Today, we hear this phrase used so often in reference to finances, whether it be an office slush fund or the more infamous allusion to the federal government treating Social Security coffers like a slush fund. But the phrase actually finds its origin among early 19^th century seafarers.

Slush originally referred to the fat and grease refuse that resulted from boiling meat aboard ship. Typically, sailors would save this “slush” with the intent of selling it as cooking lard, thus earning a little bit of pocket change or, more appropriately, a personal slush fund.

“We used part of the office slush fund to throw our boss a birthday party.”

(Forced to) eat crow

While this phrase has a deeper basis in myth than it does fact, it still warrants some note. Legend has it that during the War of 1812, a British soldier stumbled upon an American hunter returning from an outing. Holding the hunter at gunpoint, the British soldier forced the American to eat the crow he had just shot, supposedly as a measure of humiliation.

In time, the notion of “eating crow” became synonymous with shame.

“When the company’s profits for the next quarter were not as high as the chairman predicted, he was forced to eat crow.”

Butter wouldn’t melt in his/her mouth

This phrase probably ranks among the world’s oldest insults, dating as far back as the 16^th century. It refers to someone’s personality, insinuating that they are so cold hearted, reptilian even, that they lack the body temperature needed to melt butter.

“I find her presence insufferable. She is wholly without personality. Indeed, I’d bet that butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.”

Blue laws

It’s hard to believe that in the 21^st century there are still states that are either dry or have antiquated liquor laws on the books. But believe it or not, there are. In some counties and local jurisdictions, for instance, there are laws that make it illegal for a liquor store to open for business on Sunday. These statutes, better known as Blue Laws, are named after 17^th century theocratic laws, commonly published on blue paper in states like Connecticut.

“Thanks to our county’s blue laws, I have to stock up on beer on Saturday.”

After recruiting Cedar Crest community member and chemical engineer Bill Sperry, Ferguson took action in what has so far saved the community $350 a month in waste-hauling costs and countless dollars in diesel fuel. Not to mention two shuttle buses, four mowers, and one ATV now emit zero carbon into the environment.

Partners in biodiesel

Using biodiesel technology, Cedar Crest converts 500 gallons of used cooking oil (vegetable oil and animal fats) from its four on-site restaurants into fuel for its vehicles that run on diesel fuel. The clean-burning, nontoxic, biodegradable alternative fuel contains no petroleum and almost no sulfur or aromatics.

Sperry, who has lived at Cedar Crest for almost nine years, worked hand-in-hand with Ferguson to evaluate the most appropriate plan of action and to implement safe operation of the new equipment, which is housed on campus.

“I was a consultant on safety and final design,” says Sperry, who attended a biodiesel conference with Ferguson while in the project’s planning stages. “We evaluated different companies and packages, and we chose one that best fit Cedar Crest.” All the biodiesel equipment at Cedar Crest has undergone and passed tedious inspections by the fire marshal and building code inspector.

Sperry, a retired chemical engineer for DuPont, in Wilmington, Del., says he likes knowing he helped do something good for ecology. “Instead of throwing away energy used in cooking oil, we harness that energy,” he explains. “[It] is renewable and will help us protect the environment. This system also helps save the community money because Cedar Crest will not have to pay for oil to be hauled away.”

Significant savings

The initial equipment cost Cedar Crest $17,000, but the community saw a return on its investment in just eight months.

“It’s a huge savings in diesel fuel,” Ferguson says. “And those vehicles that use it have a zero carbon footprint.”

With very little labor involved, the equipment processes 80-gallon batches, which can be pumped directly into any of the community’s diesel vehicles. All of those vehicles remain on campus, saving the community an additional $.30 a gallon road tax.

While biodiesel fuel currently costs more at the pump than regular diesel, the community reaps savings unseen by most individuals because it produces its own.

“Residents are excited about Cedar Crest taking a green initiative,” Ferguson says. And they also love seeing the community find ways to save money.

What’s next

Cedar Crest’s next eco-initiative will convert food waste into water. Read more about Food2Water in next month’s issue.

Note: You should never fuel your vehicle with clean or used grease or vegetable oil that has not been converted to biodiesel fuel.

To learn more about biodiesel fuel, visit the following websites by the U.S. Department of Energy:

• www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/biodiesel.html
• www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/biodiesel.shtml

What prompted the dramatic lifestyle change? Arnetta moved to Fox Run, the Erickson Living community in Novi, Mich.

“When I first moved in here, I discovered the world of exercise. My working life had never given me time for exercise,” Arnetta says. “I just decided that with this gym here, I was going to see what it felt like to be in shape.”

