A recent advertisement for the Appalachian Summer Festival concert “Janis Ian and Karla Bonoff: Songs of a Generation” sparked my thoughts about our generation and music.  Although I certainly remember songs like “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, I would also consider music by Journey and The Who as part of my own music mosaic.  In fact, if I was compiling a soundtrack to define myself, it would include music from Neil Diamond to Nelly, The Monkees to Maroon 5.

We’re a complex generation, one that has refused to allow age to define us, so why would music be any different?  Do you agree?  What would be in your Boomer music mosaic?

Blame Sally, comprised of Pam Delgado, Renee Harcourt, Monica Pasqual and Jeri Jones, has been playing small gigs in the San Fransisco Bay area for about 10 years, but recently, they’ve broken through the fog of new artists to become one of the most talked-about bands in southern Califorina.  Now, normally, this would be a feat in itself, but consider this: every member of Blame Sally is over 40 years old in a music industry dominated by youth. Baffling critics and fans alike, the band has rocketed from their dayjobs into making money their way: playing great music and entertaining people who like to listen to it.

The members of the band aren’t mixing words when it comes to their age, either. In fact, they believe it gives them a unique kind of advantage. Percuissionist Pam Delgado described how she feels about the benefits of being an older group:

I think that age brings a nice resolve and inner peace! It makes us more accepting as people. We don’t have a lot of ego around our work–this is a very democratic band. At the core, we have this level of trust. You heard Renee’s vocals sounding great, but I can promise you that if they weren’t, we’d be able to say that to each other.

We can all take a page out of Blame Sally’s book, no matter what field we excel in; whether that means belting out our pitch for a new product in a board room, or tickling the keys of our computers while composing that quarterly report.

You can read more about Blame Sally in this article on SecondAct, on their site: www.blamesally.com, or download their newest album, “Night of100 Stars” on iTunes.

Flight of Honor

By Lou Mintzer

One hundred and eighteen very patriotic people went to Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 10, 2010. They did not go to complain, they did not go to protest the current political situation. They went to be honored for their service to our country and to honor their friends and comrades from World War II. I know they enjoyed their trip and I am also sure most shed a tear or two before the day was over.

The Veterans flew on a chartered USAIR jet. They were accompanied by 49 Guardians, three EMTs, and a couple of doctors. Six Brazilian students, part of a Group Study Exchange, made the trip to witness how we honor our veterans. Every veteran received a badge, a hat and an American flag.

Saturday night, there was a big enthusiastic crowd at the Charlotte Douglas airport to greet them as they returned. People cheered, flags were waving, signs were held up. Family members, friends and supporters kissed and hugged the vets and thanked them for their service as they made their way through the terminal. Tears flowed past the smiles as wives, sons, daughters and grandchildren welcomed their heroes home. My favorite sign said, “Paw Paw, You Are Our Hero!”

Thursday morning, a few days before the flight, I stopped by Richard’s Coffee Shop and Military Museum in Mooresville. The coffee shop is a place where veterans of all ages stop by for coffee, cookies and a chance to talk with friends and other vets. The shop was full and the conversation was lively.

I talked with Len McCutcheon, Army 77^th Infantry and Richard Keenan, Army Air Corps. They went on the flight last year. Len said, “One of the greatest things was when the high school ROTC saluted us and then cheered for us.”

Keenan smiled and shared, “One of the greatest things I ever had was when the crowd cheered and greeted us and shook our hands and thanked us.”

I met George Kalmar and Robert Kabel in the coffee shop. They were both scheduled to make the trip on Saturday and boy, were they excited.

I saw George at the airport Saturday night. “I had a great time, I couldn’t believe how well we were treated,” George said. He continued, ”They told me they would pick me up at 5:30 in the morning so I had to go to bed at 7 because I am on dialysis while I sleep.” George served in the Army Infantry. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” he exclaimed with a big smile.

Mary Foreman, 88, from Mount Ulla, near Mooresville, was a Navy nurse at Pearl Harbor after it was attacked by the Japanese. She was all smiles as she was kissed, hugged and thanked as her wheelchair was rolled through the crowd.

