Dear Savvy Senior, I spend a lot of time online and love the convenience of paying bills, shopping, and keeping up with my grandkids on Facebook and Instagram. But last month my computer was infected with malware, and I just found out some cybercriminal opened up a credit card using my identity and went on a shopping spree. Do you have some simple tips to help me stay safe while online? Violated in OKC

Dear Violated,
Unfortunately, cybercrimes against seniors has become a huge problem in the U.S. According to FBI data, last year alone more than 1.8 billion was stolen from unsuspecting older Americans during the pandemic.
While anyone can be subject to cybercrimes, seniors are frequent targets because they tend to be more trusting and have more money than their younger counterparts. But there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from online fraud, hacking and scams. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Strengthen your passwords: A strong password should contain at least seven characters and include numbers and a special character, like an exclamation point or asterisk. Be sure to change up your password across different sites to ensure a hacker would not gain access to all accounts through one password. And keep a written list of all your passwords stored in a safe secure place.
On your smartphone or tablet, be sure to set up a four or six-digit PIN to protect your device.
Opt out of pop-ups: To protect yourself from computer viruses and other forms of malware, make it a habit to avoid any pop-up style message when you’re on the web. Sometimes hackers disguise their malware as pop-up advertisements or “special offers” when you’re shopping or reading online. Clicking on these pop-ups can lead to viruses or data breaches.
If you encounter a suspicious pop-up message, don’t click on anything in the window. Simply leave the site or close out of your web browser.
When in doubt, throw it out: Sometimes online hackers will send you an email or text message and pretend to be someone they’re not in order to convince you to share valuable information with them, such as your Social Security Number, address or credit card information. This is called phishing.
If you receive a message from an unknown sender, do not respond or click on any links or attachments. Instead, either ignore the message or delete it.

Share with care: There is such a thing as oversharing, and it definitely applies to online profiles. On social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, online hackers can easily gather information about you from what you post – like where you live.
Ensure that your privacy settings are up to date so that only people who follow you or are your Facebook friend can see your posts.
Verify websites: Before you shop or access your bank online, double check the validity of the website you’re using. A good rule of thumb is to check the beginning of the web address and look for an ‘s’ at the end of https: at the start of the address. The ‘s’ stands for secure, and if you don’t see it in the web address that you’re on, you should not trust that website with your passwords, payment or banking information.
Have some back-up: Practicing safe habits will protect you and your information, but you don’t have to rely on just yourself to stay safe. Anti-virus software works in the background to protect your computer from a variety of malware and helps to make it easier for you to avoid threats while surfing the web.
For more information on how to safeguard your personal technology devices, Cox Communications offers a variety of tips and solutions at Cox.com – search “security.”

