November 2, 2020 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
When our family needed to make a trip to the Chicago area for a family funeral in early September, we decided to make some memories and fit in some educational adventures for the school-age grandchildren, as well. With the Chicago area being under a quarantine order, our plans of saying hello again to the T-Rex […]
| By Ted Blankenship
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says two black bears were spotted in thestate recently, one in southeast Kansas and the other in the southwest part of the state. That’s taking social distancing pretty seriously. We don’t know where they came from — probably Missouri or Oklahoma. We don’t see many black bears […]
| By Mary Corrigan
As Thanksgiving approaches, there are two specific things for which I am most grateful this year: The Active Age staff and our Active Age readers. First, putting together each issue of the monthly paper is, in the best of times, a labor of love. With a full-time staff of only three, they “run” at […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
As Thanksgiving approaches in this most challenging of years, we might consider these famous words about thankfulness and gratitude. Can you identify the authors? 1. This American essayist and Transcendentalist said, “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.” 2. This author of “I […]
October 1, 2020 | By The Active Age
They donate, doctor, volunteer, fly, garden, promote, perform, teach and much more. They are the winners of The Active Age’s Thrive Awards, putting experience and enthusiasm to work to acheive excellence.This month, The Active Age recognizes 25 people over 55 who are making a positive difference in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. Collectively, these people […]
| By Ted Blankenship
If you’ve been to the grocery store recently, you’ll notice that toilet paper is on the shelves again. So, buying it is now less of a problem than getting it out of the packaging it came in. You may not like to admit it, but you know what I mean. You need the product and […]
| By Pat O’Connor
Large shopping centers came to Wichita in the 1950s, but even then, they could not compete with downtown. Buses quickly took people from all points on the compass to the large, compacted shopping district. There was so much pedestrian traffic that the stoplight at the Allis Hotel, in the 200 block of south Broadway, had […]
| By Mary Clarkin
School scenes: Students at Andover High School, above, gather for a socially-distanced assembly while cheerleaders at Maize South High “mask up” during a football game. High school journalism students from those schools, Derby and Maize High documented the first day of school with photographs and a video for the Wichita Journalism Project. To watch the […]
| By The Active Age
Share your favorite holiday recipe with The Active Age for a chance to win a cookbook. We are looking for recipes in every category —main dish, side dish, appetizer, dessert. The only requirement is that the recipe not contain more than 10 ingredients (not counting water, salt and pepper). The prizes for the top […]
| By Amy Geiszler-Jones
By Amy Geiszler-Jones Don Bates has a new pen pal. And no, he won’t be marrying this one. Bates and Newman University junior Kayla Garvert have been emailing each other since the school launched a letter-writing campaign to brighten the day of two senior […]
| By Tammara Fogle
By Janice Sroufe Charisse Kahler wrote a song called “The Gardener” a couple of years ago that nicely sums up her experience as one. Well I dig in the dirt, you know I plant and I pray. To embellish the earth, in a humble way. Growing food for the birds, bees and butterflies, Sustenance for […]
| By Tammara Fogle
By Beth Bower The perfect dinner for a cool autumn night just might be a warm bowl of soup. Especially one you didn’t slave over a stove all day making. Even though things are running at a slower pace these days, it’s still nice to be able to fix a meal—in one pot with little […]
| By Tammara Fogle
By Julie Schaar What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, I reflected on all the reasons fall is my favorite time of year. Pumpkin patches, football, fall festivals, cooler weather and the anticipation of special holidays to come. All things that bring us together as community and family. Jump ahead a […]
| By Joe Stumpe
When it came to choosing his artistic materials, it’s not surprising that Earl Fouse picked wire instead of paint, charcoal or clay. Fouse served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, working as a radio and radar technician on a ship that spent 63 days at Okinawa. His job was to change the frequencies […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
You’ve probably heard that age is only a number. Actually, it’s a lot more than that. Historical periods are often referred to as “ages.” Take this quiz to see how many you can name. After all, where else would you expect to find a quiz about ages than in The Active Age? 1. F. Scott […]
| By The Active Age
Congratulations to Jan Pickering, who successfully completed last month’s puzzle and won the drawing for a copy of “Authenti-City” by Bill Goffrier. Thanks to everyone that participated. Here are the clues, answers and completed word search puzzle. The Wright stuff: Allen House Not as famous as McDonald’s arches: Belmont arches Church served as historic center […]
August 31, 2020 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
A profound sense of faith and seemingly boundless energy propel Teresa Molina through life. The daughter of a grocery store owner whose shelves were stocked with Mexican food and folk art, Molina moved to Wichita as a single mom of two. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and education in 1989, then spent 25 […]
| By Joe Stumpe
David Welch watched as his father, sister and cousins suffered from Alzheimer’s. So when the Wichita businessman started having memory problems at age 60, he had a pretty good idea of the source. He also knew the problem was bigger than himself — as big, in fact, as the 5.4 million Americans currently estimated to […]
| By Mary Clarkin
When Mary Malone turned 61 in March, family members couldn’t come closer than the other side of a nursing home window. Malone, a nanny and housekeeper described as the “glue” of her family, lay in a bed at Watercrest at Victoria Falls in Andover, a skilled nursing home and rehabilitation center that had been locked […]
| By Debbie Elmore
Just when you think Bill Goffrier might have painted every notable structure in Wichita, there he is at a First Friday art gallery crawl or Old Town Farmer’s Market with another colorful rendering. And no plans to stop. “My list is long,” he said with a laugh. Goffrier has been painting since he was a […]
| By The Active Age
Century II and Wichita’s old Main Library were recently nominated for spots on the National Register of Historic Places by citizens trying to save them from the wrecking ball. There are nearly 200 buildings on the register from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. Using the clues below, find the names of a dozen of them […]
| By Lotti Eichhorn
I was born and raised in Switzerland. By 1960 I was in my mid-twenties and ready for a change. I was not escaping but I needed something new. So, I applied for a visa to the United States. In October 1961, I traveled by train to Germany and in Bremerhaven I boarded the SS Bremen […]
| By Mary Clarkin
Up until six months ago, 91-year-old Donna Schirer enjoyed what she calls a “very, very active lifestyle.” A resident of Prairie Homestead Senior Living community in southwest Wichita, Schirer has her own independent living duplex but ate some meals in Prairie Home’s dining room, took part in monthly social gatherings and joined other residents on […]
| By Mitzi McFatrich
Kansas Advocates for Better Care Unlike the rest of us, adults in nursing homes have no say in how or when they will see family and friends or gather for a meal. Their legal rights, while not formally suspended, are suspended in practice by the policies and decision-making protocols issued by government agencies managing the […]
| By Ted Blankenship
It’s the age of political correctness and it’s also pretty hot out this time of the year, so when we get a little overheated we shouldn’t say things like, “Gosh, I’m sweating like a pig.” First, we don’t want to offend any pigs. Worse, the statement would be inaccurate. That’s because pigs don’t sweat. Why? […]