Star pupil goes to head of class

Fox Run boasts an on-site fitness and aquatics center that makes staying healthy convenient for those who live at the community. Shortly after Arnetta moved to Fox Run, she began training once a week with one of the community’s personal trainers, who encouraged her to add a water workout to her routine.

Arnetta started attending weekly water workout classes, and when the instructor left Fox Run for another job, the fitness center staff asked Arnetta if she would take over the class.

“That makes me feel really good,” Arnetta says.

Arnetta leads a weekly water workout class for about ten fellow community members. She says the class focuses on stretching as well as aerobic exercise, like jumping jacks and running in place, using the weight of the water as resistance.

Irv Boynton, who moved from Commerce Township, attends Arnetta’s water workouts. He says he’s always enjoyed swimming but hadn’t previously done other water exercise until Arnetta encouraged him to give it a try.

“I thought it would be good to have somebody be a little bit of a motivator,” Irv says. “I appreciate [Arnetta’s] demeanor and her whole approach to life and athletics and good health.

Life with dad at Fox Run

Arnetta shares her Fox Run apartment home with her husband Bill and her 98-year-old father. The trio has a spacious Lansing-style apartment home, which features two separate bedroom suites on opposite sides of the home and a third bedroom in the middle that they use as a media room. It also features a full kitchen and open dining and living area.

Arnetta first started looking at Fox Run because her father was living with her at her Farmington Hills home. She says maintaining her large house and yard was becoming a burden, and she thought it would be best to move to a community where continuing care would be available if her dad should need it.

“I knew I had to downsize, and I wanted continuing care for my father,” Arnetta says. “And I thought, ‘Why not have that [option available] for myself too?’”

Arnetta says moving to a smaller home where she doesn’t have to worry about maintenance has made a real difference in her happiness. Instead, she and Bill spend time with their nine grandchildren and can focus on simply enjoying life together.

“I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders,” she says “We have so much freedom here; I don’t have to worry about planning dinners and cooking.”

In addition to working on her physical fitness and inspiring other people to do the same, Arnetta takes advantage of the many leisure activities and opportunities for personal growth available at Fox Run. She plays in the community’s bell choir, sings in the chorus, and participates in a music study group. She writes for Fox Run’s newsletter. And, because she is able to live with her father, she spends plenty of quality time with him as well.

“My dad and I still go bowling every week,” she says.

Have you ever watched closely as an ice skater spins? She focuses on one spot as her body turns, and then suddenly turns her head and focuses on another. If she kept her gaze constantly spinning, she’d get dizzy. But by shifting her focus from spot to spot, she can maintain her equilibrium. That same principle can help you survive this madly spinning world.

Focus on the important

If you try to take it all in—all the news, all the latest gizmos, all the health problems, all the changes in weather—it would definitely make you dizzy. But you also just can’t throw your hands up in the air and give up. So like the skater, you have to focus on just a couple of spots. It’s true you’ll miss some things, but better to keep your sanity than try to absorb it all.

Let’s take computers (or tablets) as an example of what I mean. Computers allow you to open up all sorts of windows onto the world that you can explore endlessly. But opening all those windows takes a certain amount of skill to master. Many people end up saying that it’s too much for them and don’t even try. But if you adopt that attitude, you’d be missing an important window. Video chatting, for instance, allows you to both talk to and see your family members who may live far away. You may have heard of Skype, which is a software program that allows you to do that, and best of all, it’s free.

So forget about wishing to step off this madly spinning world. Instead, look for areas on which to focus and in that way you can continue to enjoy the ride.

That changed late last year when his tags were returned to him, spurring a chain of events and unexpected honors for Richard, who lives at Brooksby, the Erickson Living community in Peabody, Mass.

Lost and found

Then-teenager Mike Villagomez, a resident of Saipan, discovered Richard’s tags in a field in 1981. Last year, Villagomez’s wife Erlinda mentioned the tags to a colleague in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Saipan. The colleague, deputy marshal Randy Kruid, found Richard Urie on the Internet and connected with him. Kruid and Mrs. Villagomez then enlisted the help of another colleague who lived in Massachusetts and was able to deliver the tags to Richard at Brooksby.

“A young marine lost a dog tag, and you don’t expect it to come back to you 67 years later,” Richard says.

Sharing honors

While Richard provided interviews for Brooksby’s own TV station, TV919, and for local newspapers, back in Saipan Mrs. Villagomez asked her uncle, U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, who represents the Northern Mariana Islands, to present Richard with a medallion for his service.