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

When it comes to luck, my sense of timing could not be worse.
If one lane on a congested interstate suddenly starts moving at normal speed, I just moved to the other lane, and am now sandwiched between two semis, both hauling explosives.
If I schedule an outdoor party, local weather forecasters immediately start telling viewers to expect rain the entire day. Historically, they have been correct most of the time.
I never owned GameStop stock but I’m certain I would have dumped it at its 52-week low of $3.77 as opposed to the all-time high of $483 it achieved in January, following chatter on Reddit investor forums.
Now comes word that ordinary Americans are getting rich just by rolling up a sleeve and getting jabbed with the coronavirus vaccine. Just ask Abbigail Bugenske, 22 of Cincinnati.
In exchange for doing something ALL Americans are being urged to do as soon as possible, Bugenske received $1 million as part of Ohio’s Vax-a-Million lottery. Four other Ohio residents will be receiving similar windfalls if their names are chosen. Not to be outdone, California is offering $1.5 million prizes to 10 vaccinated residents. New York, Maryland and Oregon are among other states that feel cold hard cash is the best way lower coronavirus numbers.
I had the misfortune of settling in Illinois, where no money will be changing hands, or arms, as of now. Some retail establishments have stepped up, however. Illinois is one of only 13 states that feature White Castle restaurants, and, through May 31, the chain was offering vaccinated patrons one of its three “desserts on a stick.” For free! I chose not to partake in that offer, feeling I was simply trading one potentially fatal malady for another. I won’t die of the coronavirus, but clogged arteries kill plenty of people annually.
For the record, I received my injections back in mid-February, when the vaccine was still in its rollout stages and states were struggling to figure out who should have priority. I asked for nothing in return, feeling I had won a personal lottery just because I was able to snag an appointment. Heck, I didn’t even take a complimentary candy from the dish that sat next to the health care worker processing my exit paperwork. My prize was relief that I was on the road to a life free of facemasks and quarantine.
But now it’s payback time. Even though I shunned dessert on a stick, I want a piece of the pie.
Somebody needs to mow my lawn.
As I write this, I have just completed the weekly task of pushing the mower up and down, back and forth over bumpy terrain, trying to keep up with my neighbor who feels grass should be pampered, as opposed to clipped. He is much younger and, I’m sure, doesn’t spend the following day recovering from the assortment of joint pain that lawn mowing delivers to my body.
Ironically, I suffered no side effects from either vaccine dose. While friends updated me, via social media, of their high fever and body aches after vaccines one or two, I went about my day pain free. I would like to continue doing so, hence the lawn mowing request.
Sure, I could use a million dollars, but other Illinois residents need it more, vaccinated or not. All I want is to wave my vaccination card at a passing lawn service truck, have the driver do an about face and follow me to my yard, where his crew would cut my grass while I lounge on the patio. I would like this routine repeated weekly until at least Labor Day. I’ve read I may need a COVID-19 booster shot in approximately eight months, which I will gladly receive.
Provided I win the Illinois “Shovel My Driveway” vaccination sweepstakes.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly 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)

