Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

Anytime you hear the word Santa Fe, it has to conjure up images. And if you have visited there it must illicit emotions and memories as well. During Summer time it’s easy to slip into the mode of recalling pleasant memories, and plan for a fall visit including the Indian Market or the Santa Fe Opera. My first visit to Santa Fe was in the late 1970s, when I was breaking in a new car and exploring the great American West.
Of course, I traveled a long day’s drive on I-40 West out of Oklahoma City, then took the highway 284 cut off at Clines Corners and entered Santa Fe on the Old Pecos Trail. That road soon turned into the Old Santa Fe Trail, where I drove along the narrow road with the old San Miguel Mission adobe church on my right and the famed Pink Adobe Restaurant on my left. The Old Santa Fe Trail offered a perfect first impression, as it was lined with atmospheric time worn structures, and not the modern franchise eateries and gas stations that hug the more traditional entry up north from Albuquerque, on Cerrillos Road.
I soon came into the parking lot of the at that time, relatively new, Inn at Loretto, replete in iconic Santa Fe adobe architecture. I was treated the next morning with a light dusting of snow and a hint of pinion in the air, as I pulled away from a town I’d hardly seen but ~ silently, subconsciously ~ vowed to see again. I have returned to Santa Fe many times since then and each time explored new venues with a salute to favorite places, which have become a traditional pilgrimage when visiting.
I can’t recall why I chose a one night stay at this particular hotel ~ must have been its appealing architecture and perhaps at that time availability. This time I found myself walking past the Spa and the aroma of relaxation made me regret my time on this visit was too short. My stay at the Inn at Loretto in the l970s, and in subsequent years has always been a pleasant tradition. This time was no exception.
Old traditional haunts include: the La Cantina Bar at La Sena Casa where waiters turn into opera and musical theatre singers about every ten minutes; the Pink Adobe Restaurant with its fine and sometimes spicy gourmet productions; Jackalope on Cerrillos road with its affordable southwestern flared garden and household offerings ~ along with the best and freshest string of red chili ristras in season; and the old haunts along the Plaza with its Indian jewelry market and a variety of upscale fashion shops.
New traditional offerings include the Balconies at the Plaza restaurant, which until a few years ago was the traditional Ore House Restaurant with the best and meatiest tasting salsa anywhere ~ and an always must see at the top of Canyon Road the specialty galleries.
Upon this recent trip I discovered the Santa Fe pickup, a free bus that circles the old town area, and is certainly a boon and must for those wanting to wander down Canyon Road as it will drop you off at the top. While my most recent autumn visit was blessed with perfect weather, I have climbed the road in scorching heat and can testify that the art is much more appealing starting at the top and meandering down.
Other must visits is the New Mexico Museum of Art and the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors – both on the Plaza; and up on Museum Hill the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art . Of course a road trip out to Tesuque with its sculpture garden and the near by glass blowing gallery can be broken up with a respite at Bishops Lodge for libations and food with a dose of historic luxury. A Santa Fe visit is not complete without a stop at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and a tasting at is elegant restaurant if it reopens.
I’m not sure if it’s the upscale art and fashion shopping, the authentic New Mexican cuisine, the fresh atmosphere and the nearly unspoiled vistas, or the essence of its history that permeates the soul, which beckons a perpetual return. Probably it’s all, and yet some indescribable something else that all visitors try to describe when remembering, Santa Fe.
For more information contact: The Inn at Loretto –at www.innatloretto.com. And, click the Calendar here for up to date events www,santafe.org.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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The OKC VA Healthcare System would like to extend their appreciation to all the Veterans who have trusted their care with us and helped to make the OKC VA HCS the fastest growing health care system in the country.
“We have pushed our community engagement and outreach programs to travel to remote locations to personally reach out to our Veteran population and provide them with the answers to their questions,” said Wade Vlosich, OKC VA Director. “Many Veterans are not sure if they are eligible for VA healthcare or not, and the best way to find out is by letting us help you navigate the VA eligibility process with our expert staff.”
As of August 2023, the OKCVAHCS data results include:

