Published By: MOSELEY MEDIA, LLC. • 251-680-7052 • www.tidbitsofmobile.com

TIDBITS® HAS FUN WITHA STORY IS BORN

By T.A. TafoyaHow do authors come up with the ideas for their books? Here’s a fun look at a few popular children’s classics and how they were conceived.• “Where the Wild Things Are” began with something else

in the place of “Things.” Maurice Sendak, a young sto-rybook artist, originally wrote a children’s story called “Where the Wild Horses Are.” The only problem with this title was he couldn’t draw horses. In 1963, Sendak changed “Horses” to “Things” in favor of monsters. He based these monsters on his scary Brooklyn relatives that he didn’t like as a child.

• Sendak said of those relatives, “I remember how inept they were at making small talk with children. There you’d be, totally helpless, while they cooed over you and pinched your cheeks. Or they’d lean way over with their bad teeth and hairy noses, and say something threatening like, ‘You’re so cute I could eat you up.’ And I knew if my mother didn’t hurry up with the cooking, they prob-ably would.”

• Curious about “Curious George”? Author Hans Augusto Rey grew up in Hamburg, Germany. His favorite thing to do as a child was to visit the zoo. As an adult, he began writing children’s stories filled with the exotic animals from his past.

• In 1940, Rey and his wife fled from the Nazi invasion of Paris. They were caught escaping on their bicycles and arrested as spies. An officer searching their belongings found the unpublished manuscript of “Curious George,” and after reading it, he let the Rey’s go, saying no spy could write such a wonderful story.

• A.A. Milne gave his son Christopher Robin a stuffed bear for his first birthday in 1921. He named the bear Winnie the Pooh after Winnie, a real bear at the London Zoo. As his son grew up, Milne made up bedtime sto-ries about adventures his son had with his Teddy Bear. A friend and editor of a children’s magazine thought they were so charming, he suggested publishing them. “Win-nie-the-Pooh” was published in 1926.

• E.B. White based “Charlotte’s Web” on his own experi-ences at his farm in Maine. White said, “One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the animal because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig’s life. In the barn I had been watching a big, gray spider at her work and was impressed by how

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Page 2 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116 clever she was weaving her web. Gradually I worked the spider into the story, a story of friendship and salvation on the farm.”

• In 1939, Ludwig Bemelman wrote the first “Madeline” book in Pete’s Tavern in New York City using the backs of the tavern’s menus as writing paper. The story was based on his mother’s life as a young girl in Bavaria and his memories as the smallest boy in boarding school. He named the main character after his wife Madeline.

• In 1941, during lunch with a publisher in New York, a famous French Air Force pilot and author named An-toine de Saint-Exupery doodled a picture of a little boy on a napkin. “Who’s that?” the publisher asked. “Oh,” Saint-Exupery reportedly replied, “just a little fellow I carry around in my heart.” The publisher suggested Saint-Exupery write a book about the character. “The Little Prince” was published in 1943, one year before Saint-Exupery’s death.

• While attending Dartmouth College from 1921 to 1925, Theodor Suise Geisel became editor-in-chief of the Jack-O-Lantern, Dartmouth’s humor magazine. He got into a bit of trouble when he and his friends were caught throwing a drinking party, which was against prohibition laws and school policy. He was banned from all extra-curricular activities, including the magazine, so he began signing his work with the pen name “Seuss.” He got the idea for his first published book, “And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street” while on a ship. He began putting words to the cadence of the boat’s engines. The phrase he kept repeating was, “And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street,” which became the foundation of a tale about a young boy who imagines a parade that grows more and more outrageous.

• While on a boat trip up the River Thames in London, Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was accompanied by three young daughters of his friend Henry Liddell. He entertained the girls with a story about a bored little girl named Alice who goes looking for an adventure.

• The girls loved the story and one of them, Alice Liddell, asked Dodgson to write it down for her. For Christmas in 1864 he gave Alice a handwritten copy of the manuscript entitled “Alice’s Adventures Under Ground,” dedicating it as “a Christmas gift to a dear child in memory of a summer’s day.” The book was published in 1865.