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

Although this is July, seniors trying to make a decisive quality of life recovery from pandemic restrictions need to book now if they plan to use the two free entry days in our National Parks in August.
The National Park System is one option for outdoor experiences but booking early is critical because pent-up demand is creating a scarcity at premium destinations. Some parks accommodations may already be full.
One example is the lodges at Glacier National Park in Montana often must be booked a year in advance but there can sometimes be accommodations available outside the park.
Ranked fifteenth in size of all our parks and as close as the state next door, Big Bend National Park in far southwest Texas offers 801,163 acres of many things to do.
“I believe the best time of year to visit Big Bend is in the winter to avoid the heat, but it can be very warm even in winter and not too cold for camping under the stars. The spring and the two free dates in the fall are other options, but it can also be crowded then,” said Rob Walker, 66, retired Edmond kayaking and Jeeping enthusiast. “Some people will see free entry as tipping the scale toward going even in August. You should prepare for the heat for long hikes in the day.”
On two days in August, all National Park Service sites charging an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Seniors without the Lifetime Senior pass need to be mindful of these entrance fee–free dates: August 4th, the one-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act and August 25th, the National Park Service’s birthday.
“Remember Big Bend is a desert park with summer temps over most of the park reaching 100 degrees by late morning,” Walker said. “The heat is at dangerous levels until after sunset. Hikers should stay off the trails in the afternoon, while carrying and drinking plenty of water any time they hike any distance.”
Tourists might want to join the group of people sitting on a bench watching Old Faithful erupt in the cooler climate of Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in Wyoming.
For two days in August entry to the park is free, but the place will be packed. Tourists might want to scale back their demand to make a decisive quality of life recovery from pandemic restrictions this August closer to home.
A ten-hour car trip from Oklahoma City, Big Bend is too big to see in a day. A one-day trip inside the huge park mostly in an air-conditioned car might include a trip down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and a visit to the Chisos Basin.
The scenic drive gives visitors ample views of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape and leads the banks of the Rio Grande River. There are scenic overlooks and exhibits along the way for the history buffs. The drive offers short walks to Sam Nail Ranch, Homer Wilson Ranch and a visit to the Castolon Historic District which affords a glimpse into the area’s past.
At the end of the road is a highlight of the trip—a short walk into Santa Elena Canyon—one of Big Bend’s most scenic spots. It is an easy 1.4-mile round-trip hike.
Visitors may also visit the forested Chisos Mountains and walk the 0.3-mile Window View Trail to get a feel for the mountain scenery. If time allows, consider hiking the Window Trail or Lost Mine Trail for a closer look at Big Bend’s mountain landscapes.
The Chisos Mountain Lodge is operating at reduced capacity, while the Panther Junction Gas Station and Basin Store are open daily. The Mountain View Restaurant inside the lodge offers lunch. Guests there must be registered in the park, and it is probably already full. They are currently providing sack lunches to go or deliveries to registered guest.
The award-winning Fossil Discovery Exhibit eight miles north of Panther Junction is another park highlight visitors often fit into a one-day visit. If grandkids are along, they will enjoy it.
Abandoned since the 1940s, the Mariscal Mine is isolated by its remote location in the middle of the park. It takes much longer to drive the rough road in a normal car. It is the best-preserved mercury mining site in Texas. The area is a listed historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Best to avoid it if the day is windy and dusty, as it is a mercury contaminated site.
Black Gap Road is one of only two Jeep Badge of Honor Trails in Texas. The most remote un-maintained road in the park, Black Gap provides visitors scenic views of the Chisos Mountain Range as well as wide-open vistas of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Two more days in 2021 offer the same no-fee privilege, September 25, National Public Lands Day and November 11, Veterans Day.
After more than a year of pandemic-related restrictions and limited travel, surging attendance figures across US national parks show Americans are eager to get back on the road and explore.
Often described as America’s best idea, there are 432 National Park System parks available to everyone, every day. The fee-free days offer a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite. This is especially true if it is one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. There are only 10 national parks that charge no entry fees year round. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.
The surge to get outdoors after COVID-19 is why this article runs in July, as many seniors need to get busy planning if they are going to take advance of the August free days but do not be surprised if the parks have no available accommodations in the park and those outside the park may be filling fast.

Yellowstone hosted 483,159 recreation visits this May, an 11 percent increase from pre-COVID 19 May 2019 (434,385 recreation visits). This makes this May the park’s most visited May on record, according to a park news release. With the spreading of some of the new variants it is best to continue taking precautions.

