what I am talking about with this first one, called The Passing Of the Back House!…So I will give you an idea.” When memory keeps me company and moves to smile or tears, A weather-beaten object looms through the mist of years. Behind the house and barn it stood a half mile or more, And hurrying feet a path had made straight to its swinging door.

It’s architecture was a type of simple classic art, But in the tragedy of life it played a leading part; And oft passing traveler drove slow and heaved a sigh to see the modest hired girl slip out with glances shy.

We had our posy garden that the women loved so well, I loved it, too, but better still I loved the stronger smell that filled the evening breezes so full of cheer – That told the night-o’er taken tramp that human life was near. On lazy August afternoons it made a little bower delightful where my grandsire sat and whiled away an hour – For there the summer mornings the very cares entwined and berry bushes reddened in the streaming soil behind. All day the spiders spun their webs to catch the buzzing flies That flittered to and from the house where ma was baking pies and once a swarm of hornets bold built a palace there and stung my unsuspecting aunt – I must not tell you where.

Then father took a flaming pole – that was a happy day. He nearly burned the buildings up, but the hornets left to stay. When summer bloom began to fade and winter to carouse, we banked the little building with a heap of hemlock boughs.

But when the crust was on the snow and the sullen skies were gray. In sooth the building was no place where one could wish to stay. We did our duties promptly there – one purpose swayed our minds – We tarried not nor lingered long on what we left behind.

The torture of that icy seat could make a Spartan sob, For needs must scrape the gooseflesh with a lacerated cob that from a frost-encrusted nail suspended by a string – My father was a frugal man and wasted not a thing. When grandpa had to go out back and make his morning call, We bundled up the dear old man with muffler and a shawl. I knew the hole on which he sat, ’twas padded all around. And once, I dared to sit there – it was all too wide I found. My loins were all too little, and I jack-knifed there to stay. They had to come and get me out or I would have passed away. Then father said ambition was a thing that boys should shun and I must use the children’s hole till childhood days were done.

But still I marvel at the craft that cut those holes so true – The baby hole and slender hole that fitted sister Sue. That dear old country landmark; I’ve tramped around a bit, And in the lap of luxury my lot has been to sit.

But ere I die I’ll eat the fruit of trees I robbed of yore, Then seek the shanty where my name is carved upon the door. I ween the old familiar smell will soothe my faded soul – I’m now a man, but none the less I’ll try the children’s hole.

Hope some of you remember those good old days and get a good laugh out of it! There isn’t any date on the following, but it was written several several years ago: It starts, Good morning my friends, it seems I am accomplishing what I set out to do —with some of you anyway. My goal was to bring a chuckle or maybe even a belly laugh to someone each week. One person told me when they read the account about Mark’s MG, they “cracked up” that’s good hope each and every one of you will work on developing a really good sense of humor. Love, laugh and be happy.

And now for Percy’s memoir: So give of yourself and of your time; give surprise gifts and encouraging words. ( words from a little book called, Hugs to encourage and inspire.)

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Canada lynx surviving in the state of Maine

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Every once in a while, the conversation comes up about Canada lynx in Maine. Are they present in the state, where can they be found, are they dangerous? The questions are many.

Friends of mine who live in Richmond have had to deal with one on their mini-farm, who liked to come around and harass the chickens.

The Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis, was listed as threatened on March 24, 2004, by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Canada lynx are medium-sized cats, generally 30-35 inches long and weighing 18-23 pounds. They have large feet adapted to walking on snow, long legs, tufts on the ears, and black-tipped tails. They are highly adapted for hunting snowshoe hare, the primary prey, in the snows of the boreal forest.

A report released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department’s Montana Field Office offers some insights.

