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Concert & Festival Season

No Excuse to Stay Home

By Breanna Mona

Summer may just be getting started, but it’s already sizzling with these red hot shows and festivals.

Whether you prefer your outings big or small, your seasonal calendar just got a bit fuller. Check out these sensational headliners and something-for-everyone festivals — and good luck picking just one.

Star-Studded Lineup

Quicken Loans Arena is hosting a couple of major milestone performances this season. First up, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Neil Diamond celebrates the big 5-0 with his 50th anniversary 2017 world tour May 30. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are on what may be their final tour, celebrating 40 years. Petty recently confessed to Rolling Stone Magazine, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was thinking this might be the last big one. We’re all on the backside of our 60s. I have a granddaughter now I’d like to see as much as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road.” They’re coming June 10.

Other concerts: It’s always hip to be square with Huey Lewis & The News. Check out their Hard Rock Rocksino performance June 10. Paul Simon’s 2017 tour proceeds will benefit the Half-Earth Project, an initiative of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Be a part of the effort June 13 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

Billy Joel knows how to fill a stadium, after breaking records with over 33 consecutive shows at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps the most anticipated show of the summer, Joel is up to bat at Progressive Field on July 14. Rod Stewart & Cyndi Lauper will make quite a pair at Blossom Music Center on July 28, right before James Taylor & Bonnie Raitt hit the same stage Aug.

Hobbies

Lessons Learned

The Sounds of Music

By Margaret Briller

Maybe you were a piano lesson dropout, or gave up the guitar after mastering a few chords. Or perhaps money was scarce — and time and attention were even scarcer.

These local music lovers put music lessons back on their bucket lists and are glad they did.

Going for It

Rick Brouman of Pepper Pike started guitar lessons at 63.

“I’ve wanted to play since I was a kid, but my mother always wanted me to play piano, so I played piano,” Brouman says.

“As time passed, life — working and raising a family — got in the way, so I had to put this hobby on the back burner. I’ve always loved the guitar, and the time seemed right, so here I am now.”

Brouman takes lessons from instructor John Rupert at the Sam Ash Music Store in Lyndhurst. He purchased a striking red PRS SE Custom 24 electric guitar.

“I’m a sucker for red,” Brouman says. “The bird inlays are a pretty cool option on many PRS models. But I didn’t want to make the investment without taking lessons from a qualified instructor. I’ve only had four lessons so far, and I’m still at the stage where I might struggle to find the correct placement of my fingers. But I have noticed that I can now pick up the guitar and play some chords reasonably well. I’m thrilled that I am starting to actually make sounds that resemble music, and I’m looking forward to getting better with time”

Having a flexible work schedule gives Brouman more time to pursue his dream. “I work from home so I can pick up the guitar and practice multiple times during the day, which I do.”

Cursive

It’s the Write Thing to Do

I nearly missed out on a church raffle prize (a $10 Subway gift card) when the announcer couldn’t read my scrawled signature.

Maybe a cold cut combo isn’t worth an overhaul of my cursive writing skills, but wouldn’t it be nice to have legible handwriting?

State Rep. Marilyn Slaby of Akron agrees. She’s spearheading a movement to require cursive writing instruction for elementary students.

“I feel strongly children still need to learn cursive writing. They need their signature. Many grandparents said they have written their grandkids, and they can’t read it because they haven’t learned cursive,” Slaby says.

“Having taught cursive as an elementary teacher, I understand some of the problems adults have. Yes, I can do cursive so it can be read, but my husband is terrible. He makes me write everything for him. I tell people to slow down and usually write bigger. By slowing down you can concentrate on each letter.”

Slow down. Concentrate. That’s good advice for a lot of things we do. Elevate your cursive game by downloading practice worksheets online. Win write.

This is Super, Man

From Cleveland to Krypton

Superman was born on Krypton, but he was created in Cleveland.

The original superhero is getting a supersized tribute at the Cleveland Public Library starting this month and running through the end of the year.

“Superman: From Cleveland to Krypton” honors not only Superman but also his creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in an exhibit that stretches across three floors of the main library at 325 Superior Ave.

The exhibit follows the world’s greatest superhero from his creation in Cleveland to his growing international popularity, his influence on the current superhero craze, his connection to social justice and immigration issues, and the pride Cleveland maintains for its homegrown hero.   

Highlights include a supersized Superman statue by David Deming, rare items from the Mike Curtis Collection of Superman Memorabilia and other prominent collectors, and a costume worn by Brandon Routh in the 2006 movie “Superman Returns.”

Curtis, the writer of the Dick Tracy comic, donated more than 15,000 items to the library.