Kristi Cormack was at a Galentine’s event in February 2020 with a group of friends when she said it hit her; she was too exhausted to stay. The 30-year-old went home and slept for three days. She had no history of health issues and didn’t know she’d soon be diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
“I couldn’t go to work on Monday and the only excuse I had was that I was tired,” Cormack said. “It was a kind of tired I’d never experienced before.”
She called her primary care physician and, at first, they thought it was a virus. Kristi had a gut feeling it was more serious and requested blood work. The test revealed her instinct was right. After a CT scan and biopsy, Kristi’s medical team at Mercy had a better picture of what was wrong.
“I’ll never forget that call at 4:45 p.m. March 26, 2020,” Cormack said. “They called to tell me that it was cancer. Nothing can ever prepare you for that phone call.”
She immediately grabbed a notepad and started writing down any words she could comprehend. It was an aggressive form of spindle cell sarcoma. A six-pound tumor was growing from her pancreas.
“You hear all these words and you don’t have a clue about the weight of them,” Cormack said. “You don’t know what walking through treatment and chemotherapy means.”
Because less than 40 people in the United States have been diagnosed with this type of sarcoma, the oncology team at Mercy collaborated with their peers across the country. They sent Cormack’s scans to MD Anderson Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School for review.
“Kristi is a special case,” said Dr. Christian Ellis, surgical oncologist at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “She had a bad situation. The location of her tumor and the fact that she is so young are very rare.”
It was a lot to process, but the timing created an additional challenge. All of this was happening when the world was first learning of COVID-19 and everything began to shut down.
“I went in for my biopsy the day the Oklahoma City Thunder had the first COVID case, and the NBA shut down,” Cormack said. “I remember waking up that evening and thinking, ‘What world did I wake up in?’”
Her initial consultation about removing the tumor happened in early April via video conference. That’s when she met Dr. Christian Ellis. He was the first person to explain the gravity of the surgery and that it could mean life or death.
“I remember sitting with my mom at home, seeing the CT scans on the video and Dr. Ellis walking me through the scans, talking me through surgery, the impact on each organ – the colon, small intestine, my spleen, stomach and pancreas – and what that would mean for me post-operation,” she said.
She was overwhelmed and told him she couldn’t make her decision without meeting in person. He told her to come down to the office right away.
At an in-person meeting, Dr. Ellis encouraged her to seek a second opinion. He was confident he could do the surgery, but Cormack said he wanted her to feel confident in him and the plan of action.
“He said if it’s crossed your mind at all, I want you to get a second opinion,” Cormack said. “He told me you deserve to explore all of your options and feel confident before you step into something this big.”
Cormack said she was relieved the second opinion confirmed Dr. Ellis’ course of action and helped her remove all the ‘what ifs.’
Family and friends camped out in the parking lot of the hospital while she endured what could have been an eight-hour surgery. A nurse called them hourly with updates and after just four hours, the surgery was complete. Dr. Ellis removed her spleen, two-thirds of her pancreas and all of the tumor. He told her anxious family he was pleased with how well it went.
“I woke up in the ICU and just screamed, ‘I’m alive, I made it, I’m alive,’” Cormack said.
After she recovered from surgery, Cormack began six rounds of an aggressive form of chemotherapy that required a five-day inpatient stay at Mercy every 21 days. She was relieved she could have one visitor during her treatments.
On Oct. 29, Kristi finished her last round of chemo. The fourth floor nurses cheered and sang to her as she left the unit when she was ready for discharge. Her mom drove her around to the back of the hospital to the Coletta Building, where Mercy’s outpatient oncology services are housed. She pulled up to the building to shouts of “ring that bell.”
She rang the bell outside of the Coletta Building, surrounded by family and friends, to signify the end of her cancer treatment. They celebrated the end of a long, hard journey.
“Kristi had all the ups and downs of a young person who was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, but our multidisciplinary team at Mercy walked her through the entire process,” Dr. Ellis said. “She did very well, and she is cancer free today.”

Creighton Gilbert (1924-2011), a scholar and connoisseur of Italian Renaissance art donated his extensive collection to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in 2011. Opening Thursday, June 24, A Life in Looking: The Creighton Gilbert Collection explores the thematic elements that make up this exceptional collection.
This exhibition is also important for the university, as two art history professors from the OU School of Visual Arts, Allison Palmer and Erin Duncan-O’Neill, served as curators. “This exhibition showcases some of the most exquisite pieces from an important gift to the museum, artworks that were carefully collected over Dr. Gilbert’s long and storied art historical career,” said O’Neill. “It was an exciting project, leading us to new discoveries from X-radiographs in conservation reports and treasures unboxed from storage.”
The show is organized into five themes: religion, architecture, allegory, portraiture and humor. Gilbert took particular delight in discovering works by major artists, such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Albrecht Durer, to name a few, hidden away in print shops. In 2005, then museum director Eric Lee, a former student of Gilbert’s, encouraged his mentor to leave his private collection to the museum. The bequest, totaling 272 objects, spans the 14th to 20th centuries with an emphasis on Old Master prints and drawings from the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods. “While Dr. Gilbert
was a specialist in the Italian Renaissance, his collection encompasses a wide range of European artworks from the 1400s-1900s, and he seemed to delight in researching issues of attribution and dating,” said Palmer
An academic prodigy, Gilbert entered college at age 14, became a professor at 21 and eventually completed a doctorate from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts in 1955. He was also one of the foremost authorities on Michelangelo. He authored numerous books and articles on Caravaggio, realism in Renaissance art and the Northern Baroque, as well as two seminal works: Michelangelo: On and Off the Sistine Ceiling (1994) and Caravaggio and His Two Cardinals (1995).
“Gilbert curated many exhibitions at museums and universities, developing a breadth of interests on clear display in his collection,” said O’Neill. “From illuminated parchment to sketches made on a cabaret table, we see discoveries made by a passionate and well-trained eye in a range of subjects and time periods.”
A Life in Looking: The Creighton Gilbert Collection is on display June 24 through Dec. 31.
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is located in the OU Arts District on the corner of Elm Avenue and Boyd Street, at 555 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman campus. Admission to the museum is complimentary to all visitors. Information and accessibility accommodations are available by calling (405) 325-4938 or visiting www.ou.edu/fjjma.