• In 1990, while on a crowded train from Manchester to London, the idea for Harry Potter suddenly “fell into her head,” says author Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Rowling sent her manuscript “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” to several prospective agents in 1995. After eight rejections by publishers, an offer came in but with one suggestion — that she change her pen name to a more gender-neutral name to address the fear that males in the targeted age group wouldn’t be interested in reading a novel written by a woman. She agreed and decided to use J. K. Rowling instead.

• No one author is known to have written the story of Cin-derella. Many versions of the folk tale have been shared for thousands of years throughout the world. The old-est recorded Cinderella story dates back to first century B.C. in ancient Greece. The tale is of a “rosy-cheeked” girl, who lived in the Greek colony of Naucratis in an-cient Egypt. No matter how the story is told, the main character is always a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The theme remains constant — overcoming un-just oppression to find triumph and reward.

1. In what year did the Beatles first tour Scotland? (Hint: They weren’t yet called the Beatles.)2. Name Genesis’ only No. 1 single in the U.S. 3. Who released “Comfortably

Numb” in 1980?4. Which of Elvis Presley’s 1962 top 10 hits -- “She’s Not You,” “Return to Sender” and “Good Luck Charm” -- reached No. 1?5. Name group that released “One of the Guys,” “Looking at You” and “Kick Out the Jams” in the late 1960s.6. What was the last chart song the Eagles released before their breakup? Bonus: How many years did their breakup last?

Answers1. In 1960. They were called the Silver Beetles at that time, and served as a backup band for singer Johnny Gently.2. “Invisible Touch” in 1986, on the album of the same name.3. Pink Floyd. Although the single off of “The Wall” double album never charted anywhere, it is one of Pink Floyd’s most famous songs and renowned especially for its guitar solos.4. “Good Luck Charm.” All three songs were No. 1 hits in the U.K.5. MC5, short for Motor City Five. The Michigan rock band’s guitarist, Fred “Sonic” Smith, was named one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.6. “Seven Bridges Road,” released in 1980. The group stayed apart 14 years, until 1994.

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1. In a large bowl, combine dry chocolate fudge pudding mix, 2/3 cup dry milk powder and 1 1/4 cups water. Mix well, using a wire whisk. Pour mixture evenly into pie crust. Refrigerate while preparing topping.2. In another large bowl, combine dry white chocolate pudding mix, remaining 2/3 cup dry milk powder and re-maining 1 cup water. Mix well, using a wire whisk. Blend in whipped topping.3. Evenly spread topping mixture over set chocolate fudge layer. Sprinkle chocolate graham cracker crumbs and chocolate chips evenly over top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cut into 8 servings. Freezes well.

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ALL MY CHILDRENAngie waited patiently for her vi-sion to return. Kendall received an anonymous text. Colby turned to Liza for a favor. Dixie had a vivid dream about Babe. Maya

was forced to make a decision about her baby. Cara had some shocking news for David. JR considered leaving Pine Valley for good. Brooke English made a surprise return. Zach caught Kendall off-guard. Wait to See: “All My Chil-dren” celebrates its rich history with the return of many beloved characters as it nears its final episode on ABC on Sept. 23.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFULStephanie set out to prove to Brooke that she had changed for the better. Thomas asked Ridge to relaunch the Taboo line. Ridge was forced to take sides when Hope and Steffy had creative differences at work. Thorne and Thomas were relegated to the basement as employees in the family busi-ness. The press asked Hope if she still believed in absti-nence. Wait to See: Liam and Steffy kiss. DAYS OF OUR LIVESGus took Nicole hostage when the police tried to arrest him for assaulting the prostitutes. Ivan returned to Salem and asked Vivian to star in a Bollywood film. Taylor and Quinn professed their love and started a new life together away from Salem. Carly and Nicholas planned a trip around the world. Brady arranged for Chloe to start over in Chicago near her son, Parker. Jack Deveraux checked into a hotel room. Wait to See: Several former residents return for the Horton bash.

