The Saturday Evening Post articles from March 2009

The Saturday Evening Post archives from March 2009

The pulse of America.(FROM THE PUBLISHER)
March 1, 2009... The Saturday Evening Post has undergone several transformations in its long history, dating back to Benjamin Franklin who promoted the Pennsylvania Gazette as "The Universal Instructor in all Arts and Sciences." When the name changed to The...

Inspired by the Post.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Several months ago my mother saw in her Sept./Oct. 2008 Saturday Evening Post, a table runner pattern and article titled Quilting: A Stitch in Time. She passed the page on to me to share with my three friends who get together every Sunday...

Rightsize your car.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Steve Kaelble's article in the Jan./Feb. Saturday Evening Post regarding the ready availability of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars makes a number of good points. But he ignores two important issues. First, hybrid cars cost many thousands of...

Paul Anka.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Thank you so much for the article by Holly G. Miller on the legendary performer Paul Anka in the Jan./Feb. Past. As a drummer, singer, and songwriter with my band Silver Wings, I enjoy these types of articles. I also thank you for The Saturday...

Amused by Mula.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... I enjoy reading your magazine from cover to cover, but my favorite articles are ones by writer Rose Madeline Mula. Being a senior also, I can relate so much to the issues of which she so humorously writes, like her article, But Wait! There's...

Mencken still controversial.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Please cancel my subscription. When I read the Nov./Dec. issue in which you held up H.L. Mencken as someone worth reading, that did it for me. Your magazine is no longer what it once was and is not welcome into my home anymore. Joan...

Too much freedom.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... I am not a person who is big on writing letters to the editors of magazines. What makes this hard for me is that I am writing it to a magazine that I have loved since I was a child. And that is the point. It has always been a magazine that...

Global warming?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... [Re: John H. Jenks' letter to the editor in the Jan./Feb 2009 issue regarding the article Why Bother? from the Sept./Oct. 2008 issue.] Mr. Jenks has to be living in a time warp if he still thinks all is well with mother earth. Ice chunks...

Wrong about Roosevelt.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Your editorial on the Roosevelt administration economic recovery [Publisher's letter, The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same and Rockwell's Four Freedoms, Jan./Feb. issue] is a good example of how the media manipulates the public...

Breaking home ties.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Although my father has been dead for nearly 26 years, the September 25, 1954, cover of The Saturday Evening Post, complete with address label, still hangs within the homemade aluminum flame in which he placed it more than 54 years ago on the...

Leyendecker look alike.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... In the Nov./Dec. 2008 edition, page 50, there is a print by Leyendecker titled Good Bay. Is there anywhere I can get a print or poster of this work? The boy featured looks exactly like my son. I would love to find a copy of this. Daniel...

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Check out our bonus material on saturdayeveningpost.com.(ON THE WEB)
March 1, 2009... Medical News Our weekly Medical Update column will keep up-to-date on the latest health news. Visit saturdayeveningpost. com/medical-update every Saturday to learn more about health care costs, diabetes, and other important topics that...

What men need to know: a new campaign addresses often-overlooked issues affecting men with diabetes.(DIABETES UPDATE)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... Dealing with the day-to-day aspects of diabetes--blood glucose, nutrition, and lifestyle management--is a formidable challenge for all people with the disease. However, American men living with diabetes also grapple with unique physical,...

On second thought.(HUMOR)(Cartoon)
March 1, 2009... "I want a traditional funeral. Don't let the undertaker think outside the box." "Let's just say we'll do our best to cure you--never mind what the odds are." "I could lie about it, but I'm sure I left some DNA evidence behind." ...

No talking in the library! Have you noticed how libraries aren't hushed and reverent places anymore?(HUMOR)
March 1, 2009... The other day I decided to pay a visit to the library. You know, that spot that people often confuse with the video store, but which also has books? I was there to take out War and Peace. It's very long, so I thought I'd read the "War" part...

Rid audible heartbeat.(HEART HEALTH)
March 1, 2009... Q: Regarding the lady who could hear her heartbeat in her ear upon reclining: I know exactly what she means, and it's nasty! Lucky for me, I had a chiropractor appointment the second day after I woke up with the condition. The chiropractor...

Heart weak, but stable.(HEART HEALTH)
March 1, 2009... Q: In 2000, a cardiologist said that I needed a heart transplant due to heart failure. My left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was about 20 percent. I resisted this advice since I felt fine and did not display signs of heart failure. Since...

