Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/575572
The Sun Country Quil- ters are excited to have one of their own, Margie McGraw, who is always so educational and very entertaining do a trunk show at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 at the Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. The Oct. 26 meeting An- nette Grey is scheduled to do a program on memory quilts. Starting time will be 7 p.m. at the Red Bluff Community Center at 1500 S. Jackson St. in Red Bluff. Nov. 16 meeting will be a sew-in. Perfect opportu- nity to finish your Christ- mas sewing and to visit. Dec. 14 is the meeting for the Christmas Party. More information to follow on these events. Be sure to mark your cal- endars as the group has a few date changes. Anyone interested in the guild is welcome to attend meetings for a nominal $5 charge. We do offer free ju- nior memberships available for those 12 to 17 years old when sponsored by a regu- lar member. SUNCOUNTRY Trunkshowwillbe topic for quilters meeting If you've ever wondered if it's OK to wash your down comforter without taking it to the dry cleaners, the answer is yes. You can absolutely wash your down com- forter with- out spend- ing upward of $60 (depending on the size, where you live and how dirty it is) to have it dry-cleaned professionally. All you need is mild de- tergent, wool dryer balls (or tennis balls), an ex- tra-large front-loading washing machine, an ex- tra-large dryer and a few hours to spend at a laun- dromat and patience. And if yours is a king-size com- forter, a lot of patience. Here are step-by-step instructions: Step 1. Load your down comforter into the largest front-loading washing ma- chine at your local laun- dromat. The less crowded the comforter is in the washer and dryer, the bet- ter the results. Step 2. Add a small amount of mild deter- gent. Be careful here; too much detergent will strip the down or feathers of their natural coating that makes them such a wonderful thermal insu- lator. Step 3. Select the gentle or delicate setting on the washer and two rinse cy- cles. It is very important that the last bit of deter- gent is rinsed out. Step 4. Dry the com- forter on the low set- ting, in an extra-capac- ity clothes dryer. This will take some time — even as long as a few hours. Here's where your pa- tience comes into play. The goal here is to make sure the down is com- pletely dry to prevent the growth of mold. Step 5. Add a few dryer balls (or tennis balls) to the dryer to keep the down from clumping as it dries. While wool dryer balls are most ideal, clean ten- nis balls will also work to keep the down loose and well distributed in the comforter, although you may notice a faint odor as the tennis balls get warm. You need something hefty in the dryer that will bounce around as the comforter dries to keep the filling moving. Step 6. Stop the dryer and take the comforter out a few times (five or six times) to fluff it up dur- ing the drying process. This will help redistribute the down so that it dries evenly. Step 7. Even if the com- forter appears to be com- pletely dry with the down fluffed and well distrib- uted, when you get home hang it outdoors in a sunny area or an area in- side the house that will allow air to circulate all around it. Not all down and feathers are pure white in color. Some are brown, some white with black edges. When the comforter is wet you may see a very dark color showing through. Don't panic. It's not mold. That's the natural color of your down or feather filling. As it dries, it will return to its normal ap- pearance. Making sure you always keep your down comforter inside a washable duvet will cut down on the num- ber of times it needs to be laundered in its lifetime. Just make sure you wash the duvet regularly. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Forget the dry-cleaner — how to wash a down comforter Mary Hunt The best way to stay healthy is to live a healthy lifestyle. You can live a healthy lifestyle and pre- vent disease by exercis- ing, eating well, keeping a healthy weight, and not smoking. Medicare can help. Medicare pays for many preventive services to keep you healthy. Preventive ser- vices can find health prob- lems early, when treatment works best, and can keep you from getting certain diseases. Preventive services in- clude exams, shots, lab tests, and screenings. They also include programs for health monitoring, and counseling and education to help you take care of your own health. Thanks to the Afford- able Care Act, co-pays for many of Medicare's preven- tive health benefits have been eliminated. The idea was to encourage people with Medicare to get more preventive screenings and counseling to help them lead healthier, longer lives. For example, you no lon- ger face any out-of-pocket expenses when you get a "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam. This