A Covid-19 variant that appears more contagious than the earliest strain of the virus is increasingly circulating in the U.S. But is the mutation something to fear?
Only if you’re unvaccinated, say experts at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
“Viruses mutate to survive,” said OMRF immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D. “Becoming more transmissible is helpful from an evolutionary perspective. But with vaccines, we can mount a defense we didn’t have last year.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the delta variant, first identified in India, as a “variant of concern.” The CDC gave the mutation that now accounts for more than 20% of new infections in the U.S. the designation based on growing evidence that the variant spreads more easily and causes more severe cases of Covid-19 when compared to other variants.
The variant’s prevalence has more than doubled in recent weeks. What started as a seemingly small percentage of cases doesn’t mean small danger for a virus that has claimed more than 600,000 lives in the U.S., said OMRF physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D.
“The delta variant appears prime to become the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S., as it is now in the United Kingdom and India,” said Scofield, noting that the variant is striking teens and young adults with increasing speed. “For communities with low levels of vaccination in Oklahoma, this could mean serious trouble come fall.”
There is good news for the fully vaccinated, Scofield said. In a study published in May, researchers in the U.K. found that a two-dose regimen of the Pfizer vaccine was 88% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 from the delta variant. CDC officials anticipate similar results for Moderna’s vaccine. And the effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose shot appears only slightly lowered — 60%, vs. the 66% seen in clinical trials — against the variant.
Despite this, in the same U.K. study, scientists found that one dose of the Pfizer vaccine is just 33% effective against the virus.
“It’s a reminder of how critical full vaccination is,” said Chakravarty. “If you are unvaccinated and waiting to see whether there will be a spike in cases before getting your shot, or if you’ve delayed in getting your second dose, the time to act is now.”
Although infections of Covid-19 are rare in fully vaccinated people, Scofield said that testing should remain top of mind to track the progression of the delta variant in the state.
“If you’re vaccinated, we’re on the cusp of returning to regular life,” said Scofield. “But if you’re sick with symptoms such as coughing, fever and difficulty breathing, you still need a Covid test.”

The Oklahoma History Center (OHC) is seeking performers and vendors for its upcoming Folklife Festival to be held October 16, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This community-wide event will celebrate and recognize what the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has called “the everyday and intimate creativity that all of us share and pass on to the next generation.” The “creativity” mentioned will come in the form of dancing, singing, crafts, food and much more. The Folklife Festival will be open to the public and held predominantly outdoors at the OHC, located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.
Already scheduled to participate are: Oklahoma Farm Bureau; Angels Modeling and Dance Studio; Eterna Primavera Folklore Guatemalteco; Southwest Dairy; “Traditional Music of the Open Prairie” with Wayne Cantwell; 3J Farms; 145th Army Band; and Thick Descriptions. Also, the Oklahoma Pork Council will be giving away a new roaster/smoker.
If you are interested in participating in the OHC’s Folklife Festival as a performance act or vendor, please complete the application form found at www.okhistory.org/historycenter/folklifesignup.
The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.