• * OKCVAHCS consists of a 192-operating bed facility, located in central Oklahoma serving 47 Oklahoma counties and two counties in North Central Texas (Wilbarger and Wichita), with a total unique Veteran population over 74,600.
• * OKCVAHCS consists of 15 outpatient clinics, 4 outpatient clinic partnerships with the Department of Defense and a Friendship House/Compensated Work Therapy transitional residence.
• * OKCVAHCS is in the process of procuring space off-site for a Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Program (SARRTP) and Community Living Center.
• * OKCVAHCS currently has outpatient clinics in Ada, Altus, Ardmore, Blackwell, Clinton, Enid, Lawton (DoD), Lawton North (DoD), Norman, North Oklahoma City, North May, Shawnee, South Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Tinker (DoD), Wichita Falls, and Yukon.
  Through the OKC VA partnership with DoD, they have opened clinics on Fort Sill Army Base and on Tinker Air Force Base. OKC VAHCS is a part of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19, which includes facilities in Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.
  Positive changes and improvements have been made throughout the system to include:
• One of 15 VA Systems in the country to receive the exoskeleton robotic device providing spinal cord injury providing Veterans the ability to walk.
• OKC VA is the only VA to have completed minimally invasive outpatient lumbar spine fusion surgeries.
• Offers VA Express Care Clinic at the main hospital and in Outpatient Clinics. The Express Care Clinic is similar to an urgent care clinic.
• Robust Lean-Six-Sigma management program with a running total of 205 projects.
• Implemented a robotic surgery program.
• OKC VA HCS has sharing agreements with DoD Facilities to increase integration of best practices of health care services to military service members and Veterans.
• In 2020, first VA to deploy and staff mobile ICU on campus to support the Oklahoma City area with additional bed capacity due to increased COVID cases.
• Opened new Veterans Resource Center in 2019 which houses: Veterans Recovery Center, Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams, and HUD-VASH.
• Selected as one of 12 sites to receive a Fisher House. This will be the first Fisher House in the state of Oklahoma.

“We are proud to announce that according to FY23 VHA statistics, we are leading the nation in growth but we are even more excited about is the ability to take care of the nation’s most precious resource—our Veterans,” Vlosich said, “Not only do we strive to provide the best medical care for our Veteran population but we are also thinking outside the box on innovative ideas to reach the most rural areas in Oklahoma. The statistics prove that what we are doing here at the OKC VA, is working and we plan on keeping up this positive momentum going forward for 2024.”
For more information about the OKC VA Health Care System and programs, please click the link below or visit the VA website at: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center | VA Oklahoma City Health Care | Veterans Affairs

Paul McCann

(Right) 101 years old. WWII Veteran. He was in college but allowed to graduate before reporting to NYC for midshipman training & to Washington DC for ordinance training. He was then stationed in the Pacific at the Naval Ammunition Depot on the Island of Oahu where he was officer in charge of ordinance loading ships out of Pearl Harbor.

Ruby Taylor

(Left) 100 years old. Broken Arrow – She graduated in 1942, with the last graduating class from Mazie High School, where she & her twin sister Ruth played basketball. She worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 25 years. Playing cards at the senior center, reading on her I-Pad, playing solitaire & word search are her hobbies.

Robert Williamson

(Right) 100 years old. WWII Veteran. After graduating from Broken Arrow HS he served in the US Army during WWII. He was 1st Sergeant over 300 men for 3 years in North Africa. Upon being honorably discharged he worked for American Airlines for 22 years.

Oklahoma (Choate) Smoyer

(Right) 107 years old. Born in Gore, OK on June 29, 1917, one of 9 children in the Cherokee Native American farm family of William Choate & Mary (Benge) Choate. Brothers Charles lived to 101 years old & Sequoyah David lived to 102. Married to Daniel F. Smoyer, she had 3 sons, 2 daughters, 12 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren & 4 great-great grandchildren to complete this 5-generation family.

By Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready

Did you know that life expectancy in the United States for men and women increased by about 10 years between 1960 and 2015? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, individuals over 65 accounted for 16.8% of the country’s total population in 2020. Americans are living longer, and often, older adults rely on long-term care during the later stages of life, which is where long-term care insurance can help. There are several factors to consider when considering long-term care insurance.
What is long-term care insurance?
Contrary to what many might think, long-term care encompasses more than care in a nursing home. This type of care usually includes home care, hospice care, or adult day health care. Long-term care insurance helps to cover the cost of this care. It includes policies providing nursing home care, home health care, community-based care, or any combination. This type of policy does not include coverage provided under comprehensive or major medical policies, Medicare Advantage, or accelerated heath benefit-type products.
How much does long-term care cost?
Long-term care can be expensive. The Cost of Care Survey by Genworth, which breaks down costs for different kinds of care for each state, found that monthly costs in Oklahoma can range from about $1,800 for adult day health care to almost $7,000 for a private room in a nursing home facility. These are median costs for the state and can vary depending on location and level of care.
Does Medicare cover long-term care?
Medicare generally does not cover long-term care. Medicare Part A does cover skilled nursing facility care, nursing home care (as long as custodial care isn’t the only care you need), hospice care and limited home care. You may qualify for long-term care through Medicaid, but you can opt to purchase a long-term policy from a private insurance company.
Do I need long-term care insurance?
When determining your need for long-term care insurance, consider several factors:
• You should consider your personal health situation. If you need assistance with daily activities due to illness or disability, a long-term care policy might benefit you.
• Your age should play a part in your decision, as your need for care increases as you age.
• You should think about your financial situation. Long-term insurance might be a good option if you can afford premiums without financial difficulty.
Which resources are out there?
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) offers a comprehensive shopping guide to long-term care insurance that can answer many questions about this type of insurance. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living has a Long-Term Care Pathfinder to help locate care and assess needs. As always, if you have any questions about this type of insurance, the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) is here to help at 800-522-0071 or https://www.oid.ok.gov.

Daily Living Centers Offer Veterans Opportunities For Social Engagement, Volunteer Events

Story by Van Mitchel, Staff Writer

Daily Living Centers Inc, a nonprofit Adult Day Service Provider that serves adults with developmental disabilities, senior adults, and veterans, based in Oklahoma City, previously celebrated Veterans Day in a meaningful way- giving back to their community.
Each Daily Living Centers location completed a service project to serve local veterans. DLC is a proud member of SHINE, Start Helping Impacted Neighbors Everywhere, a volunteer program created by Oklahoma County Commissioner, Brian Maughan.
The Bethany Center created thank you cards to give to the VA Living Center in Norman. The Bethany participants and staff had a cookie and punch party with the veterans at the VA Home in Norman while dropping off the cards.
The South Oklahoma City Center visited the OKC VFW, located at 4605 South Pennsylvania, to decorate for Veteran’s Day.
“Citizens for SHINE (Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere) encourages non-profits and businesses to recognize their employees, participants, or residents volunteer efforts. It is great to see members of Daily Living Centers giving back through SHINE. Every bit of litter pick-up, every flower planted, and every hour invested in a better community pays dividends for us all, stated County Commissioner Brian Maughan.”
In 2021, Daily Living Centers joined the Citizens for SHINE Program. Since then, their participants have completed over 60,000 volunteer hours.
“We have a volunteer SHINE program, and a lot of our veterans are a part of that where they can give back to the center or the community,” said Amanda Dirmeyer, Daily Living Centers President & CEO. “They can volunteer here in the center where some of them just help with rolling out the silverware or preparing for activities, or we actually will go out and clean up a park or maybe stock shelves at a food pantry. We have a Navy veteran who even started a choir here.”
Dirmeyer said Daily Living Centers is grateful to serve participants from all walks of life and to be able to meet their individual needs.
Since 1974, Daily Living Centers (DLC) has provided rest and hope for caregivers. They are Oklahoma’s first and leading non-profit adult day provider for senior adults and adults with disabilities ages 18 and older. There are three locations that offer nonresidential affordable day services for over 200 participants 246 days a year in an environment that enhances mind, body, and spirit. While attending DLC, “participants” enjoy healthy meals, exercise programs, socialization, activities, and outings that meet their individual needs.
Dirmeyer said they have a fleet of vehicles including limos and wheelchair accessible vans that provide door-to-door transportation and medical rides.
She said many of the participants have physical and/or mental limitations or suffer from isolation and depression.
Common diagnoses found in those DLC serve include dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, traumatic brain injury, autism, Down Syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. Caregivers often say that DLC services are “lifesaving.”
“Our populations are adults with developmental disabilities as well as senior adults,” Dirmeyer said. “We feel it is important for caregivers to know that veterans can attend our centers through VA funding. They need to be established with the VA and have a VA physician who will provide a consult in order to start attending a DLC center.”
Dirmeyer said DLC offers meals, exercise and art therapy, as wells as help with personal care if anyone needs assistance in the restroom or bathing services.
“We have breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack every day. A variety of different types of exercise classes are offered including chair Zumba, yoga, cycle classes, and more,” she said. “We do a lot with music therapy and art therapy. Our participants, they’re very creative, and so we can do things with painting, crafts, and puzzles. Games and reminiscing activities are great to stimulate the mind. Weekly community outings are planned for each center which include libraries, parks, museums, and big events such as the circus.”
Dirmeyer said the VA will pay for veterans to attend DLC.
“A lot of people are not aware that the VA will pay for our services, and they’re able to come here,” she said. “They build friendships and meet with other veterans and swap stories. It’s beneficial for them because we recognize them for their service.”
Dirmeyer said she has a passion working to help seniors.
“My passion has always been to work with seniors, and I’ve been in the senior healthcare field for about 22 years now,” she said. “My biggest goal is to spread the word everywhere because this service is so vital, especially to caregivers.”