Aging

A Key Decision

When a Loved One Shouldn’t Drive

By Paris Wolfe

The unexplained scratches and dents on Grandpa’s beige Crown Victoria made it obvious the time had come for him to give up driving. But he didn’t want to part with his independence and control. He resisted until back pain kept him from the steering wheel.

Grounding an adult isn’t easy. And with a large aging population — more than 2 million licensed drivers 85 years old and over — an increasing number of caretakers are facing that task.

A Decision with Dignity

“Chronological age isn’t a predictor of driving ability,” says Lori Cook, safety adviser for AAA East Central. “You don’t reach a magic age and stop. What counts is performance, physical and mental. I’ve seen people drive into their 90s.”

Many folks, she says, are self-regulating when they perceive diminished ability. “As we get older and wiser, we realize that speeding doesn’t get us anywhere faster,” Cook says. Other adaptations she sees are driving only during daylight as well as avoiding bad weather, heavy traffic and freeways.

“It’s not innate that people will know when to stop,” says Anne Vanderbilt, CNS, CNP, a clinical nurse specialist with the Cleveland Clinic Department of Geriatric Medicine. “Driving is complex because it’s so much of our independence and identity and autonomy.”

Signs that it’s time to minimize or stop driving include:

• Experiencing frequent minor accidents or near misses
• Being honked at frequently for being too slow or taking too long to turn
• Having difficulty reading ordinary road signs
• Being spoken to about your driving by the police, family or friends
• Getting lost on familiar roads

An eye exam and new glasses or a wide-angled rear view mirror might help. But if dementia requires a GPS to navigate everyday destinations, it’s time to surrender the keys, Cook says.

Pets

Paws for Play

Have Fun with Your Dog This Summer

By Dr. Anna van Heeckeren

Are you and your dog connecting through play? It might be of benefit for you and your dog, for body and mind.

Each dog has a unique personality, play preference and health status. Consider the health and interests of both you and your dog to help you find an activity that you’ll both enjoy.

Play Styles

Some play may take physical work. There may be running, jumping, squatting or even dancing involved. Some dogs are perfectly happy being a couch potato. Others need extra play in their lives to keep them happy at home. Activities include agility, herding sheep (check out Lake Farmpark in Kirtland), freestyle musical dance and dock jumping. Go to Wikipedia.com to find a much longer list of dog sports.

Before starting any kind of play, make sure you and your dog are fit. Ask your doctor if you’re healthy enough for the physical stress associated with the planned play. Make sure your dog is current on all recommended vaccinations, is on year-round parasite control and doesn’t have any physical ailments that could make play painful.

You may want to consider using a professional dog trainer. The veterinary team led by Dr. Elizabeth Feltes at The Behavior Clinic in Olmsted Falls strongly recommends finding a trainer who has certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (ccpdt.org). Be aware that many dog trainers do not have this certification because it’s not required by law. They will tell you they don’t need it or may try to discredit the certification.

To find a dog trainer, consider reading “How to Choose a Trainer,” available through the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB.org). One dog trainer in the Cleveland area is veterinarian Dr.

Recess for Grown-ups

Up Your Play Game

By Estelle Rodis-Brown

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

As it turns out, this old proverb rings true, far into adulthood. Too much work and not enough playtime can damage your attitude, your social life and — in full circle fashion — even your productivity. So put play to work for you.

Do You Play?

Our society tends to reject play for adults. Play is considered unproductive, petty, even a guilty pleasure. Adulthood forces us to get serious and set aside childish ways. Between personal and professional responsibilities, there’s no time to play anyway — or so we think.

However, play is just as important for adults as it is for kids, and it should not be neglected. Play brings joy and rejuvenation. It’s also vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships.

In that case, what qualifies as play? Kathryn Orantek is the personal training coordinator for health, physical education and recreation programs at Lorain County Community College. She says, “Play is any activity, structured or unstructured, that allows adults to let go of their inhibitions, forget about the outside world and just have fun.”

Considering her background in health and wellness, Orantek “would love to see people spend more time engaging in physical activity while playing, but I suppose you could apply it to games, coloring, puzzles and such.”

No Goal? That’s the Idea

Play is a state of being that’s purposeless, fun and pleasurable, psychiatrist Stuart Brown, M.D., says in his book “Play.”

The focus is more on the experience than on accomplishing a goal. Play can be art, books, movies, music, comedy, flirting and daydreaming, says Brown, who founded the National Institute for Play.

Ultimately, play is a process that stirs up surprise, pleasure, understanding and strength of mind, body and spirit.