Sablan and Massachusetts Congressman John F. Tierney made the trip to Brooksby earlier this year to present Richard with the commemorative medallion in a ceremony in Brooksby’s interfaith chapel.

“This gentleman has become our family,” Sablan told Richard’s family, friends, and fellow veterans who attended the event. Sablan explained that his father, who was a teenager when Richard was in Saipan, doesn’t talk about the conflict there except to say, “Just be grateful that you didn’t live through it.”

“I wouldn’t be here without Mr. Urie,” Sablan adds.

Richard accepted the award on behalf of his Brooksby neighbors and those who fought in the Pacific.

“This award means a lot more to a lot of people of Brooksby,” Richard said after being given the medal, which joined the dog tags around his neck. “We were a generation. Whether you fought or were at home, we lived through the war.”

Richard added: “I accept it in honor of all the people who fought in the Pacific. It was a long trip for a lot of people. I honor the people who didn’t come back and the people who did.”

Before those in attendance, Richard reflected upon his memorable experience of landing in Nagasaki, Japan, in September 1945 just after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The people he met in Nagasaki were stunned but also relieved that the worst seemed to be over, he said. Richard served in the Marines for four years and was a private first class.

“It was very touching,” says Richard’s daughter, Beth Driscoll, who attended the ceremony with her husband. “I’m very honored to say that my father served in World War II.”

Enclave for grace

At Brooksby, Richard participates on the dining committee, working with those who live and work in the community to enhance and maintain high-quality service in its restaurants.

“Our enclave here is a unique place,” Richard says of Brooksby. “I think this is a magnificent way to live.”

Overwhelmed and surprised by the attention and chain of events that have prompted fellow veterans to contact Richard since hearing his story, Richard maintains his humility and graciousness.

“I’m very proud to be the recipient and the conduit of this award, but I’m just the marine that made a mistake,” he says, referencing the dog tags he lost 67 years ago.

Dr. Rigali received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., and her degree in osteopathic medicine from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Carney Hospital in Boston, Mass. Board certified in internal medicine, Rigali joined Brooksby in October 2006.

Q. I’ve always had strong, healthy teeth, but now I seem to have cavities every time I see the dentist. Why is this happening?

A. Many factors can affect your teeth as you age. Your enamel wears down over time. You may not produce as much saliva as you used to, and many medications can also contribute to a dry mouth. You may develop gum disease. Changes in your vision, muscle weakness, or arthritis may affect your ability to brush and floss as well as you used to.

Talk to your regular doctor to see if you may have a health condition or a medication that is affecting your teeth. Pay close attention when you brush and floss and make sure you are using fluoride toothpaste. Your dentist may recommend an in-office fluoride treatment to strengthen your enamel.

Q. Is it better for older adults to drink filtered water instead of tap water?

A. Tap water from municipal water systems in the U.S. is generally safe for everyone to drink. An exception is if your water supply has been interrupted for a period of time due to a water main break or weather problems. In that case, you should wait to use water from the tap for drinking or cooking until your local government says it is safe. Well water, whether it’s from a private source or a small community well, should be tested regularly. If you have cancer, an immune system disorder, or have had an organ transplant, you should boil well water before using it to drink, cook, or brush your teeth.

Please send any questions or concerns you may have by email to expert@erickson.com

Now Dick shares his stories and the lessons of World War II with four local schools.

A dream comes true

In 2011, Pam Martello, a history teacher from J.L. Simpson Middle School in Leesburg, Va., asked Dick to share his story with her students.

“It’s something I always thought about doing,” says Dick, who lives at Ashby Ponds, an Erickson Living community in Ashburn, Va.

“Over the last few years I’ve written a half dozen stories about my wartime experiences for my children and grandchildren,” he continues. “I shared these with Pam, explaining to her that a private’s view of combat has no glory but many exposures to pain and death.”

Dick also emailed a friend who had a grandson in middle school to find out, firsthand, what questions were on students’ minds.

Ultimately, Dick decided to address the sights and sounds of war while driving home the point that World War II was fought and won very differently from wars today. He spoke to six history classes on his visit to J.L. Simpson and left a lasting impression.

“The teacher joked that her students are never that quiet for her,” says Dick, who returns to the school this spring when students begin their study of World War II.

Word of Dick’s innate ability to bring history alive has spread like wildfire. Other local schools asked him to share his stories.

Reality of war

Dick’s honesty is what makes his lessons so popular. By addressing the sights and sounds of the battlefield, he helps to create a sense of reality that words in a textbook could never achieve.

He candidly speaks of his first experience with incoming artillery and the impact it had on his life.