one- time exam is offered dur- ing the first 12 months af- ter you've enrolled in Medi- care Part B. During the exam, your doctor will record your medical history and check your height, weight, and blood pressure. He or she will also calculate your body mass index, give you a simple vision test, and ad- vise you on preventing dis- ease and staying healthy. In addition, the Afford- able Care Act provides a free annual wellness exam to people with Medicare. When you get this exam, your doctor will go over your medical and family history and develop or up- date a personalized preven- tion plan for you. Your doc- tor also will check for any cognitive impairment and risk factors for depression, and review your functional ability and level of safety. Medicare also covers shots for flu, pneumococcal disease (which can cause pneumonia and meningi- tis), and Hepatitis B. Flu, pneumococcal infections, and Hepatitis B can be life-threatening for older people, and we recom- mend that all people over age 65 get flu and pneu- mococcal shots. Most peo- ple only need the pneumo- coccal vaccine once in their lifetime. And remember: Medi- care beneficiaries can get these shots with no co- pays. Beneficiaries also can get screened for cardio- vascular disease and differ- ent kinds of cancer, includ- ing breast, prostate, cervi- cal/vaginal, and colorectal cancer. Take colorectal cancer, for example. This type of cancer is usually found in people age 50 and older and the risk of getting it increases with age. Medicare covers screen- ing tests to help find pre- cancerous polyps, which are growths in the colon, so they can be removed before they turn cancerous. Medi- care will pay for a fecal oc- cult blood test, a flexible sigmoidoscopy, a screen- ing colonoscopy, or a bar- ium enema. Medicare beneficiaries pay nothing for fecal oc- cult blood tests. And they pay nothing for the flexi- ble sigmoidoscopy and the screening colonoscopy, if their doctor accepts the Medicare-approved pay- ment amount. (Note: If a polyp or other tissue is re- moved during a colonos- copy, you may have to pay 20 percent of the Medicare- approved amount for the doctor's services and a co- payment in a hospital out- patient setting.) For people who have or are at risk for diabetes, Medicare covers screen- ings, certain supplies, and self-management training. If you need help to stop smoking, Medicare pays for up to eight face-to-face counseling sessions per year with a doctor or other Medicare-recognized prac- titioner. Medicare also help pay for tests for glaucoma, HIV, and osteoporosis (brittle- ness that places people at risk for broken bones). People with Medicare don't use these preventive health services as much as they should. But getting screened can help you stay healthy and live longer — and save the government billions in healthcare costs. It's a classic win-win. David Sayen is Medicare's regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories. You can get answers to your Medicare questions by visiting www. Medicare.gov or calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800- 633-4227). DAVID SAYEN Medicare can help you stay healthy SACRAMENTO The Bu- reau of Reclamation, Na- tional Marine Fisheries Service and other partner- ing federal and state agen- cies will host a webinar on the Shasta Dam Fish Pas- sage Evaluation to pro- vide an update on the sta- tus and next steps for pilot studies evaluating reintro- duction of winter-run Chi- nook salmon upstream of Shasta Dam. The webinar will be held 10 a.m. to noon Thurs- day, Sept. 24. To regis- ter and attend the webi- nar, visit https://attendee. gotowebinar.com/regis- ter/1202838602259814658. Call in to (646) 307-1719 and use access code 662- 104-342. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing informa- tion about joining the we- binar. Information to be pre- sented during the session will include a status and schedule update for the public release of the eval- uation's Pilot Implemen- tation Plan and its com- panion Environmental Assessment. Staff will ad- ditionally provide an over- view of the current condi- tion of Sacramento River salmon populations and a status report on the win- ter-run Chinook salmon captive broodstock pro- gram at the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatch- ery, located at the foot of the Shasta Dam. The NMFS and Califor- nia Department of Fish and Wildlife asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to re- sume the LSNFH brood- stock program in 2014, in response to the potential effects of California's four- year drought on the win- ter-run Chinook popula- tion. The agencies plan to utilize progeny of these fish for pilot studies in lieu of adult fish from the river. The Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation is a joint effort of Reclamation, NMFS, USFWS, U.S. Forest Service, California Depart- ment of