Lynx in the contiguous United States are at the southern margins of a widely-distributed range across Canada and Alaska. The center of the North American range is in north-central Canada. Lynx are found in coniferous forests that have cold, snowy winters and provide a prey base of snowshoe hare. Lynx, primarily found in northern Maine, prey almost exclusively on snowshoe hare, so the fate of both species are linked. Maine’s population, believed to be several hundred animals, is contiguous with populations in southern Québec and northern New Brunswick.

Lynx can only flourish in a large boreal forest that contains appropriate forest types, snow depths and high snowshoe hare densities. In the Northeast, lynx were most likely to be in areas that support deep snow (106 inches annually), associated with regenerating boreal forest landscapes.

A Canada lynx in the wild.

A Canada lynx in the wild.

Lynx are highly mobile and have a propensity to travel long distances, particularly when prey becomes scarce.

Some believe both lynx and coyotes would compete for the same food, but during a recent 12-year study, it was found that is not the case. Lynx roam the deep snow without problems, while coyotes travel more in packs along trails and road systems, and are more likely to attack larger prey, such as deer.

Another question: do Canada lynx and coyotes attack each other? In the wild coyotes kill Canada lynx, but Canada lynx don’t kill coyotes.

The historic and current range of the lynx in the contiguous United States is within the southern extensions of the forests of the Northeast, Great Lakes, Rocky Mountains and Cascade Mountains.

The lynx is listed in 14 states that support the environment needed to sustain the animal. Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are three of them.

The environment in Maine is perfect to support Canada lynx populations. Harsh winters, deep snow, dense evergreen forests and sub-zero temperatures are exactly what the lynx likes. But, due to extensive hunting for its pelts in the 1960s, the cat nearly disappeared from Maine. Only a new law protecting the lynx, enacted in 1967, has protected it from hunting and trapping. It is illegal to hunt or trap Canada lynx in Maine.

Canada lynx are a federally-listed Threatened Species. There is no open season for the trapping or hunting of lynx in Maine. To protect lynx and to help Maine trappers avoid accidentally taking lynx, the department has delineated a lynx protection zone in northern Maine where special regulations are in effect.

It is believed the lynx population in Maine is at a historic high. More than 1,000 adult lynx are believed to be inhabiting the Maine forests. Even though it doesn’t sound like very many, compared to other fur bearing animals in the state, the lynx is actually living at the edge of its range.

Although the lynx was placed on the federal-threatened species list, it is only listed as a species of special concern in the state of Maine.

Legal trapping, snaring, and hunting for bobcat, coyote, wolverine, and other furbearers create a potential for incidental capture of lynx. Lynx persist throughout their range despite the incidental catch that presumably has occurred throughout the past, probably at higher levels than presently.

Even though the animal rights group won a ruling about the state taking steps to prevent the occasional accidental trappings, they were not successful in their request for temporary suspension of some trapping where lynx are present in northern Maine.

Subsequently, inadvertent trappings of Canada lynx occur from time to time.

As far as human interaction is concerned, various reports have described it as ‘fearsome’, warning that it ‘could eat pets’ and be ‘aggressive if cornered’. According to the Borth Wild Animal Kingdom in Ceredigion, as of October 2017, there have never been any recorded attacks of a lynx on a human, but they are a wild animal… and will attack if cornered or trapped.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the four NFL teams to never appear in a Super Bowl.

Answer can be found here.

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, December 10, 2020

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To submit a photo for this section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@townline.org!

PURPLE SKIES: Ashley Wills, of Palermo, photographed this unusual sunset over Sheepscot Lake recently.

GOOD EVENING: Pat Clark, of Palermo, captured these evening grosbeaks feeding on the ground near her home.

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: Is our country ready to round the corner on race relations?

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by Charlotte Henderson

After the Civil War, during the Reconstruction Period in American history (1865 – 1877), many newly-freed blacks took advantage of the right to vote and the right to hold office. As slavery was abolished (13th Amendment to the Constitution), denial of voting rights on account of race was prohibited (15th Amendment), and means were set up for secessionist states (freed blacks, too) to rejoin the nation and vote (14th Amendment), there were as many as 2,000 black office holders. But the successes were short lived as, over only a decade or so, segregationist powers modified rules and carried out personal attacks that drove blacks out.