Mrs. Foreman arrived in Hawaii late in 1943 after being recruited by the Navy and cared for the wounded soldiers in Quonset huts, (known as Hospital 128,) across from Hickam Field. She was in Hawaii until the war ended.

She came home and married Benjamin A. Foreman, an Air Force Pilot and Maintenance Officer. Her husband flew in the Berlin Airlift, served in Korea, Japan and Viet Nam. She even lived in Viet Nam with her four children until families were forced to leave. Benjamin retired as a colonel. Her son was a major in the Air Force and he married an Air Force colonel.

She told me, “There was a big reception at the Washington airport. They had a band and hundreds of people greeting us as we came off the plane. Everyone was wonderful.”

One of the highlights of her day, “My best thing was meeting Liddy Dole, she was so gracious. She greeted us at the North Carolina part of the memorial.”

(The Doles are very active and big supporters of the Flight of Honor. Robert is a veteran and was wounded in 1945.)

She continued, “We had lunch at a beautiful park along the Potomac, saw the capital buildings, went down Pennsylvania Avenue. I was really happy to see the Air Force Memorial. Washington was so busy and we were slow getting on and off the bus that I am sure we missed some things. The cherry blossoms were past their peak. But the trip was wonderful.” Mary was teamed up with Paul and George from Mooresville and their guardian was Jeanne Adams.

As I watched the families welcome their heroes, I had a lump in my throat and I missed my father, he died when I was 11. He was a veteran but never got into battle. He lost his hands in a training exercise explosion stateside. He never thought he got to do his part, but I think he did.

The main objective of the Flight of Honor was to give veterans an opportunity to visit the World War II Memorial that was built for them, to honor the 16 million people who served in the armed forces, the more than 400,000 who died, and those who supported the war from home. The monument was dedicated in May of 2004. Over 4 million people visit the memorial every year.

This trip was made possible by the Rotary District 7680. Karen Shore, the President and CEO of the Mooresville South Iredell Chamber is the Governor of District 7680. Shore was at the airport holding the Rotary banner and greeting the veterans. Shore said, “The families are amazed that when the vets return, they are talking and sharing as never before.”  We salute our heroes!

Be sure to check out even more photos of this Flight of Honor event at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Baby-Boomer-News

Back in my day, you could count on one hand the number of women in my Bachelor of Business Administration classes at my alma mater, Ohio State University.  We were veritable anomalies in the School of Commerce.  And, boy, did we have a rough row to hoe when it came to finding a job.  It really irked me to hear the interviewer across the desk, ask me, “How many words per minute can you type?”.  Good heavens, I wasn’t there to “type”!  I had a business degree from an accredited University and had fought my own war to earn that “badge of honor”.  I wanted  my own secretary to do that typing to which he was referring – just like my male counterparts seated in the reception area awaiting their turn to be grilled by this man.  “Do you have immediate marriage plans?” he asked me. Well, no, I didn’t.  But, what business was it of his to ask, anyway? “We are looking for someone who will be committed to this company and to this position… and not quitting in a short while to raise a baby.”  Yes, that’s how it was a lifetime ago. It wasn’t long after my 3-year stint in corporate America that I knew I had to forge my own path, make my own decisions and be my own boss.

An entrepreneur is someone who “enters” into business.  It’s a term applied to a type of person, who comes up with the idea, who gathers the necessary resources, organizes those resources and willingly accepts full responsibility for the success or failure of the new enterprise/venture they have created in exchange for the opportunity to make a profit.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that women who started their own businesses were something of an oddity.  We were breaking ground in a “man’s world” and knew that we were carefully and systematically “being watched” to see how we’d do.  I’d bet that there were bets being wagered.

More than ever, women realized they had to have the right attitude, the business acumen, the right mix of tools and the skills, and the know-how to have a chance at being successful entrepreneurs.  We knew, as business-savvy baby boomer women, that we had additional challenges to overcome on our chosen road to success.  We learned and implemented finely-honed skills in locating resources, in establishing networks and in lending each other support.  We were ready to make our mark!