Water Resources, CDFW and the State Water Resource Control Board. Reclamation initiated the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation in response to the NMFS June 4, 2009, issuance of the Biologi- cal Opinion on the coordi- nated long-term operation of the Central Valley Proj- ect and State Water Proj- ect. The BO concluded, in part, that CVP and SWP operations were likely to jeopardize the contin- ued existence of salmo- nids protected under the federal Endangered Spe- cies Act. The BO outlines a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative action that obligates Reclamation to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing federally- listed salmonids upstream of Shasta, Folsom and New Melones dams. For contacts and addi- tional information on the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation, visit Recla- mation's website at http:// www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDel- taOffice/Documents/ Shasta_Fish_Passage/. RECLAMATION Webinar set for Shasta Dam fish passage evaluation The Writers Forum will host Edgar Award winner Charlie Price at 10:30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 at All Saints Epis- copal Church Memorial Hall, 2150 Benton Drive, Redding. Price will offer a three- part program. His over- view of national writer-in- residence programs will address matching the ven- ues to your needs, costs and locations, and prepa- ration. Price will speak about the nature of inspiration: myth vs. science, thinking vs. surrendering and allow- ing the brain to do one of the things it loves best. Finally, he will offer his approach to writing a se- quel novel by using his own works, Dead Connec- tion and Dead Investiga- tion, to demonstrate story development and timeline as well as surprises and pitfalls. Guests are welcome to attend up to two Writers Forum programs free. After two meetings, an- nual dues are $25. For further information, write to writersforum- programchair@gmail. com. WRITERS FORUM Award winner Charlie Price to offer advice next month FollowusonTwitterandFacebookforupdatesandmore. JoinOur"HydrateOurHeroes"WaterDrive Let'sgetlocalareafirefightersthewatertheyneedforwhentheybattletheblaze. FromnowuntiltheendofSeptember,BrookdaleRedBluffwillbecollectingcasesofbottledwater from local businesses, veterans groups, civic organizations and not-for-profits in effort to keep local firefighters hydrated as they keep us safe. Drop off your water at 705 Luther Road, or call us at (530) 529-2900 for a pick-up. All participating partners will be officially thanked in The Red Bluff Daily News. Our firemen are our heroes. Let's be theirs during this very special drive. Donate today. For more information, call (530) 529-2900. BrookdaleRedBluff FormerlyEmeritus ® at Lassen House Assisted Living | Alzheimer's & Dementia Care 705 Luther Rd | Red Bluff, CA 96080 | (530) 529-2900 RCFE # 525002546 brookdale.com EQU AL HOUS ING OPPORTUN ITY FREE~NOCOSTTOYOU! •Designedforwomenonlywhohavehadanysortofcancer • Monday, September 28th • 10am to Noon • Call to register 1-800-395-LOOK • Held at The Coyne Center IT'S LIKE A MAKEOVER FOR THE SPIRIT AND THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING Cancercanrobawomanofherenergy,appetite,andstrength.Butitdoesn'thaveto take a way her self-confidence. Look Good...Feel Better ® is a free program that teaches beauty techniques to women cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. LookGood...FeelBetter (LGFB) group programs are offered nationwide in comprehensive cancer centers, hospitals, American Cancer Society offices, and, other community settings. In these sessions, Look Good...Feel Better trained volunteer cosmetologists teach women how to cope with skin changes and hair loss using cosmetics and skin care products donated by the cosmetic industry. The free cosmetic kits provided at these group sessions are avail- able in light, medium, dark, and extra dark shades to enhance all complexion types. Women also learn ways to disguise hair loss with wigs, scarves, and other accessories. LookGood...FeelBetter is a free, non-medical, product-neutral program offered in partnership with the American Cancer Society, The National Cosmetology Association, and the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, a charitable organization supported by the cosmetic and personal care products industry. LOOKGOOD...FEELBETTER ® THE LATEST CANCER TREATMENTS AREN'T ALWAYS PRESCRIBED BY DOCTORS. For information about Look Good...Feel Better and programs available in your area, call 1-800-395-LOOK, contact your local American Cancer Society office, or visit our Web site at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org 2550 Sister Mary Columbo Drive, Red Bluff LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, September 24, 2015 MOREAT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B4