It wasn’t until the 1960s that they again held significant numbers of public offices. When Barack Obama became our nation’s first black president in 2009, it seemed a huge breakthrough for race relations and a hopeful signal for equality. But as the realization sank in that a person of color could actually get elected, latent prejudices were triggered and a not-so-subtle resistance developed against this black president’s success.

At the same time, people of color took it as inspiration to seek – even demand – their equal opportunities and treatment in our society which provoked more resistance. Many citizens had gut fear that “those people” were not caving in to white supremacy anymore and the fear shows up as anger and hostility.

Early on in the Obama presidency, in a Senate committee meeting, upon hearing a committee member caution that they couldn’t let Obama have a success, Maine Senator Angus King, asked, “Then what the hell are we doing here?” He was asking why the committee even bothered to discuss it if the foregone conclusion was that they wouldn’t push it forward. Many proposals died in committee due to that attitude.

It seems evident that the election of a black president revealed the possibility that blacks – and, by extension, any people of color and other marginalized citizens – might actually have a shot at true equality. So, as in post-Reconstruction times, resistance to that idea signaled a movement to squelch the notion by suppressing their initiative.

It seems likely that we’re all in for another long and rocky lap in the race toward equality. But this time there are greater numbers and more political savvy. And, the American spirit and idealism that led to the Founding Fathers’ dream of a new kind of country is alive and well in a lot of our countrymen and women. We must keep striving.

Community Commentary is a forum The Town Line makes available for citizens to express their opinions on subjects of interest to our readers, and is not necessarily the views of the staff or the board of directors. The Town Line welcomes, and encourages, supportive comments, differing opinions, counterpoints or opposing views. Keep the rebuttals positive, and informative. Submissions containing personal attacks will be rejected.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Ten Famous Sopranos

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Ten Famous Sopranos

London, OS 26206, LP, 1973 release.

This anthology makes for a wonderful introduction to the appreciation of great opera (I know some consider great and opera an oxymoron) via 10 of the finest sopranos active during the last century, although I notice two of London records finest artists Inge Borkh and Mirella Freni are missing.

Renata Tebaldi

Renata Tebaldi, 1922-2004, delivers a heart-rending Vissi D’Arte from Giacomo Puccini’s opera of tragedy, Tosca, in which she is pleading with God to alleviate her sorrow. During Tebaldi’s first engagement in Italy in 1944, she travelled the many miles to and from it on a horse-driven cart under heavy machine gun fire during wartime. Two years later, the great conductor Arturo Toscanini told her that ‘she had the voice of an angel.’

Joan Sutherland

Joan Sutherland, 1926-2010, sings an aria from Gounod’s Faust. She made her very successful Covent Garden debut in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and was visited backstage by Maria Callas, who was a huge fan and one of her best friends. She and her husband, conductor Richard Bonynge, who’s still living, were both from Sydney, Australia.

Leontyne Price

Leontyne Price, still living at 93, had during her prime years a voice that combined sheer power and astounding beauty. She was from Mississippi and received a scholarship to study voice at Juilliard School of Music in NYC. Within a few short years, she had a recording contract with RCA Victor. Here she sings a magnificent aria from Verdi’s Aida.

Birgit Nilsson

Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, 1918-2005, had lungs of steel and recorded the dramatic roles in Wagner and Richard Strauss’s crazy operas — the Wagner 16 hour Ring cycle and Strauss’s violent masterworks, Salome and Elektra. She could also give sweet renditions of Swedish lullabies.

She sings a jubilant aria from Wagner’s Tannhauser.

Regine Crespin

French soprano Regine Crespin, 1927-2007, personified a delectable refinement in her low, middle and upper vocal register.