“Honestly, I was scared,” he says. “I was certain I’d never see daylight again. So I prayed. Not to get old or even for the end of the war, but just to get one more day. Thus far I have received 24,569 more days, but my first prayer, every day, even this morning, was to thank God for each day of my life.

“I tell this to the students straight up, and I remind them that every day is precious, and I hope that each of them has at least 24,000 more days ahead of them,” he adds. “They should appreciate every single day as a gift. Wars are not glamorous. Wars are about death.”

Modern day comparison

Dick also explains the difference between the way wars are fought today in comparison to his experiences in World War II.

“What’s been going on in recent years, for example, in Afghanistan, is worse than what we faced in several ways,” he says. “We had a uniform different from our enemy. There was normally a front line with us on one side and them on the other. And the biggest difference between World War II and all wars that have come since then is that when we went across Germany and reached the Elbe River and captured all the German land, the war was over. Not anywhere since then have we had that kind of closure.”

Lasting lessons

On May 8, 1945, V-E Day, the war in Europe came to an end. Dick shares with the students a photo taken of him on that historic day. He and his squadron spent the previous two weeks in a small German town tasked with protecting a bakery.

“It’s not a bad service,” Dick says. “No one is shooting at you and the bakery gave us a loaf of that good dark German bread every day. The 2nd squadron was on another street guarding a bank. And that’s really the way it’s supposed to work out. The U.S. got no land, no bounty, no reward. What we really hoped for was for the German people to enjoy continuity of lifestyle.”

Dick and his wife Jean visited the bakery in 2008. “The fact that this bakery was still operating in 2008 means that we were successful in our efforts,” he says.

Power of the truth

By sharing not only the realities of war but also the hope that grew from America’s victory, Dick inspires the students to contemplate his words and ask questions.

“The kids listen so intently,” he says. “They are rapt. When they start asking meaningful questions, you know you got to them. I give them the most straight-up answers I possibly can. They are very involved and very receptive. Sharing my experiences in this way is very rewarding.”

Nobody knows that better than Susanne Howard, special trips coordinator at the Parkville, Md., Erickson Living community. Similar to a travel agent, Howard plans trips and escorts Oak Crest residents to destinations all over the world.

“We’ve been to so many places—the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Nova Scotia, Memphis, Tenn., the Hudson River Valley, Myrtle Beach, S.C.—and done so many different things. However, I draw the line at skydiving, rock climbing, and bungee jumping,” says Howard, a former Baltimore County school bus driver.

Getting there is half the fun

Joe Smith has attended many of those trips since moving to Oak Crest in 2004. “The first trip I went on was to Branson, Mo.,” says Joe. “A friend of mine went with me, and we never laughed so much in our lives. After that I was hooked, and I think I’ve been on at least 20 trips since.”

A father of 11 and grandfather of 27, traveling wasn’t something Joe had an opportunity to do until after he retired. “We had taken a few trips here and there to visit family in New Jersey and Minnesota. For our 25th wedding anniversary, our kids sent us to Bermuda. But for the most part we were too busy raising children to really travel much,” he says.

So when the opportunity for a trip to Alaska came up, Joe didn’t think twice. “Without question it was one of the best trips I’ve been on,” he says.

The travel bug bit Joe’s neighbor Shirley Bollinger at an early age. “When I was growing up, once a year my mother and I would take the train to Washington, D.C., to visit relatives,” says Shirley. “I loved it! I remember always thinking that the train ride was never quite long enough.”

With trips to Nova Scotia, Alaska, the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Europe, the Mediterranean, and twice cross-country by train under her belt, Shirley knows firsthand how much work goes into planning for a trip. But, she says, since moving to Oak Crest 11 years ago, traveling has never been easier.

“[Howard] does a superb job of planning every detail of a trip so all you have to do is pack your bags and show up,” says Shirley.

At a monthly meeting called Residents on the Go (ROTG), Howard invites Oak Crest community members to share their travel ideas. “It’s an opportunity for residents to give their input on where they would like to go and what kinds of things they would like to see,” says Howard. “Once we get a list of ideas, I have someone who then helps me get an itinerary together. I try to factor in things like how much walking there will be, how readily available restrooms are, and how easily special diets can be accommodated.”

Off the beaten track

All trips are advertised throughout the community with flyers, as well as on the community’s in-house TV station. On average, 15 to 25 people travel with the group. Notable past trips include a ten-day paddle boat cruise on the Queen of the West down the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette Rivers, in Oregon, and a trip to the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt.

