by Traci Chapman
Staff Writer

It was Cindy and Bob Ward’s first time at Oklahoma State Fair’s Senior Day – and by the end of the day, they say they realized there really was no place like home during a day they would never forget.
“If you had told me this morning we would have done any of this, I would have thought you were kidding around,” Cindy Ward said that afternoon. “I never, ever would have expected this.”
In fact, when the El Reno couple entered the Modern Living Building, this year Oklahoma Senior Day’s new state fair home, they said they were impressed at the number of vendors, the entertainment and the wide range of activities going on, even early in the morning. With a Wizard of Oz theme – There’s No Place Like Okla’HOME’a – the Wards said they hadn’t really realized the state fair offered such a host of activities designed especially for seniors. When they discovered the “King and Queen of Emerald City” contest, they decided to enter – well, perhaps not exactly “they.”
“It was my idea,” Cindy said with a laugh. “Bob would never do anything like this on his own, but he went along with it for me.”
That’s how the couple ended up on the Senior Day stage, as they competed with four other couples in a “Newlywed Game” style contest designed to test how well each husband and wife knew each other. The Wards wondered about their chances, as they were surrounded by couples who had been married far longer than their eight years – two of them wed for 50 years; of the other two couples competing, one said they had been married more than 10 years, another had celebrated more than 20 wedding anniversaries.
But, the El Reno proved wrong everyone who believed those who lived together longest knew each other best, matching each other’s answers on four of five questions.
“I couldn’t believe it, but we just are so compatible, just know each other so well, that I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Cindy said.
After being crowned 2017 king and queen and receiving a host of prizes, flowers, crowns and a trophy, the couple took part in the antique tractor parade, which wound its way through State Fair Park.
Bob and Cindy Ward met, as many couples do, online. After each lost their respective spouses, they reached out on a Christian dating site, literally across the miles – Cindy lived in Deming, New Mexico, while Bob was in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
“We had a 97 percent match, and when we met, it just clicked,” Bob said. “We knew it was meant to be.”
With family members facing serious illnesses in Cindy’s hometown – El Reno – the Wards decided Oklahoma was the place to be, and they’ve never looked back, they said.
“It hasn’t always been easy, but we’re together and that’s what matters,” Cindy said.
While Cindy and Bob Ward were the stars of Senior Day, they were far from the only attraction during the special event. Many vendors provided medical, home, entertainment and other information, while others conducted diabetes, blood pressure, fall risk and memory screenings.
The day started with Ms. Oklahoma Senior America Dawn Anita Plumlee singing the National Anthem. The Duncan, Oklahoma, singer and songwriter was crowned during a July 29 pageant; 2016 Ms. Oklahoma Senior America, Dove Morgan Schmidt of Bristow, led the antique tractor parade later that day.
The antique tractor parade featured not only Schmidt and the Wards, but also other state fair royalty – Oklahoma City Indian Princesses, Miss Oklahoma State Fair, Miss Oklahoma State Fair Outstanding Teen and Oklahoma Frontier Experience cast members, as well as several area Red Hatters riding their own float. Tractors, ranging from historic to beautifully restored and even a little silly, were not only the parade’s stars, but also then remained for the rest of the fair as part of a tractor exhibit involving several Oklahoma tractor clubs. The Not Just Country Line Dancers, Oklahoma State Fiddlers, Okie Stompers, Southeast Navy Band, Dorothy’s Line Dance Class, Vocal Sounds of Oklahoma and Yellow Rose Dinner Theater provided entertainment, and Oklahoma State Department of Health sponsored two Tai Chi sessions. Several trivia and creative activities rounded out the day, while an Elvis Extravaganza was the event’s evening finale.
“We wanted to make this bigger than ever before – to make this a celebration of all seniors, to give them what they’re interested in seeing, learning about and doing,” organizer Wynelle Record said. “We’re very happy with the turnout, and we’re already looking forward to next year.”

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Dennis Johnson spent the first half of his professional life working with his hands, building things that would stand the test of time.
“It’s hard to go up and down Interstate 95 and not cross a bridge I didn’t have a hand on,” Johnson says proudly.
But a shoulder injury would bring Johnson to a crossroads.
His days working with steel were over and he had to take a hard look at what his financial options were.
