Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 October 2000 — Page 30

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13,2000 ■ PAGE CIO

(^Pwlik

VtolMrllM wraiiF wiioiii Hh

North Carolina Sweetpotatoes—nutritious, delicious and versatile

Parenting with high standards By DARYL and ESTRALETTA GREEN His parents give little Dante everything he wants. Dante is only five years old. He calls his parents by their first names. When he shouts profane words at his friends, his parents just smile at his behavior. Little Dante is out of control. His teachers can’t control him, his classmates dislike him, and his parents fear him. In a grocery store, Dante’s mother tells him to stop. Dante hits her with his fist. A senior citizen looks on in amazement. Dante's mother says, “I don’t know what to do. He’s not a controllable kid. What should I do?” The senior smiles at her politely as Dante steps on his mother’s foot. Who are the parents? Who’s really in control of the family? Parents must again take control if America is to regain its children. The Columbine and Heritage school shootings have proven that extreme violence can happen anywhere. This is Scary situation to any sane person. A killer could be the child next door or in your own home. According to one study, many of these violent children did not come from abusive, neglectful parents. Some kids live their lives as if there are no consequences for their actions. Some parents place no expectations on their children. This is the ingredient for an accident waiting to happen. The child sees the world as a great big opportunity for fun — the world revolves around his wishes. This is what can happen, however. For example, a 15-year-old named Kip from Oregon, accused of fatally shooting his parents and two high school classmates, had a history of problems. His parents were public school teachers with two children, living in a forested subdivision home. Kip was a hottempered boy with a fetish for bombs, guns, and killing. His parents tried to control his inner demons with Ritalin and Prozac, and counseling. His gun-hating parents finally gave in and bought their son a semiautomatic rifle. It was a heavy price to pay for their son’s acceptance. Where are the standards? According to recent research, children of professionals today are less likely than similar children 25 years ago to reach as high on the economic ladder as their parents. Society really doesn’t expect much from this generation. I am constantly reminded of the little respect some children have for authority. Just look around your neighborhood and school. What has gone wrong? Our generation has abandoned the traditions of our parents in an effort to be different. We trusted our hearts and listened to the family experts. How does this lack of respect begin? It starts out quite innocently. A parent smiles at a little profanity from their toddler. Isn’t that cute! Most people want to transfer blame — the media, uncaring parents, peer pressure, violent See VISION, Page C9

(NAPS)-Hungry for a food that not only tastes good but is good for you too? Look no further than the

sweetpotato.

Just as the spelling of its name has changed — one word, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, since it’s not a variety of potato—so too is the way we now look at this gnarled root. Treasured as one of nature’s most nutritious vegetables, sweetpotatoes taste great and can easily be prepared in

many ways.

If the word sweetpotato brings to mind an ooey-gooey holiday side dish, think again! Without the high-calorie condiments, there’s no more healthful food than the sweetpotato. And, they’re avail-

able year-round.

"North Carolina leads the na-

tion in fresh sweetpotato production, and supplies are expected to be good throughout the year,” says Sue Johnson-Langdon, executive director of the North Carolina

SweetPotato Commission. Sweetpotatoes are fat-and-cho-

lesterol-free. They’re also loaded with antioxidants — mainly beta carotene and vitamins A, C and E. Many studies indicate that antioxidants may help prevent heart disease and cancer, bolster the immune system, and even slow ag-

ing. AVMhfitl ndd-potas&iflrii, iron,’' * ' V vitamin Band fiber and youVe got 2 cups dice

a nutritional powerhouse! AH this 2 for about 130 calories per medium sweetpotato, and they’re low in sodium, too! 2

One of the most popular and

healthful ways to prepare a 3 sweetpotato is simply to bake it. 2 Try this innovative recipe for a

For a healthy, low-fat meal or snack top a baked sweetpotato with this tequila-spiked fruit salsa from

south of the border.

nutritious and delicious lunch, din-

ner or snack.

Sweetpotatoes with Margarita Fruit Salsa 1/2 cup chopped sweet

■Jll *• t« « * *

w, .... rfft..

cups diced peaches tablespoons finely

minced, seeded serrano

or jalapeno pepper tablespoons chopped

fresh cilantro

tablespoons tequila teaspoons grated lime

peel

1/4

tablespoons fresh lime juice teaspoon ground cumin medium sweetpotatoes

In a medium bowl, mix first

top with salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Also try some of these quick and easy topping ideas: mandarin oranges ap^ crushed pineapple,

- s

2-year-old with a - doll gives her mother a lesson about humanity There it was as soon as we came ■, in, the toy isle. What genius with- j out children designed the layout of J this grocery store? 1 tried to whisk • the basket by quickly, but it was { too late — she spotted it. My two-year-old daughter j Jaylen, practically tried to lunge j her body out of the basket towards j it as we made our way around the j comer. j I understood her dilemma. We had just moved to Central America and all her toys were in a storage bin packed up back home in Michigan — in what felt like a million miles away from us. In an effort to provide her with some comfort, I promised that we would stop back by the isle before we left the gro-

cery store.

But I was not prepared for her interpretation of comfort. We eventually made our way

back over to the toy isle, which turned out to be nothing more than bins filled with junk trinkets. I

eight ingBeditsts* bkndia* l^lUAppj^awaqj huftey *antL,*^^ly^assjssed th$ gijj^sejfcCover arid refttgefhte several Kdurs ’Ich&bfted’ peCdM.-br prdbSfe<r pe~ noirand identified* tr shove! and

Coverartd reftTgefhte several hdurs ^chbppfea ffeCdhS, "oF prfjjfffetf pe 7 "

or overnight to allow flavors to can-praline sauce.

blend.