She was also notorious for her rough and tough high standards and bad temper; during the recording of Wagner’s Die Walkure with tenor James King, he missed a cue and she kicked him on the shin.

She sings Santuzza’s heart-breaking lament, Voi Lo Sapete, from Mascagni’s gorgeous Cavalleria Rusticana, an opera that received 14,000 performances in Italy alone during the composer’s lifetime.

The remaining five sopranos are Pilar Lorengar, Zinka Milanov, Elena Souliotis, Marilyn Horne, and Gwyneth Jones who each sing, in order of appearance, arias from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, Bizet’s Carmen and Wagner’s Flying Dutchman.

In short, a record to cherish.

* * * * * *

W. H. Auden

Some lines from the poem Little Things by the prize-winning 25-year-old Romanian poet Anastasia Gavrilovici in an English translation by Caterina Stanislav and Vlad Pojoga:

“Maybe people really do give their best shot when they’re crushed, just like olives/ Or maybe not, what do I know, my mind is a piece of Swiss cheese through which you can hear the music of lab rats.”

W.H. Auden wrote a poem, The Age of Anxiety, during World War II. Anas­tasia’s poem mirrors the current anxiety going on due to the pandemic and other on-going issues. She is definitely a poet of interest.

 

 

 

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Supporting Children And Teens In Managing Their Diabetes

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Young people with diabetes need support from the adults in their lives.

(NAPSI)—Diabetes is not just an adult disease. It’s one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children and teens in the United States. Today, it affects about 193,000 youth under 20 years of age and rates of newly diagnosed cases in young people are increasing.

When a young person has diabetes, it can be difficult to determine whether the disorder is type 1 or type 2. In either case, managing the diabetes is very important for long-term health.

Children and teens need support from their parents or other adult caregivers to manage their diabetes. Research shows that managing diabetes best works when adults and youth work as a team. The young person can gradually take on more responsibility, with the adult monitoring from a distance and making changes as needed.

Here are the main tasks that need to be covered in a diabetes plan:

• Manage blood glucose levels. An important goal for youth with diabetes is to take medicines as prescribed, at the right time, and in the right dose—even when they feel good or have reached their suggested target for blood glucose goals. Research shows that health complications can be greatly reduced, delayed, or possibly prevented by keeping blood glucose levels near normal. It’s also important to consistently take prescribed blood pressure or cholesterol medicines.

• Adopt healthy habits. Youth with diabetes should follow a healthy eating plan that allows enough calories for growth but avoids added sugar and fat. Getting enough sleep is also important. Some strategies that parents and youth can negotiate are to turn off electronics before bedtime and to keep a regular sleep schedule. A third important healthy habit is regular physical activity. If possible, youth should check blood glucose levels before, during, and after a game or a sport, to help monitor blood glucose levels.

• Stay prepared for emergencies. A “go kit” that young people can assemble with help from adults includes at least a week’s worth of medical supplies and equipment, a three-day supply of food, emergency and health care professional contact lists, a medication list including doses and dosing schedules, and an allergy list. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face coverings, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes can be added to the go kit. Adults can reinforce with young people the value of social distancing, along with use of these go kit supplies, to prevent spread of infection.

• Monitor for diabetes complications. Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce risk for heart disease, vision loss, nerve damage, and other related health problems.

• Seek mental health support. It can be very helpful for young people with diabetes to connect with others their own age who also have diabetes. This can help reduce stress and anxiety and boost motivation for sticking to a plan to manage their diabetes. The young person’s health care team should have information on youth support groups (online or in-person) and other mental health resources.

The National Institute on ­Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) spearheads research to help improve diabetes management and treatment in children and teens. “Our understanding of how type 2 diabetes affects youth is still maturing,” says NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. ­Rodgers. “We must continue to explore treatments to ensure that these young people can live long, healthy lives.”

For more information on managing diabetes, visit the NIDDK website, www.niddk.nih.gov.