For more information regarding Daily Living Center’s services, contact Ragan Franklin at (405) 792-2401 or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dailylivingcenters

by Greg Schwem

Excuse me, random female, may I borrow your purse?
I will return it momentarily; I just want to know how it feels to carry whatever you want throughout the day and evening without an unsightly protrusion in your back pocket; one that could easily cause your pants to drift south at inopportune moments.
It’s what we men face when we carry a wallet.
I know, ladies, you look at wallets with jealousy. “Imagine,” you say to yourselves, “being able to fit everything in that 5-by-4-inch bi-folded area and then hide it. No need to worry about whether the exterior matches our outfit and which hand feels more comfortable to carry it everywhere we go.”
It’s similar to my wife lamenting that I can be ready for an evening out in the time it takes to run a comb through my hair, while she spends an hour in front of the bathroom mirror surrounded by an army of tubes, brushes and powders.
“Men have it so easy,” she’ll say, while I tap my foot and look at my watch, signaling we are already 15 minutes late.
But when it comes to the purse versus wallet choice, girls, YOU have it easy. You don’t have to prioritize. Need to carry an extra credit card? The purse has room. A secondary form of identification? You could shove a passport into its inner confines, and nobody would know. If I’m asked to show anything other than a driver’s license to the bank teller, the airport security employee or the hotel front desk clerk, I’m screwed.
Internet retailers seem well aware of my dilemma; each year around the holidays, I get bombarded with online ads from companies determined to solve my space issue. This year the winner was the Ridge, makers of a wallet it claims holds up to 12 cards and oodles of bills. The website also touts the most puzzling feature I’ve ever heard: “Expands to remain slim.”
I fail to see how anything can expand yet remain slim. It certainly didn’t happen to my body following Thanksgiving dinner, and I see little hope during the season of Christmas eating.
Still I excitedly forwarded the Ridge link to my wife, telling her I would like it under the tree this Christmas.
“I finished shopping for you months ago,” she replied. “And haven’t you tried these things before? You always go back to a regular wallet.”
She’s right. As I peer in my wallet now, I see 15 cards — three over the “expands to remain slim” Ridge wallet limit — and wonder how I could part with any of them. Sure, I could carry one credit card; but what if it gets declined while I’m Christmas shopping? That has already happened once, but an angry call to my credit card issuer proved the error was theirs, not mine.
My ATM card? It’s a must, for I’m of the generation that occasionally prefers cash, as opposed to whipping out a credit card for a 99-cent cup of coffee. Then there’s my transit card and my health insurance card. Sure, I could forego the latter but what if, while taking the subway, I get mugged and require medical attention? See the dilemma?
Before long, I’ve convinced myself I’m not an ideal candidate for anything other than an old-fashioned wallet that includes plastic sleeves for inserting pictures of children. I’m proud to say all those photos have been moved to my iPhone. Just give me a minute while I feverishly swipe through my photos app to find a decent shot of my kids.
So, women, hand me your purses. Unlike wallets, they come in all shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. I’ll pick one and will spend my time wondering what to carry, as opposed to what not to carry, when I leave the house each morning. I’ll confidently march down the subway stairs knowing I have everything for the ride, including a transit card, my phone and maybe even a hard cover book to pass the time.
Plus, if need be, I’ll have a weapon to swing at a subway mugger.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s weekly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com.