As little as 130 calories per day could make a significant impact on your cardiovascular health.
That’s approximately how many calories are in about 2.5 cups of strawberries. And it’s the amount a new study led by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D., found is needed to lessen our risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
“This is the ideal health finding,” said Scofield, a physician and medical researcher in OMRF’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program. “Strawberries don’t require a prescription, and they’re available year-round.”
Previous work in Scofield’s lab showed that strawberries could have a positive impact on health. But in the new study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers were surprised to find that such a reasonable amount of the berries could make a difference.
Scofield found that in people with obesity, the daily consumption of 32 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder mixed with water (the equivalent of about 14 oz. of fresh strawberries) lowered participants’ blood glucose, improved good lipids and reduced LDL cholesterol, all factors for heart attack and stroke. Study participants also showed improved insulin resistance, an underlying cause of Type 2 diabetes.
But like the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, the researchers found the natural compounds in strawberries to be most beneficial when consumed as part of a whole.
“We know that eating fish has more health benefits than taking fish oil pills. This appears to be the same for strawberries,” said Scofield, noting that freeze-dried, powdered berries retain the nutrients of fresh berries. “We aren’t certain why, but it supports the idea that eating real, whole foods is important.”
Scofield’s lab has previously shown that strawberries are an effective anti-inflammatory measure to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis, the leading cause of disability and joint replacements in adults in the U.S.
“The idea that strawberries have anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy compounds is not new, but applying the benefits directly to specific diseases is,” said Scofield. “The bottom line is to eat well. We’re supposed to eat five servings of fruits and veggies a day. This is just one more indicator that the benefits of that are real.”
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma State University and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas contributed to the work. The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant Nos. U54GM104938 and 5P20GM109025 and institutional funds from OUHSC and UNLV.

By Nick Thomas

When British author Roald Dahl’s beloved 1988 novel “Matilda” was transformed into a fantasy comedy movie a decade later, the film became hugely popular. It remains an enjoyable family movie to watch with children and grandchildren today, 25 years after its release in July of 1996.
Filled with memorable characters including a callous and dishonest family as well as a tyrannical school principal, Matilda was portrayed by adorable child actor Mara Wilson who battles and eventually overcomes adversity. It was one of four films in the 90s that made Wilson famous. Matilda, she says, was a role she was thrilled to play.
“It was my first favorite book,” she told me in a 2017 interview. “The film became a touchstone for girls who grew up feeling a little awkward and out of place and could relate to the Matilda character. When I was little and people would recognize me at the airport, park, or mall, I used to think ‘Why do they care?’ But I’ve come to realize how important some films can be to people.”
Despite the popularity of the spirited little actress in the additional 90s hits “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the remake of “Miracle on 34th Street,” and “A Simple Wish,” Wilson had slipped from the public spotlight by the decade’s end – an exile that was largely self-imposed.
“I grew out of that cute stage and didn’t develop into the classic Hollywood beauty as I got older,” she explained. “I didn’t like being reduced to adjectives – you’re thin or short or tall or blonde – and was no longer comfortable going to auditions. I still do some fun TV or web projects for friends and I love voice-over work because no one is judging how I look or how many times a week I workout!”
One actor she fondly remembers during her early career was Robin Williams during the filming of “Mrs. Doubtfire” who she says was “kind and gentle, but rather shy which is not uncommon for actors.” Not surprisingly, he was usually hilarious on the set and responded in typical Williams’ style when she told him of her fondness for musicals such as “The Sound of Music” and “South Pacific.”
“So he started singing ‘Nothing Like a Dame,’ which was funny because there he was, a man dressed like a woman singing there was nothing like being a woman!”
While her films from the 90s were largely comedic or sentimental, Wilson remains proud that her Matilda character has helped kids overcome abuse.
“They were living in abusive families or with parents who didn’t care about them, and the movie showed them there was a way out and that they could find people who cared. So it’s a comforting movie about feeling powerless, then finding power. People write to me all the time about the impact it had on their lives and I love that.”
Wilson’s autobiography, “Where Am I Now? – True Stories Of Girlhood And Accidental Fame,” was published in 2016.
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 850 magazines and newspapers.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