Review the options.(HEART HEALTH)
March 1, 2009... Q: A cardiac catheterization revealed that one artery is blocked and two others are partially closed. I was told that nothing could be done because of my age. Could you enlighten me on what I could do? Zipes: I concur that exercise and diet...

Statins and heart health.(HEART HEALTH)
March 1, 2009... Q: I've read people with heart problems should not use statin drugs. I'm diabetic and on my second pacemaker. Our medical insurance is suggesting that I change from Lipitor to the statin drug simvastatin. Please inform me if this should be...

Peripheral artery disease.(HEART HEALTH)
March 1, 2009... Q: I am nearly recovered from a mild stroke that my medical reports say was due to peripheral artery disease (PAD). I changed my diet, had physical therapy, and lost weight. I had to stop Lipitor for cholesterol (which is 125) because of...

Ablation helps flutter, too.(HEART HEALTH)
March 1, 2009... Q: I had ablation of the atrioventricular (AV) node in 2001 that apparently took care of my atrial fibrillation but left me with heart flutter. When I relax in my recliner for a short period of rime, I get short of breath and feel very much as...

Remembering Maggie.(Saving Time Saves Lives)
March 1, 2009... Pat O'Malley never thought her athletic 17-year-old daughter would die from sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, she didn't recognize that Maggie's life was in danger one night when she found her unresponsive, unconscious, and apparently gasping for...

Be Beautiful: looking for a new book for springtime reading?(LIVING WELL)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The latest in the best-selling series by Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz offers head-to-toe advice to help us look, feel, and be beautiful. Beauty is really about your health and happiness, the authors explain....

Pass it on.(LIVING WELL)
March 1, 2009... Spring is a great time to clear your closets of unwanted and unused ctothing, sports gear, and small appliances. Check the phone book for local donation sites or go online to explore charitable organizations that collect specific items such as...

Flower power.(LIVING WELL)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Is it still cold and dreary outside? Brighten your days with an easy-to-make arrangement of fresh flowers. Gather an odd number of old or new glass bottles of varying size and shape. Purchase a pretty bouquet. Then,...

Easy for you to say.(HUMOR)
March 1, 2009... "Quit complaining about erosion. It's made you look 10 years younger." "... and all those opposed to my idea signify by saying 'I resign.'" "The system crashed. You'll have to go back and live it again." "Yes, I am unemployed,...

Understanding cholesterol: in an excerpt from his latest book, Dr. Dean Ornish examines the surprising relationship between "good" and "bad" cholesterol.(HEARTBEAT)
March 1, 2009... There are a lot of misconceptions about HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Most people, including many physicians, believe that HDL is "good" cholesterol, and the higher it is, the better....

The advantage of vintage: the outdated outfits hanging in your wardrobe will almost certainly come back in vogue.(HUMOR)
March 1, 2009... Attending a party the other night, I looked down at what I was wearing and thought, You know you're getting older when you're wearing vintage Chanel and you're the original owner. I remembered buying this ridiculously expensive outfit 12 years...

Eggs for Easter brunch: dishes that say spring.(FOOD)
March 1, 2009... "Pure and simple, there are few" things as magnificent as eggs, the famous chef James Beard once enthused. Come Easter time, eggs are in their element, adding gaiety to Easter baskets and a springtime feel to meals. The possibilities are...

Dieter's Grace.(POST SCRIPTS)(Poem)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dieter's Grace Now I sit down to dine. May self-control make temperance mine. If I should diet before I rise, May deprivation slim my thighs. And if I try, it's only just That I be...

Service with a smile.(POST SCRIPTS)
March 1, 2009... My mother and I were enjoying dinner at a swank restaurant. Having not seen each other for quite a while, our conversation ranged widely, including her recounting an oft-told tale from my childhood that involved a dog. At the appropriate moment...

Sew What?(POST SCRIPTS)(Poem)
March 1, 2009... Sew What? Our sewing group has A great name and it shows: We simply call ourselves The Old Sew and Sews.

Mistaken identity?(POST SCRIPTS)
March 1, 2009... A man dressed as Napoleon went to a psychiatrist at the urging of his wife. What's your problem?" the doctor asked. "I have no problem," the man replied. "I'm one of the most famous people in the world. I have a great army behind me. I...

The powers of deduction.(POST SCRIPTS)
March 1, 2009... Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire for the night and go to sleep. Hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me...

Delayed Resemblance.(POST SCRIPTS)(Poem)
March 1, 2009... Delayed Resemblance Once they are out From under her thumb, How like their mom Do daughters become!