“Susanne is great at coming up with fascinating travel spots,” says Joe. “She finds lots of interesting places that you might not necessarily think of on your own.”

Howard is busy planning trips for 2012 and 2013, including a trip aboard the Grand American Queen Steamboat from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. Other destinations include the Caribbean Islands; British Isles; Normandy, France; Atlantic City, N.J.; the trains of the Colorado Rockies; Ocean City, Md.; Canada; and the Tournament of Roses parade in Los Angeles, Calif.

No doubt Shirley and Joe will be on one or more of those trips. “I would never have the opportunity to travel like this if I had not moved to Oak Crest,” says Joe. “Over the years I’ve been to so many interesting places and made so many friends. It’s just been great!”

Eileen’s gateway to Linden Ponds was a close friend who Eileen accompanied on visits to the community and later joined for cards. When her friend moved in more than three years ago, Eileen was still living in her eight-room house of 52 years in Randolph, Mass., and she recalls, “I had no intention of moving.”

But as time passed, Eileen says, “I didn’t need stairs or a big house.” She found herself mostly housebound during the stormy winter of 2010 – 2011, and her four children told her they worried about her spending another winter like that.

Fitting resources

Once she made the decision to move, Eileen welcomed Linden Ponds Personal Moving Consultant Lynne Ford to her house. Ford visits people planning a move to the community and helps determine the furniture arrangement in their new apartment home. Eileen chose the Georgian-style one-bedroom apartment home with a den and one and a half baths.

“It’s perfect for me,” she says.

Eileen also chose a real estate agent from Coldwell Banker, on Erickson Realty and Moving Services’ list of preferred vendors. Once her house sold, she customized her new home by working with Linden Ponds Custom Interiors to change the kitchen countertops to a more vibrant color and to have drapes made.

Since her move, Eileen has settled into a busy routine of games—mah-jongg twice a week, canasta once a week, and Mexican train dominoes Monday nights after dinner. “Everybody here is very friendly,” she says.

Eileen lives in the same Linden Ponds neighborhood as her longtime friend who first moved to Linden Ponds. She has also begun using the on-site medical services, including a physical therapist and a new primary care physician.

“I really think they have everything here that you could possibly want,” she says.

1. Do good and feel good. Instead of a typical beach or golf getaway, take a volunteer vacation. Sheryl Kayne (immersiontraveler.com), author of Immersion Travel USA: The Best & Most Meaningful Volunteering, Living & Learning Excursions, says there are many ways to see the world and make it a better place. A few of her recommendations: Head to Point Reyes National Seashore in California to help count the elk population, join a reef monitoring team in Florida or Hawaii, or hike and lend a helping hand on the Appalachian Trail.

2. Be your own tour guide. If you’ve got a mobile device like an iPad or Android, you may be able to swap pricey tours for inexpensive “apps” that will lead you to local points of interest. Ken Dodelin, CEO of Mobile Surroundings, recommends an app called It Happened Here (ithappenedhere.com). For $2.99, Dodelin says tourists can use the app to find spots like the restaurant in Washington, D.C., where JFK proposed to Jackie Onassis or the building in New York that was used to film exterior shots for the television show Seinfeld.

3. Find freebies. Travel writer Lydie Thomas penned an entire book on the subject Your Guide to Visit Paris for Free (visitparisforfree.com). Thomas says top tourist attractions like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre usually offer free admission on certain days. Do some research and plan your visit accordingly. Another budget-friendly travel tip: skip the overpriced buses and hop on the regular city bus with the locals instead.

4. Do the math. One of the biggest costs of travel is, well, the traveling. Comparing the cost of several tanks of gasoline and roadside meals versus the price of an airline ticket and baggage fees can be tricky. But, Jon Lal, founder of cash back and coupons website BeFrugal.com, says you can eliminate some of the guesswork by using his site’s “Fly or Drive” widget (http://www.befrugal.com/tools/fly-or-drive-widget/). Punch in your beginning and ending addresses and the handy (and free) online tool will calculate the cost and time it will take you to get to your destination in a car and on a plane.

5. It never hurts to ask. It’s true that many airlines and hotels aren’t offering the same deep discounts they were a few years ago when the travel industry was crippled by the recession. But that doesn’t mean there are no more deals to be had. Catherine Ross, executive director of the Winter Park-Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce (playwinterpark.com ) in Winter Park, Colo., says sometimes all you have to do is ask. Aside from senior discounts, which you should always take advantage of, Ross says many lodging properties, restaurants, and tourist attractions are still struggling and may be willing to knock off a few bucks to win a customer.

meghan.streit@erickson.com