Wash, dry and pierce sweetpotatoes several times then place on baking sheet in center of oven. Bake at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife tip slips easily into center. Slit lengthwise and

For more recipes, visit www.ncsweetpotatoes.com. Or send a business-size SASE to: North Carolina SweetPotato Commission, P.O. Box 575, Dept. MR,

Selma, NC 27576.

When your aging parents are far away, the care doesn’t have to be

(NAPSA) — Caring for aging parents may be easier and a lot less traumatic than you think with advice from the experts. Here are some tips from Denise TalbotWhite, gerontology specialist at the Mature Market Institute at MetLife, on what to do when your parents need care and they’re far away: • Before the need arises, it’s a good idea to talk with your parents. Make suggestions but avoid dictating. • Know your parent’s health history, current meduuiions and names of doctors and hospitals. • Know where the important legal papers are located. Ask if they have a will, a living will and a durable power of attorney. Know their attorney’s name and phone number. • Do they have long-term care insurance? Where is the policy located? What does it cover? • Do they have the financial resources to obtain in-home care or nursing home care.

should the need arise? • Learn what resources may be available. Align with local support systems before problems arise. The town senior center may be one source of information. • Visit assisted living and nursing home facilities in your parents’ area and in your area, should it become necessary to move your parents. • Depending on the situation, you may find it appropriate to apply for a facility and place your parents on a waiting list. • You may want to consider obtaining a geriatric care manager. Retaining a care manager does not imply a lack of compassion — having to manage work, home and family is difficult for all caregivers. For a fee, care managers help to ensure that all facets of a loved one’s care are addressed. Contact the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers for a list of qualified mangers, at (520) 881-8008. • Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-

1116, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. They will provide you with the phone numbers for your state’s Department on Aging and your local area agency on aging. • National organizations — AARP offers a large variety of resources and information online at www.aarp.org or phorte 1-800-424-3410. • Homecare agencies — the National Association for Home Care C'an assist with location of homecare agencies in your parents’ area. Find them on the Web at www.nahc.org or call (202) 547-7424. You can never be 100 percent prepared for any caregiving situation, but organizing and researching eldercare information and resources prior to the situation will give you peace of

mind.

The MetLife Mature Market Institute, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, have compiled a publication, “Resources for Caregivers. ” Single copies are available free of charge by calling (203) 221 -6580 or E-mail to [email protected].

Jones Family Reunion

More than 500 people attended the Jones family reunion, which highlighted “Keepln’ Up with the Joneses.” Pictured left to right are: Shansi Coleman, Sharon Coleman, Sharon Elizabeth Coleman and Elizabeth Taylor (seated).

The second annual Richard and Mabel Jones Family reunion was held last month at Eagle Creek Park. This year’s theme focused on “Keepin’ Up with the Joneses.” The event welcomed more than 500 people, all wearing reunion Tshirts while getting to know one another. In an outdoor ceremony. Rev. Stanley Jones Broadus led a church service to remind everyone about the importance of family. Next, Elizabeth Jones-Taylor and Mary Jones-Todd were presented with roses and memenk». for being the only surviving first generation of Joneses. Reunion activities included volleyball. baseball, horseshoes and basketball. While dancing and playing card games, family members also shared fond memories of their

ancestors. The Joneses held a second reunion a few weeks later at their old family church, St. Paul AME Church. Dorthella BroadusMatthews was honored as the Joneses first grandchild. In addition, Otis Shannon II, who plays football and basketball at Cathedral High School, received the Ancestors Award consisting of a plaque, Sony WebTV and a monetary gift. Shannon’s accomplishments have earned him local and state recognition. After hours of fellowship and activities, the Joneses ended another fun-filled reunion, eagerly anticipating next year’s event and the opportunity to welcome family members.

pail ensemble and a collection of farm animals complete with a little fence. I tried to sell them to her. ^ All the rest, I felt, were nothing more than Sid’s mutant toys in th£ L movie “Toy Story.” But Jaylen found value in one of the other toys — one that I never considered. And, why would I? It was a white baby doll. ' "Come on mom, we’re next ih J line,” hollers Joshua, my 11 -year- * old son. I am standing there with ' the shovel and pail in one hand andthe farm animals in the other still trying to persuade her. "Jaylen, honey, don’t you watt the shovel and pail like on Bluets Clues?” “No,” she said. "Okay, what about the farm animals? Look, the cow goes ‘moo. No, I wanj the baby.” -- I tried to grab for the baby, but she jerked away. I knew from pr4*5 vious experience that this was go- f ing to be a mess. Joshua called oul£ to me once more. In a split-seconu* decision I relented in absolute disgust. I felt as though I sold m^ daughter and myself out simply to * avoid a mere grocery store temper - tantrum. ** Over the next couple of day s shi'" would walk down the street carrying that white baby doll with pride! * She would cuddle it and talk to it constantly. I suppose that I could have taken pride in the fact that she must have been imitating the love and affection that I have shown h^ throughout her lifetime, but truthbe told all I could do is hold myhead down in shame. I was so env barrassed of that baby. I would hide it, but she would find it every time. 1 offered to re*c place it with herold, familiar Black w babies: two fraternal twins thztv were never namedi'and wound upu stripped of their ^Ibthes and wriht ten on, but loved dver so much. Ji But she did not want to givdi them the time of day: she wanted;., the white baby doll. This was a problem for mec,, Despite my recent announcements,, of my intentions to regain my hu*i. manity — which I believe never had the opportunity todevelop fully; while growing up in a society built upon racial oppression and categoSee LIFE, Page C9