Like Mother Used to Do.(POST SCRIPTS)(Poem)
March 1, 2009... Like Mother Used to Do He criticized her pudding. He didn't like her cake. He wished that she'd make biscuits Like mother used to make. She didn't wash the dishes. She didn't make a stew. She didn't darn...

And step on it!(POST SCRIPTS)(Poem)
March 1, 2009... And Step on It! Our town is doing everything possible to conserve energy. The Weekly Shopper carries a big picture of a city bus with this advice in large black letters: TAKE TWICE DAILY FOR GAS RELIEF.

The healing power of energy: drawing from Eastern and Western therapies, a leading physician explores the role of energy medicine in achieving and maintaining health.
March 1, 2009... I walk past the patient with the mechanical heart to visit his roommate, on whom I performed open-heart surgery earlier in the week. I am surprised to see a woman slowly waving her hands over the victim's chest. Wearing a purple turban on her...

Hooked on rugs: what began as a craft born of thrift and necessity has evolved into an art form.
March 1, 2009... Country women, mostly from New England and the maritime provinces of Canada, began weaving (hooking) strips of tattered wool blankets and clothing into the burlap from feed sacks in the mid-18th century. Unlike the more affluent city folk, they...

The future is now.
March 1, 2009... The inventor tinkering in a garage and coming up with a better mousetrap is a cherished American image. These days, that tinkering is likely to take place at a sophisticated computer or high-powered microscope. But no matter how they do their...

The unforgettable Natalie Cole: twenty-five years ago she overcame a drug addiction that put her career on hold and her life in jeopardy. Now she's back on top, relying on her faith as she battles new threats to her health.(Interview)
March 1, 2009... In her book, Angel on my Shoulder, Natalie Cole tells the story of her parents move to a posh, all-white suburb of Los Angeles in 1947. Residents promptly informed Nat King Cole that home ownership was restricted to whites who celebrated...

Our artists' brush with spring: after a dreary winter, nature prepares a new canvas.
March 1, 2009... Spring is here, and our northern areas are encountering the almost-forgotten sights and sounds of this gently blustering season. There are whitecapped millponds, stretching and tossing after their icy hibernations; pussy willows sunning...

Andy Frank and the power of the plug: a mild-mannered engineering professor is out to save the world with a plug-in hybrid car that travels up to 100 miles before using fossil fuel.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Professor Andy Frank has a question for you: What if there were a full-size sedan or sports utility vehicle (SUV) that performed like a sports car, cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent,...

Going green with Sara Snow: the genial and popular young television host, author, and columnist is on a mission to spread the gospel of "green living.".
March 1, 2009... In her 90-year-old, colonial-style Indianapolis home, Sara Snow easily rattles off how she religiously follows the tenets of green living. Dressed in pants made of wood pulp and an organic cotton shirt, this up-and-coming eco-friendly expert is...

An unexpected life: a long-anticipated European vacation celebrating retirement was put on hold and replaced with a never-ending journey called autism.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My husband, Tom, placed three letters on the table. The first was a payoff notification from the bank. After 30 years of monthly payments, the house was finally ours. The second contained the finalization of Tom's...

Lobbying efforts: inside the grandest entrances in America: call it the "surprise inside." Sometimes the most unassuming buildings conceal the most astonishing lobbies--whimsical, wonderful, and completely unexpected. Here are nine show-stoppers worth a special trip.(TRAVEL)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CURTIS CENTER Philadelphia's art collections stack up with the best of them, but one of the city's most prized art treasures isn't in a museum or gallery. Instead, it graces the lobby of the Curtis Center office...

Living works of art: you don't have to be a master gardener to appreciate--and enjoy--the ancient craft of espalier.
March 1, 2009... It's a centuries-old horticultural technique with roots as far back as ancient Egypt. There, through faded tomb paintings of fig trees planted and flattened against sun-drenched stone walls, evidence suggests that espalier (ess-PAL'-yay) had a...

The whole-grain promise: scientists are unlocking the secrets of what may be the world's most healthful grain.(RESEARCH FRONT)
March 1, 2009... For years nutritional scientists talked up dietary fiber as the key to better health, and now they are onto something even bigger and better. Whole grains, with their heart disease-fighting properties and the combined synergistic health effects...

Where do you think you are?
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] East, West, North, or South, each of the areas above appears on the map of a single state or province. Can you identify these locations? If you find the game too easy (but you won't), try to guess this issue's...