At a relatively young age Johnson was forced to deal with his 401k, the loss of his primary income as well as the only profession he had ever known.
It was overwhelming. And he knew it had to be the same for others.
So instead of self pity Johnson poured himself into the only thing he ever knew: figuring out a way to build something for others.
“I’ve been 1,200 feet in the air and pushed a hundred tons of iron around and I know what a hard day’s work is,” said Johnson, who absorbed everything he could get his hands on to become a self-taught financial advisor. “I’m a blue collar guy. I’ve always told my clients I know how hard it is to make a buck. I know how hard it is to swing a beater for eight hours just to get one pin in.”
Just like swinging that hammer, Johnson approached his new career with a laser focus. Registered designations, licenses and accolades followed.
The third-generation iron worker from Baltimore built a multimillion-dollar portfolio in Arizona before selling it all and moving to Oklahoma in 2014 with the intention to retire with his love Cathy Belzer.
Retirement did not suit Johnson at all. With plenty of time to do whatever he wanted he realized he missed taking care of people.
Johnson is a veritable Swiss Army knife when it comes to financial services work. His registered investment advisor license dates back more than 20 years. Along the way he’s picked up life and health insurance licenses and registered advisor status.
“I used them when a client needed them,” ” said Johnson, now an advisor at Tree Line Capital in Edmond. “I never made a big deal about pushing any of it.”
A friend, Robert Ford at Tree Line Capital, convinced him to join his burgeoning firm.
“Why don’t you come over here with me,’’ Johnson remembers hearing his friend say. “We’ll build something.”
Those were the magic words.
“I just want to help,” Johnson said. “Everybody needs a second opinion. That’s the guy I want to be. I’m really enjoying it. I’m having fun again and enjoying the business again.”
Johnson’s not the kind of guy you’ll find behind a desk all day wearing a suit and tie. You’re more apt to find him playing a round of golf or sitting down with buddies talking football.
There’s an ease about Johnson that goes with his blue-collar roots and his genuine desire to help people.
So it’s no surprise people gravitate toward him.
Today’s financial services industry is filled with fresh-faced, college graduates begging to take a crack at people’s portfolios.
Johnson has had individual clients longer than most of those new advisors have been alive.
Some clients Johnson will never let go, or more precisely, they won’t let him go.
“I have a client who is 93 years old and it feels so good because she tells everybody ‘If it wasn’t for (Dennis) I never would have made it,’” Johnson said. “We started with a relatively small amount of money and she’s lived and lived well for 25 years now and she’s still going.
“I have so many clients like that.”
Johnson relishes the fact that his clients see hard work pay off.
“In the beginning you don’t see that,” Johnson said. “The first five six or 10 years you’re building clients. But after they’re with you and you know them and you see (everything) … it’s so satisfying to have their children come up. When every month that checks shows up in their mailbox and you know you’re the guy that put it together that’s a great feeling.”
He even helped his partner get her insurance license after 30 years working in health care.
Belzer and Johnson are gearing up for their busy season.
Enrollment for Medicare Advantage begins this month.
Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased in virtually all states over the past year. Almost one in three people on Medicare (31% or 17.6 million beneficiaries) is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2016.
Plans like these are just one piece of the puzzle that Johnson and Belzer work on for people every day.
“I’ve always had to have a plan and I’ve always had to be organized,” he says.
“You need somebody who is a team, who wants to listen to you and find out about your family and your kids.“
And, most importantly, you need someone who knows how to build something that will stand the test of time.

The silver-rimmed glasses appear to rise each time Shelley Wong is happy.
Wong of Choctaw, is happy a lot while working her farmers market tables along the west edge of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) parking lot.
The produce under the blue canopy sun tent – butternut squash flanking her to the left and golf ball sized red onions to the right as well as the Chinese okra and the bitter melons before her – are a source of pride because each is from her garden.
A customer studies the items on the tables and tells Wong, “I’d like these two zucchini.”
Wong smiles, the glasses push up, and she replies, “I picked them myself this morning.”
Later, she goes to the passenger side front seat of the Chevrolet Astro van and grabs an aerial photo to show a visitor.
