Let's gaze into the 2011 crystal ball for a moment

Two of my favorite “must reads” on my bedside table at the beginning of each year are The Economist’s “The World in 2011” and advertising agency J. Walter Thompson’s annual “Our Things to Watch in 2011.”

Each are filled with predictions and trends, both serious and frivolous. In the serious category:

-The fiscal crisis in almost every country with notable exceptions like Germany and Canada, will create a push on all governments to reduce deficits. The danger comes from cutting too much too soon; the opportunity is a hard look at how we spend money and the quality of services received. -There will be a wave of foreign investment from America and Europe into the developing nations: Asia, Latin America and Africa.

-Attention to climate change and greening. New York City has already run pilot programs and hopes to have comprehensive plans by the end of this year. Propelling efforts is the fact that the world’s population will reach 7 billion this year. While the human population took 250,000 years to reach 1 billion in 1800, it now takes only one dozen years to increase by another billion. The good news is that the total fertility rate (the number of children a woman can be expected to have) is falling in many countries).

-House prices will slip by another 2 percent, and China will become the world’s second largest market for commercial real estate. India’s economy will be in a race with China.

-Although IBM will celebrate its 100th birthday this June, many other large companies have failed. The ones that remain will be the ones that have the agility to respond to our fast-changing market conditions and technology.

-It may be a long goodbye for the current boomer generation, the first crop of which just reached 65 this year. With both the stock market and housing prices less lucrative than in the past, coupled with increased longevity, many are putting off retirement and continuing to work.

-On the frivolous side, among J. Walter Thompson’s list of 100 things to watch, I was fascinated by No. 94, which stated that toilet paper was undergoing a big change. Kimberly Clark is coming out with a tube-free version. Does this mean we will dispense with our toilet paper dispensers? We will just have to wait and see.

-No. 98 explored the use of virtual mirrors in which a customers image is displayed by a camera on a screen which then overlays types of makeup, allowing previews of products and testing of styles of clothes. The cosmetic company Shiseido is rolling out virtual mirrors in European department stores, and here in America they will be available at Macy’s, New York. (I can’t help wondering if some cheating might be possible, making you look better on the image than you really would).

-The over-all fashion forecast is that all shades of green will gain in popularity, while violet will now be passe. Smaller handbags will be in vogue, although I’ll bet that many women, like myself, will remain loyal to larger bags with several divisions.

-Podiatrists will be sad to learn that more sensible shoes with lower heels will come into vogue, and there will be a revival of the Grace Kelly head scarf, not so different from the “hijab” (a head scarf worn by Muslim women). Price increases in raw cotton will mean higher prices on many consumer goods.

-Two deaths to report are the demise of a cultural icon as Sony is discontinuing its Walkman audio cassette player and on the way out is the incandescent bulb — already absent from shops in Australia and Brazil and soon to die out in this country. However, Michael Jackson lives on with many posthumous appearances, a newly released album and Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson, The Immortal World Tour” opens in Montreal this fall.

-Of course, we already are aware that Oprah Winfrey has her own network, OWN, dedicated to self-improvement, personal transformation and entertainment. Will audiences be interested in “master classes” and learning or will they prefer Snooki and the Kardashians and other equally tasteless reality shows?

-A new page for book lovers as more books will be available directly on new devices: e readers, iPads and smart phones. Parents can now record their voices reading stories to their children. Reading, which hasn’t changed much in several hundred years is about to change dramatically.

-Smart phones will overtake standard mobile, YouTube will become a broadcasting channel and social networking will receive increased surveillance. Studies also indicate that people require “digital downtime” to relieve stress and new digital etiquette rules will develop around digital decorum.

More people may question how much information really needs to be made widely available, and some might just conclude that ignorance is bliss. As to the answers, only time will tell.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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This shopper truly appreciates places like Towne Pharmacy in Branford

In this day and age when bigger is too often equated with better, and there is less and less of individualized, caring service, it is refreshing to learn of at least one local, independent and family owned business that is not only succeeding, but recently expanded its space and services.

Towne Pharmacy at 1012 Main St. in Branford is a combination of a longtime family owned business offering old-fashioned personalized help in a completely modern setting with a wide range of up-to-date, competitively priced products.

I spoke with Karen Rangonese, the charming owner/pharmacist who along with her husband, Vince, and three other pharmacists, runs the store. Formerly a Rexall drug store, it was bought by Karen’s father, William Ward, in 1965.

At first, Karen’s father had a partner, Al Carloni, but when the store, along with a rash of other small stores in the area, burned in 1976, Al left the business and Karen’s father re-built it. Karen grew up in the business and officially joined as a pharmacist in 1983.

In 1998, there was another devastating fire, this one starting in Castellon’s Bakery on Main Street and quickly spreading to the adjacent stores. Fortunately, there was a firewall between Towne Pharmacy and the Horowitz department store so the drug store was saved; however, at the time, Karen seeing the smoke and flames, raced to throw prescription drugs into her car in an effort to save what she could.

She recalls trying desperately to reach husband Vince (in the days before no cell phones) who was at home and had tied up the one phone line as he was surfing the Internet ... completely innocent of what had occurred until his wife stormed into the house, furious that she had not been able to contact him.