You be the judge.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While trying to report to work, Nolan, a delivery man for a business in Oak Brook, Illinois, was blocked from entering the building by two very honked-off Canadian geese. As the geese flapped their wings and hissed...

The perfect squelch.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The sour-faced, oddly dressed lady was poking among the brooms in the hardware store when a clerk asked if there was anything he could help her with. "I doubt it!" she snapped. "Nothing here is worth buying."...

The hope of home dialysis.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... We recently heard from Harvey Wells, who was settled in an RV campground in Florida and anticipating cooking ribs for his daughter later that day. Like others in his generation, Wells spends as much time as possible with friends and family,...

Chronic kidney disease.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... About 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease--the precursor to kidney failure, which currently affects more than 500,000 Americans. With rising rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, experts predicted a 60 percent increase in...

Needs help for her cough.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, My problem is that I cannot get the mucus up so that I can expel it. Several cough syrups, drops, expectorants, and mucus-relief tablets have not helped me. This problem lasts several hours and sometimes all day....

Returning the favor.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Many years ago, your column about lysine solved my problem with mouth sores. Now I would like to return the favor. June Jordan, in the September/October 2008 issue, wrote about her hands cramping. There is a simple...

Medical updates.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... New research may benefit Medical Mailbox readers and their loved ones coping with conditions mentioned in previous issues--Meniere's disease and persistent heel pain. * Two studies published in November 2008 offer hope to people who...

Eye experts have different training.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I had a driver's permit before moving to Iowa. Here they have a questionnaire for an optometrist or ophthalmologist to fill out. Years ago, an optometrist told me that be had done all he could do for my vision. What does...

Types of glaucoma.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I have been going to an ophthalmologist every six months for two years. I go every six months because I'm prone to having glaucoma. At my last visit, the doctor said my eye pressure is tine so far but that I have a tare...

Treating pernicious anemia.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia in 1982 and prescribed 1000-microgram shots of [B.sub.12] (cyanocobalamin) every month for the rest of my life. I have since moved, and my current doctor advises that 100 micrograms...

A heartfelt thank you.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, In your November/December 2008 issue I happened to read that leg and hand spasms could be caused by the cholesterol medicines. I had been having such severe pains that I would have to pull over in traffic because I was...

Omega-3s in fish oil.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I started taking fish oil omega-3 a year ago. I seem to feel much better (more zip), and for the first rime in my life I have fingernails. I've been made fun of and told to not believe everything I read. My question...

Sleepless in South Carolina.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, My husband has had sleepless nights since ending chemotherapy in July 2007. He has tried prescriptions, herbal teas, and over-the-counter sleep aids. He may sleep for a couple hours upon going to bed bur lies awake the...

Mineral oil: more cons than pros.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Mary Jo Arn's letter in the November/December 2008 issue prompted me to ask if mineral oil is still available as a laxative for severe constipation. I will check out lactulose as Arn suggested. It was used years ago for...

Therapies for systolic hypertension.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I'm diabetic and have systolic hypertension. My systolic pressure runs from 115 to 120 in the morning and 120 to 170 in the evening. I've included a list of the medicines I have tried. Is there anything in the...

Keep a list.(From the Pharmacy)
March 1, 2009... To J.B., from Canoga Park, California: Lipitor and Lescol work in nearly the same way to help decrease cholesterol levels in the body. Taking two medicines with similar mechanisms of action increases the risk of side effects. It is unlikely,...

Taking multiple drugs.(From the Pharmacy)
March 1, 2009... To M.G., from San Antonio, Texas" Two or more medicines may be taken at once unless the labels state otherwise. If you find it difficult to swallow multiple pills, spacing them a few minutes apart is fine, too. As mentioned above, it is a good...

Lisinopril is good for the heart.(From the Pharmacy)
March 1, 2009... To E.H., from Pierce, Nebraska: Lisinopril is a generic drug that is FDA approved for two brand name products--Prinivil and Zestril. It may be prescribed alone or with other medicines to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Lisinopril...

More about lactulose.(From the Pharmacy)
March 1, 2009... To A.M., from Fort Mill, South Carolina: Lactulose (a combination of sugars not readily absorbed by the body) draws water into the bowel where it softens the stool and stimulates the bowels to move. In general, an initial dose produces a bowel...

The face of America.
March 1, 2009... Photographer Kevin Rivoli captured 5-year-old Kattie of New York, peering over the pew at a Sunday service at the Sempronius Baptist Church. She attended the service with her mother, father, brother Joey, and grandmother.