“Here’s my garden,” she said, the smile kicking in instantly. “It’s maybe 6,000 to 7,000 square feet. There’s my seven rows of the big tomatoes, and this is the little cherry tomatoes. Over here is the broccoli, and here I plant spaghetti squash.”
Across Oklahoma, there are dozens of registered farmers markets that are essential outlets for agricultural producers in providing opportunities for them to meet the consumer demand for locally grown, fresh produce. Farmers markets also provide opportunities to create strong community ties and a link between rural and urban populations by allowing farmers and consumers to interact.
Just over the produce and behind the tables stand those who raise a quality product and want to see the public enjoy it. Many of those individuals have interesting stories, including Shelley Wong.
She remembers
The painful cries of a baby.
The moaning of a senior adult.
Many have said that food is taken for granted. Not by Wong.
When Wong – Wong Moy, Shuet Fong – tells the story of her childhood, the happiness is nowhere to be seen. One is certain the glasses on her cheeks will soon begin catching tears.
Food is personal, and that feeling traces back to those babies and seniors, she said.
On Oct. 1, 1949, communist revolutionary Mao Zedong officially proclaimed the existence of the People’s Republic of China, naming himself head of state. Wong was only 3 years old.
She grew up in a time of a “government rate” for food. In her village, that was about 20 pounds of rice per person, per month. That was for two meals a day. Those who couldn’t work, like a child or an older adult, received less, she said.
Wong’s father died when she was 6, and she was the middle of five children. However, her grandfather and an aunt in New York sent them money, so they had a better situation than some others. Still, Wong saw and heard the impacts of hunger all around her.
“So some kids, they cry all day, all night, and some older people,” said Wong, 71. “They swell up because they don’t have enough food.”
She felt she had to get out.
It was 1962. Wong’s grandmother Yee Lau Kwai needed to take a trip and couldn’t see well, so she needed, as was approved by the government, a child 12 years or younger, for assistance. Here’s the catch: Wong was 16, but didn’t have a birth certificate and was shorter than her present height of 4-feet, 11 inches. So they listed her as 12 and she received a passport. They went first to Macau on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong.
“I lived in Macau for a month and a half and then got into a small boat and we sneak into Hong Kong,” Wong said. “At that time it belonged to the British.”
It was in Hong Kong, in late 1964, she met Sheldon Wong, who had returned to China from Los Angeles to find a wife. They were engaged in March 1965 and married in May of the same year, and in September traveled to Los Angeles, where Sheldon had a grocery store.
“Not long after, we got robbed,” she said. “Four guys come in and they shoot our roof, we got scared so we moved out from that business and sold his part to his brother.”
In 1969, Shelley became a U.S. citizen and shortly thereafter, the Wongs moved to San Diego, where they opened a restaurant that seated about 70 people and served Cantonese cuisine. That continued for about 15 years until Sheldon had health issues and they sold. After a while, Shelley started the restaurant again, in a mall.
Food obviously plays a role in everyone’s life, but it has played a significant part in Shelley’s life: the grocery store, the restaurants, the garden and the farmers market.
“We pay it back a lot of time,” she said, and then explains. “A lot of time at the restaurants, we would have people come in and they say, ‘We hungry, can we have some food?’ and we always give them some fried rice. If they are hungry, we are willing to help them.”
Shelley and Sheldon also sent money back to family members in China and through the years, some family members moved to the United States. Also, her grandmother initially stayed in Hong Kong and then moved to the United States. The grandmother lived with the Wongs until the early 1980s and then moved in with other family members in California.
Wong did return to China to visit, making the first of five trips starting in 1982.
In Oklahoma
While visiting their son and daughter-in-law in Oklahoma, they started thinking about making the move from California and did so in October 2005, buying a house in Midwest City.
It was July of the next year that they moved into their new home in Choctaw.
She saw food – well, sort of.
“When I move into the new house, my yard is pretty big,” Wong said. “I start a couple of rows and I plant those bitter melons, because I love them.”
This was her introduction into soil farming.
“I like to see the things growing from a seed,” she said. “You go out there and you see them popping up. I help them grow and I feel very proud of myself.”
In addition to produce, Wong loves people. That’s why the garden has led to another perfect fit for her, farmers markets. She, along with Sheldon, 87, attends one in Choctaw and the one at the ODAFF parking lot in Oklahoma City.