Vince, an aerospace engineer whose flashing dark eyes and good looks betray his Sicilian heritage, left his other work after 30 years to recently join Karen in the business where he has taken on the job of expanding their impressive durable medical supply department.

Here one can find bath equipment supplies, walkers and wheeled walkers with seats, transport and regular wheelchairs — some, in new and interesting colors.

The staff is trained in the fitting of therapeutic shoes and compression stockings. Individual and helpful service is offered whether you are choosing a simple elastic bandage or are in need of specific diabetic supplies. The store has also introduced several unusual giftware items, including switch flops, hobo bags, candles, glassware and Bewitching bath and body products. And completing the family circle, their talented daughter, Melissa, travels down from her work in Boston to do the interesting window displays.

Towne Pharmacy is now part of the Health Mart network of individually owned and operated drug stores, a connection which affords the members buying power with pharmaceutical companies so their prices are competitive or lower than chain stores. Karen also points out that in addition to being able to handle the voluminous paperwork involved in insurance billing, they offer free delivery service.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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We’ll be drinking less, exercising more

Now that it is 2011, the year that the oldest of the baby boomers (their motto was never trust anyone over the age of 30) will turn 65, there is increased emphasis on remaining younger, longer.

Both men and women are laying out large sums of money on hair creams, eyelash enhancers, anti-wrinkle serums, Botox injections, weight-loss products, etc., ad infinitum. But brain health, one of the most important attributes of staying young has, until recently, remained in the background.

If this New Year’s you drank more than usual, cutting back on your liquor consumption might be a worthwhile resolution for anyone 60 and older. Newly retired or out-of-work individuals, as well as lonely seniors, are all often inclined to overindulge. Experts note that as people age, changes in absorption and metabolism occur, and they therefore experience less tolerance for alcohol.

While a very limited amount of alcohol may help cognitive function by preventing hardening of the arteries and blood clots, people who already have some cognitive impairment will experience faster decline. Chronic heavy drinking not only increases the risk for memory loss, but can also be a cause of sleep disorders, depression and anxiety.

Additionally, older adults are more likely to be using multiple prescriptions that may interact with alcohol. Be particularly alert to any drinking while using the following, which may interact harmfully with alcohol:

‰Antihistamines, cold remedies

‰Anti-anxiety drugs

‰NSAID pain relievers

‰Anticoagulants

‰Heartburn drugs

‰Drugs for enlarged prostate

‰Statin drugs

The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse defines moderate drinking as no more than one drink a day for both men and women older than 65 (men younger than 65 are granted an allowance of two). A drink consists of one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1½ ounces of 80-proof spirits.

The second New Year’s promise we all need to make, which will keep not only our bodies but our brains in good working order, is regular exercise. Such activity helps to promote the growth of new brain cells, slows the progression of neurodegenerative disease and boosts circulation, which nourishes brain tissue.

Recent studies show that participants who engage in regular brisk walking had greater volume in four areas of the brain, including a key memory region. There is an apparent link, over time, between physical activity, brain structure and dementia.

Aerobic exercise also boosts the levels of mind-enhancing brain chemicals and may improve our mood for as long as 12 hours after only a 20-minute workout. Talk about a great return on an investment. Of course, you should check with your doctor before embarking on any exercise routine, but with the variety of classes of every type and at every level available at local senior centers and our great new Shoreline “Y” in Branford, there’s no excuse for not becoming a better you in 2011.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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Well, here we are, the dawn of another new year

It seems to me that your chronological age has a definite effect on how you view and celebrate New Year’s. The young with their boundless enthusiasm and seemingly endless tomorrows, are anxious to be rid of the old and rush with carefree abandon to welcome the promise of things yet to be.

Their feelings are expressed in loud music, much food and liquor and parties that continue into the wee hours, while the true believers pack Times Square in New York City to brave the cold and shout themselves hoarse as a lighted globe makes its descent to mark the arrival of yet another year.

In contrast, we Medicare card carriers are not in such a hurry to see the old year end — even if it was not the best of years. For starters, we are all going to be one year older, and added to that, we know and cling to what we have in the present while tomorrow ... well, who knows? Experience has taught us that even with the best of intentions, things will probably not change dramatically.

New Year’s resolutions are seldom kept for long; and especially with the complex and almost overwhelming problems facing our country today, there are no quick fixes that the mere change of date from 2010 to 2011, can bring.

The magazines are filled with articles on re-inventing yourself or starting your next chapter in life; and while I am a firm believer that age should be no barrier to leading a full, productive life, there are no fairy godmothers with magic wands who can turn back the clock.

I believe that for seniors, the New Year is a time to reflect. We need to think about how and when we did not do our best, where perhaps, we failed those we love and how we can do better to continue to lead fuller, more meaningful, lives. While we should look forward with hope and optimism to the years ahead, we are also old enough to realize the gift that each and every day represents.

We have all lost some close friends or family members and are fully aware of both the beauty and frailty of life. Every year represents the opening of a new chapter with new possibilities and that is exciting and wonderful, but in actuality, all we ever have is this very moment — this moment that is passing with each breath we take.

As we greet the New Year, let us remember to live and cherish the moment.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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