The 4th of July lets me think of the many Washington D.C. memorials, but D.C. has so much more to offer, and that’s the problem.
Over the years I have discovered that some cities are just too large, diverse, and ever changing, to be experienced fully in just one visit. I find this true about our Nation’s Capitol, Washington D.C. That’s why I find it to be an “installment” city: one that needs to be visited over and over again, over a number of years (or decades in my experience.)
Creating a reasonable itinerary for D.C., and knowing your physical capabilities is the key. In my youth I walked and walked and walked to near exhaustion, to see some of the monuments, memorials and museums. For this brief two day trip I took it easy, knowing that in most likelihood that all would be there for another visit on down the line.
I used inexpensive taxis to go most places. I could not believe how accessible they were.
My home base was in the Beacon Hotel and Corporate Quarters, up the hill from the White House by several blocks. It was a comfortable hotel, with a doorman for taxis, offering spacious rooms, kitchenette and full size bath. While I would not try to visit their unfriendly dining establishment again, I would consider the hotel for my next installment. They do offer a rooftop bar on some nights. Go early before the music starts.
Months in advance I contacted both my Congressional representatives to see about getting a White House tour. After a prolonged attempt it did happen, and I was put on a list with a group of strangers, to this day I have not met. I showed up a little earlier than my appointed time, and went through 2 check lists before going through security. I was told on the website, no cameras, although cell phones with cameras were allowed (go figure that logic), no pencils, no pens, no back packs, no water, no nothing, or it would be taken away. Strange again, but the price you pay. The self guided tour, following a pre determined path, was reminiscent of a tour decades ago. In reflection it is fun to see the rooms and hallways on TV and know their juxtaposition to each other and such, because you were there. I’m ashamed to say, I did not get a feeling of awe, but seeing the portraits of JFK and Jacqueline was heart warming. A tour of the Capitol Building is much easier to get and very informative.
I can also recommend visiting the National Gallery, The Spy Museum and its adjacent restaurant, Zola. All three are worth a lengthy visit. Dining at Zola is definitely on my list for my next installment visit to D.C.
Other fun food and beverages were enjoyed at the iconic Old Ebbitt Grill, the Round Robin Bar at the Willard Intercontinental, and the roof top bar and dining atop the W Hotel, where extra ordinary sights can be had of the White House, Washington’s Monument, Jefferson Memorial and the Lee Mansion in Arlington The W can be a bit snooty, as they reserve several roof top bar tables for VIP’s, which are seldom used early in the evening. So as you wait for the elevator behind the velvet rope, just profess to the doorman you want to stand at the bar. It’s worth the effort.
I longed to see the National Cathedral and took a taxi there and back. Getting back was the challenge. I saw the edifice and took a Gargoyle tour, which I can not recommend.
One is shown slides of the exterior, and then taken out front on the grounds to try and see again, what you saw in slide format. My souvenir book of Gargoyles sold in the basement gift shop was worth its money; the tour was not. A quick trip to the architecturally pleasing National Museum of the American Indian was accomplished, along with a light lunch, and my two days were completed.
One of the best compliments of any travel adventure or meal is answering “Yes” to the question, “Would you have it again?” And “Yes,” Washington D.C. is already on my list for future city installments. As always these days double check web sites and times of admission etc, for the times you need.
When you go or before check out:
The Spy Museum https://www.spymuseum.org/visit
Beacon Hotel: http://www.capitalhotelswdc.com
The National Cathedral: www.nationalcathedral.org
Washington D.C. info: http://washington.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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