At the latter, a customer walks up and lifts one of the Chinese okra from a tray.
“I bought one a couple of weeks ago from Shelley and I was like, ‘That was really good,’” the customer said. “I just stir fried it, and it was really pretty tasty.”
Wong’s happiness is readily apparent.
“In my life, I was in business all the time,” Wong said. “I have good communication with the people, with the customer.”
And about that time another walks up and spots her onions.
She grabs a yellow plastic hamburger basket, and scoops some up. Wong grabs an Oklahoma Grown bag, and the woman dumps the onions.
What does she use the onions in?
“Everything,” the customer said. “I had a roommate once that asked me if I made a meal without onion. Pretty much, it doesn’t happen.”
Wong seconds the motion.
“I put onion in soup, stir fry…,” she said. “I love them too.”
Wong then ties a knot in the top of the bag and hands it over, not only thankful for the sale, but the conversation and the fact that someone wants what she has personally grown in her Oklahoma garden.

At a pair of events Sunday and Monday, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation raised $671,000. Proceeds from the events will support medical research projects at the Oklahoma City nonprofit.
The foundation’s annual “241” events—two events for one great cause—consisted of a wine festival and concert by Country Music Association and Grammy award-winning band The Mavericks at OMRF on Sunday. The fundraiser was capped off with a golf tournament Monday at Stillwater’s Karsten Creek Country Club.
This was OMRF’s sixth year to hold the benefit, which has raised $3,832,119 since 2012. Funds raised this year will be used for research areas where the need is greatest and for promising projects that need additional funding. In the past, event proceeds have gone to support research in cancer, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
“The funds raised at events like 241 are vitally important, because they provide OMRF’s scientists with the essential resources to continue their work,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “Thanks to those who support this event, our researchers can continue their search for new diagnostics and treatments for a wide range of diseases.”
Honorary co-chairs for this year’s events were Cathy Keating and Larry Nichols. Mark and Beverly Funke served as event co-chairs.
Lead event sponsors included The Chickasaw Nation, American Fidelity/InvesTrust, Virginia and John Groendyke, Presbyterian Health Foundation, Glenna and Richard Tannenbaum, Allen Family Foundation, Arnall Family Foundation, Carl E. Gungoll Exploration, LLC, Devon Energy Corporation, H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust, Hardesty Family Foundation, Tim Headington, Leslie and Cliff Hudson, OPUBCO, Gene Rainbolt, Katie and Tony Say, and Tyler Media.

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’m concerned that my 80-year-old mother is taking too many medications. She currently takes 10 different drugs prescribed by three different doctors, which I think is causing her some problems. She also struggles to keep up with all the drug costs. Any suggestions?  Concerned Daughter

Dear Concerned,
There’s no doubt that older Americans are taking more prescription medications than ever before. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 40 percent of seniors, age 65 and older, take five or more medications. And the more drugs a person takes, the higher their risk for medication problems, and the more likely they are to take something they don’t need.
Brown Bag Review
To help you get a better handle on the medications your mom is taking, gather up all her pill bottles – include all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements – and put them in a bag and take them to her primary doctor or pharmacist for a thorough drug checkup. This “brown-bag review’ will give you a chance to check for duplicate meds, excessive doses, and dangerous interactions, and for you to ask questions.
Medicare Part B covers free yearly medication reviews with a doctor through their annual wellness visits, and many Medicare Part D plans cover medication reviews with a pharmacist too.
You should also note that October 21, is “National Check Your Meds Day.” A number of pharmacies – Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Sam’s Club, Target, Walmart and many independents – have agreed to support the effort. Some may even have extra staff on hand to help you review your meds. Ask your local pharmacy whether it is participating.
When you get your mom’s review, go over the basics for each medication or supplement, such as what it’s for, how long she should take it, what it costs, and any side effects and potential interactions. Also ask if there are any meds she can stop taking, and find out if there are any nondrug options that might be safer, and whether she can switch to a lower dose.
To help your mom avoid future medication problems, make sure her primary doctor is aware of all the medications, over-the-counter drugs and supplements she takes. You should also keep an up-dated list of everything she takes and share it with every doctor she sees. And, be sure that your mom fills all her prescriptions at the same pharmacy and informs her pharmacist of any over-the counter, herbal or mail order prescriptions she’s taking so that there is complete oversight of her medications.