In Recognition of Black History Month

Story by Art T. Burton, photo submitted by the Oklahoma Historical Society

Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, born as a slave in Arkansas, grew up in Lamar and Grayson counties, Texas, where he belonged to Col. George R. Reeves, later to become the speaker of the house in the Texas legislature. As a young man Bass Reeves escaped north into the Indian Territory, and he became acquainted with the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole. It is believed he served as a soldier with the Union Indian Home Guard Regiments during the Civil War. After the war Reeves settled down in Van Buren, Arkansas, as a farmer. On occasion he would serve as a guide for deputy U.S. marshals who worked out of the federal court at Fort Smith, Arkansas, into the Indian Territory. Reeves had once boasted that he knew Indian Territory “like a cook knows her kitchen” and, as a result of his skills and his knowledge of the territory, he was able to make substantial money as a scout and tracker for peace officers. In 1875, when Judge Isaac C. Parker took over the Fort Smith federal court, Parker commissioned Reeves as a deputy U.S. marshal. He is believed to be one of the earliest African Americans to receive a commission as a deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River.
Reeves worked for thirty-two years as a deputy marshal in the Indian Territory. He was the only deputy to begin with Parker’s court and work until Oklahoma statehood in 1907. Reeves, standing six feet, two inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, became a celebrity during his lifetime in the Indian Territory. Muskogee Police Chief Bud Ledbetter said about him, “The veteran Negro deputy never quailed in facing any man.” Reeves became an expert with pistol and rifle. Territorial newspapers stated that he killed fourteen outlaws during his career as a peace officer.
When Reeves began riding for Judge Parker, the jurisdiction covered more than seventy-five thousand square miles. The deputies from Fort Smith rode west to Fort Reno, Fort Sill, and Anadarko, a round trip of more than eight hundred miles. When a deputy marshal left Fort Smith to capture outlaws in the territory, he took with him a wagon, a cook who served as guard, and at least one posseman. Reeves transferred to Wetumka, Indian Territory, in 1897 and then to Muskogee in 1898 after federal courts opened in the territory. The Chickasaw Enterprise on November 28, 1901, reported that Bass Reeves had arrested more than three thousand men and women for violating federal laws in the territory.
Newspapers praised Reeves’s reputation often. On November 19, 1909, the Muskogee Times Democrat wrote that “in the early days when the Indian country was overridden with outlaws, Reeves would herd into Fort Smith, often single handed, bands of men charged with crimes from bootlegging to murder. He was paid fees in those days that sometimes amounted to thousands of dollars for a single trip, trips that sometimes lasted for months.”
When Bass Reeves died on January 12, 1910, the Muskogee Phoenix wrote of the legendary lawman, “In the history of the early days of Eastern Oklahoma the name of Bass Reeves has a place in the front rank among those who cleansed out the old Indian Territory of outlaws and desperadoes. No story of the conflict of government’s officers with those outlaws, which ended only a few years ago with the rapid filling up of the territory with people, can be complete without mention of the Negro who died yesterday. During that time he was sent to arrest some of the most desperate characters that ever infested Indian Territory and endangered life and peace in its borders. And he got his man as often as any of the deputies.”
The greatest testimony to his devotion to duty was the fact he brought his own son in for murder once he received the warrant. Bass Reeves was one of the greatest peace officers in the history of the American western frontier.

By Nick Thomas