And make our mark, we did!  Now, more and more women of the baby boomer generation are leaping feet first into the role of entrepreneur – and continuing to make our mark:

• According to the Labor Department, baby boomers and older make up 54% of the self-employed.
• The number of women-owned companies has doubled in the last 25 years.
• Women now account for 55-60% of new startups.
• The number of women starting businesses today is double the number of men.
• According to the Center for Women’s Business and Research, there are over 10 million businesses owned by women in the US that generate sales of $2.32 trillion.

Why are baby boomer women taking the path of entrepreneurship?

Many boomer women believe that through entrepreneurship, they can circumvent the “glass ceiling” upon which they’ve been hitting their heads all of their working life.  They can implement their own ideas and most likely make more money by going out on their own.

This becomes important considerations as they start looking closer at retirement and the reality that if they’re going to do “it”…then, there’s no time like the present because time waits for no one.

Some boomer women find themselves in a two-income household and can try starting a business and plowing back every cent into the business while relying on their partner for living expenses and support.  Others are action-oriented people who feel strongly called to follow their passions.

We  know right now that the self-employed trends of today are spear-headed by Boomers – what account for 54% of all new business start-ups in the USA….and that baby boomer women entrepreneurs are being well-represented by Boomer Babes At Work.

“Knowing that more than a third of all internet users are adults between 45 and 64 years old, we saw an opportunity to work with Procter & Gamble to create a site network that can actively fuel this age group,” said  Devin Johnson, VP of NBC Digital Networks. “With expert content that ranges from care-giving for both kids and older parents to fashion trend ‘don’ts’ to a look at apps for grown-ups, we’re confident that Life Goes Strong will deliver on its promise to celebrate the interests of mid-lifers.”

It seems that NBC has realized something we Boomers have known for a long time; not only are we still an integral part of this nation’s consumer economy, but we’re also a harbinger of the future. We live on the line where the analog world meets the digital one; and we’ve embraced both, making us a valuable asset to companies like NBC in their transition from strictly aired content to an online approach to visual media. We’ve brought our first-hand experience with change to today’s media, and NBC has taken notice.

Revive Your ‘Inner Hippie’

By Julie Higgie, LNWC Habitat Steward

Remember the ecology movement of the 1960’s and early ‘70’s? Remember when young people longed for a simple life of food, co-ops, organic farming and living in harmony with nature?

Of course you do. You’re a Boomer, after all.

But then, what happened? Our idealistic fantasies were abandoned for a shot at the real world of earning wages and raising families.  Well, guess what—your “inner hippie” can again come out to play by creating your own Certified Wildlife Habitat in your very own yard.

Ecology is reincarnated as today’s “Green Movement” and once again folks are focusing on co-ops and organic farming, and thankfully, have added native plants and recycling to the mix of popular—and oftentimes, required—behaviors.

If today’s “sustainable living “ sounds to complicated to tackle, I have a suggestion. Start small by focusing on your own yard to create a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Also known as Backyard Habitat Certification, this program was founded by the National Wildlife Federation in 1994 to plant the seeds of conservation and to help people realize they can preserve their very own piece of Mother Earth.

A few years ago, the program was changed from a focus on backyards to include businesses, churches, parks and other public areas, and even entire communities. But it’s still the same simple components. And now that the kids are gone and you have all that time on your hands, you can get involved!

A Certified Wildlife Habitat is a place where wildlife can find:

Food: seeds, fruit, insects, nuts flowers| Water: a birdbath, pond, simple (unembellished) water feature, butterly dish, mister, puddles, ditch| Cover: trees, shrubs, wood piles, brush piles, leaves| Places to Raise Young: nesting boxes, trees, shrubs, pond, ditch, rocks

It’s also a place where the landowner uses sustainable gardening practices to maintain those components, such as: Limit use of chemicals-Limit law-grass areas-Compost leaves and plant waste-Favor native plants and trees-Apply mulch to conserve moisture-Now doesn’t that sound easy?