How To Save
To help cut your mom’s medication costs, there are a number of cost savings tips you can try. For starters, find out if there are any generic alternatives to the drugs she currently takes. Switching to generics saves anywhere between 20 and 90 percent.
You should also ask your mom’s prescribing doctors if any of the pills she takes could be cut in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months worth of medicine for the price of one. And for the drugs she takes long-term, ask for a three-month prescription, which is usually cheaper than buying month-to-month.
Because drug prices can vary depending on where you buy them, another way to save is by shopping around (GoodRX.com will help you compare drug prices at U.S. pharmacies), and find out if your mom’s drug insurance plan offers cheaper deals through preferred pharmacies or a mail-order service.
And finally, if your mom’s income is limited, she can probably get help through drug assistance programs offered through pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations. To find these types of programs use BenefitsCheckUp.org.

by Bobby Anderson
Staff Writer

A convincing argument can be made that few people have done more for the health and wellbeing of Cleveland County residents than Norman Regional’s Paula Price, RN.
Not only has Price secured millions in funding for public health programs the last few years, she began at the bedside advocating for her patients back in 1975 when she first earned her LPN.
Price credits her parents with guiding her into nursing.
“They thought it would be a great career for me because I liked to help people and was kind, caring and supportive – those were things they always noticed about me,” Price said. “That’s how I started in nursing and ended up realizing after a few years it was a passion for me and that my parents really knew me well.”
And for nearly 20 years now Norman Regional Health System has relied on Price as the Health System’s Director of Health Promotion and Community Relations.
That heart for the community, coupled with her business acumen, led her to be called again to serve on the healthcare front lines.
New Norman Regional Health System President and CEO Richie Splitt recently announced Price would lead the Health System’s efforts as the new Vice President of Strategy and Growth.
“That’s really what we’re focusing on now is keeping patients out of the hospital and keeping them from being re-admitted or helping them prevent the onset of a chronic disease,” Price said, mentioning Oklahoma’s top conditions like cancer, lung disease, heart disease and diabetes.
Price has worn many hats in her career from medical surgical, surgical, and outpatient settings.
She earned her RN in 1990, but there’s always been a next step for Price.
While she always knew how to heal patients in an acute care setting she always wondered what she could do on a larger scale.
Price received a Bachelor’s of Nursing from the University of the State of New York, a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a Master’s of Nursing from Southern Nazarene University
Most recently, Price has served as the Health System’s Director of Health Promotion and Community Relations for the past 19 years.
Her healthcare experience includes nursing, public health, community relations, marketing and communications. During her career she has received numerous recognitions and honors.
She was honored for her work in the wake of the May 20, 2013 tornado with a 2014 Healthcare Marketing IMPACT Award from Modern Healthcare and Advertising Age.
She also received the Oklahoma City University Kramer School of Nursing Silver Salute Award. In 2016, the Norman Chamber of Commerce recognized her with the Women in Leadership award.
She currently serves on the United Way of Norman Board of Directors, and Norman Chamber of Commerce board.
She makes sure she’s out in the community because it’s the best way to reach so many. It’s one of the reasons she spent 10 years on the board of Health for Friends, which was charged with reaching the underserved population without health insurance.
She led the system’s efforts to provide in-kind contributions of x-rays and diagnostic testing and even pharmacy vouchers that for some patients truly meant the difference between life and death.
She’s dove deep into advocacy especially the last 15 years serving as the Chair of Oklahoma Turning Point and securing millions in local funding through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.
“One thing about nursing is that I think it’s a very exciting time for nurses because you can really choose your path and choose your career,” Price said. “Now that midlevels are so key in access to healthcare nurses have so many more opportunities and can be a part of this new push of population health.”
And she’s done it while working for one of the few remaining municipal hospitals in Oklahoma.
There’s no corporate bottom line to answer to at the end of the day, only the local patient population that continues to make its approval known by patronizing any of the three health system campuses.