While it might take some work to remove some of your grass—not all of it, I emphasize—and replace it with native shrubs, ground-covering plants and natural materials, you’ll end up spending less time mowing and more time enjoying the butterflies and other wildlife that come to visit.

Also, you will conserve water and discharge fewer fumes into the atmosphere.

Now you can place a comfortable bench in the shade of your native North Carolina Redbud or Flowering Dogwood tree and read “Mother Goose” stories to your grandchildren.

Or, you can add a hot tub to your naturescape and gaze at the stars.

Visit the NWF at www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife to get more tips on attracting wildlife and www.nwf.org/certify to get your Certified Wildlife Habitat application. The low cost of $15 makes you a proud member of the NWF.

While you’re at it, go ahead and buy a yard sign from the federation that proclaims your status to your neighbors. You’ll be doing them and the neighborhood critters a huge favor!

Julie Higgie is a founding member of the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists, a chapter of NWF’s state affiliate, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, LNWC holds free nature programs 7-8:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month, September through May, at Mooresville Public Library, 304 S. Main St. Contact her at jchiggie@yahoo.com for advice on gardening for wildlife. Visit www.lakenormanwildlife.org for information on LNWC.

Many of us were called ‘Hippie’s ‘in our youth, and part of what identified us as such was our concern for our environment.  We saw the polluted rivers and littered landscapes and recognized the damage it was having on the environment.  Our voices prompted public service announcements such as the infamous Keep America Beautiful ad below.

Our collective voices prompted U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson to found Earth Day as an environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970 and our passion for preserving our environment has caused it to grow into a worldwide celebration.

And as a generation we’re still doing our part to make our world a better place.  Reports and studies show that baby boomers are more likely to recycle and do things to preserve natural resources than other generations.

Baby Boomers can be proud of the role that they have played and continue to play in ‘going green’.

As a child I can remember discovering my mother’s stash of 45 rpm singles and listening to the Everly Brothers crooning “Cathy’s Clown” and Connie Francis’ “Where the Boys Are”. My classmates thought I was crazy listening to ‘that old stuff’, but my Mom would always smile and sing along with me. In music we had a common bond.

Mom, like me, was a true music lover and found that she liked ‘my’ music as I hit my teens and started listening to the likes of Rush and Aerosmith. And then I went through my country phase and introduced her to Alabama and George Strait. We even attended a few concerts together.

Now I see my mother in me, as I find enjoyment both in the music of today and in the music of yesterday. I’ve attended concerts with my children (The White Stripes for one) and my son is an avid Rush and The Who fan. My daughter is going through that country phase and just introduced me to the Zac Brown Band–think ‘Chicken Fried’. It’s not a myth that music brings generations together.

Regardless of what ‘generation’ of music I find myself listening to , my day would be much less productive without it playing in the background as I work. But I will admit that every once in awhile I’ll stumble across songs from my past that for just a few minutes seem to transport me back in time. Like now…Bruce Springsteen is singing “Born to Run” and I’m on the back of a motorcycle just for a few minutes until the last notes of the song fade away…

And what about you? Do you have songs that bring back memories? We’d love to have you share them with us. Leave us a comment or write about it in the Boomer Voices section.

So what exactly were the candies I was expecting to see?  Well, my list goes something like this:

Squirrel Nut Chews	Wax Soda Pop	Bubblegum Cigars
Atomic FireBalls	Wax Lips	Mint Julep's

These particular candies bring back a sweet memory of hot summer days, walking to the corner store (usually barefoot to the dismay of my mother) and standing in front of the penny candy trying to decide just how to spend that nickle or dime that was burning a hole in my pocket.  After much deliberation, I’d pay the lady behind the counter and she would put those sweet treats into a small brown paper bag.  Then began the walk back home, paper bag clutched in my hand, as I tried to resist the temptation to indulge in just one piece before getting home.  Sometimes I would make it, but more often than not I’d pause in my trek and choose one of the sugary treasures to pop in my mouth long before I got there.

What about you? Do you remember penny candy? If so, what were your favorites? Share them here in the comment section or reminisce in the Boomer Voices section.