“The challenge of being independent is you really have to manage your resources and capital investment because you have to depend on yourself,” Price said. “We have to be very smart about being efficient and having the quality patient outcomes so we can do everything to maximize our efficiency and the care we provide.”
“We have a wonderful relationship with the community. We have a hometown feel. People know us and they’re comfortable with us. They trust us.”
And Norman Regional trusts Price to lead it into the future.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

For years, Kay Dudley and Alice Musser worked across the aisle from each other in the Oklahoma Legislature representing South Oklahoma City.
Musser was a Democrat, Dudley a dyed-in-the wool Republican.
They lived on opposite sides of Pennsylvania Avenue on the city’s south side.
Neither had children in the same grade school. Their churches were different, too.
But both shared a sense of civic duty.
Neither ever imagined one day they would be living under the same roof at The Veraden in Edmond.
“We didn’t know each other, not when we went into the Legislature,” Dudley said. “She was on the East side of Pennsylvania Avenue. I was on the west side.”
TIME TO SERVE
Dudley, a Republican caucus secretary, was elected to the Senate in 1986. She was a member of the Senate’s Education, Human Resources, Finance and Transportation committees, as well as the joint Senate and House Task Force on Child Support and the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse.
She was married to Dr. Tom Dudley, an oral surgeon who practiced in south Oklahoma City for more than 26 years. They had three children.
Musser served on the House Criminal Justice Committee, Retirement Laws Committee and Economic Development Committee.
She sponsored legislation establishing the Energy Conservation Assistance Fund providing grants for lower income, elderly and handicapped homeowners to weatherize their homes and save on energy costs.
She and husband, Carl, had six children.
Musser represented House District 91, which was made up of a part of Dudley’s Senate District 44.
“It was an open seat and I had run once before,’’ Musser said of her election in 1988. “I decided it was a job I needed to do.”
OLD BOYS CLUB
Both ladies admitted bumping their heads on the proverbial glass ceiling as they entered a profession historically dominated by their male counterparts.
Neither was ever asked to get someone a cup of coffee but they were always keenly aware they were the elephant in the room.
“I really didn’t think about it that way although I knew,” Musser said.
“I don’t think we got the same amount of respect as the men,” Dudley echoed.
There were definitely challenges.
“I loved being there,” Dudley said. “But regularly I kept thinking ‘I’m really not accomplishing much.’ And it’s a good ol’ boy system – whoever has been there the longest thinks they’re smarter than everybody else and they try to influence the newbies.
“There were some that I had total respect for and there were others I had no respect for. You just learn who to believe and what to believe.”
Each followed their heart and spent way more time than they had ever imagined trying to serve the needs of Oklahomans.
It was exhausting but both said their time serving at Oklahoma’s highest level of government went quickly.
“I thought I could change the world and I didn’t,” laughed Dudley.
“Well, I thought I had time to learn and then do something and I had two years,” Musser added.
Nowadays you’re likely to find them talking across the dining room table at The Veraden.
But the topic rarely turns to politics.
Neither have the energy for today’s versions.
“There wasn’t that wall that there is today,” Musser said comparing politics 30 years ago to today. “I can remember going to things in the evening and it was everybody, it wasn’t just one party or just the house or the senate.”
They’ve found that sense of community at The Veraden.
Life at The Veraden revolves around modest luxury, personal freedom, and optimal health. Comfortable surroundings, social activities, delicious meals, accommodating associates, and a prime location come together on this unique campus to form a fresh and vivacious lifestyle.
That was the draw for both Dudley and Musser – even though neither knew the other was considering moving in.
Dudley was one of the first residents. Musser came a few months later.
The Veraden modernizes and redefines the retirement experience. The independent living apartments offer chef-prepared dining, daily activities planned around residents’ interests, scheduled transportation to and from shopping and appointments, and a variety of social outings.
The pet-friendly community also offers laundry and housekeeping services plus apartment maintenance, allowing you to have the freedom to pursue the lifestyle you enjoy.
After politics, life moves at a more comfortable pace for the two ladies.
Young, female political hopefuls have sought them out over the years for guidance.
Each are ready to share their story even though it might come from a slightly different perspective.
“Well, you can’t agree with the Republicans very often,” Dudley teased her fellow former legislator.
“Sometimes, I don’t agree with the Democrats either,” Musser laughed.