GENERAL HOSPITALSpinelli got his memory back. Skye told Edward all about Tracy’s past ties to the mob. Kate Howard returned to Port Charles. Lucky was able to piece together the meaning of the clue Siobhan left behind. Luke finally came home and was immediately cornered by Skye. Sonny was distraught when Kristina wanted nothing to do with him. Carly walked in on Shawn exiting the shower. Olivia and Kate discussed their past relationships with Sonny. Wait to See: Franco weighs his options.

ONE LIFE TO LIVECutter and Aubrey were shocked to find a gun hidden in the porcupine. Rex had a hard time accepting Gigi’s death. Clint called the hospital in Kentucky to have Kim’s myste-rious friend transferred to Llanview. Destiny was hopeful that Matthew could recover after Greg reviewed his chart. Fearing that Kim would turn him in, Echo urged Rex to give back the Buchanan fortune. Wait to See: Todd is vis-ited by his mother. THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSVictor visited Billy in prison in Burma and told him about Delia’s leukemia diagnosis. Abby offered to wear a wire for Ronan to try to get Tucker to confess to Diane’s murder. Paul’s long-lost son Ricky arrived in town to assist on Sha-

ron’s case. Lily allowed Cane to visit his children but only under supervision. Ashley confessed to Abby that she was at the park the night that Diane was killed. Wait to See: Colin finds himself locked up with a very inquisitive Gloria.

(PHOTO: John-Paul Lavoisier stars as “Rex” on “One Life to Live”)

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1. MOVIES: Which one of Alfred Hitchcock’s films won a Best Picture award?2. PRESIDENTS: Who was the 21st president of the United States?3. LANGUAGE: What does the Greek prefix “xeno” mean?4. TELEVISION: What was the name of the 1950s game show hosted by Groucho Marx?5. FOOD & DRINK: What are the eight vegetables in V8 juice?6. AD SLOGANS: What was the peanut butter that “picky people pick”?7. RELIGION: What was the religion of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania?8. MUSIC: What were Frosty’s eyes made of in the children’s Christmas song?9. LITERATURE: John Steinbeck’s novel “Sweet Thursday” is a sequel to what earlier book?10. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the mouth of the Mekong River located?

Answers1. “Rebecca” 2. Chester Arthur 3. Strange or foreign4. “You Bet Your Life” 5. Tomatoes, spinach, beets, carrots, celery, lettuce, parsley and watercress 6. Peter Pan Peanut Butter 7. He was a Quaker8. Coal 9. “Cannery Row” 10. Vietnam

Q: One of my all-time favorite comedies is “Will & Grace,” and I especially love Eric McCormack on that show. Can you tell me what he’s got coming

up? I’d love to see him in something, whether on the big screen or small. -- David D., via e-mailA: TNT recently announced that Eric would be starring in its new original series “Perception,” about an eccentric neuroscientist (Dr. Daniel Pierce, played by Eric) who helps solve complex criminal cases. The show also stars Rachael Leigh Cook and Kelly Rowan (“The O.C.”). The series will be 10 episodes long and will join the network’s lineup in summer 2012.This isn’t Eric’s first foray into drama, by far, as he also starred in “The Andromeda Strain,” “Who Is Clark Rockefeller?” and “Lonesome Dove,” to name just a few. Also, if you happen to subscribe to Netflix or HuluPlus, you must check out his 2004 three-episode guest-starring appearance on “Dead Like Me” (which you can rent

or stream) to see a side of Eric you’ve probably never seen before.

***Q: Can you tell when/if “Californication” will return for another season? -- John D., Columbus, OhioA: The David Duchovny-starring dark comedy will be back for its fifth season on Showtime beginning Jan. 8, 2012. This season will see author Hank Moody (David) even more popular (and richer) than ever after his biopic is released. Rob Lowe reprises his role as Eddie Nero, as does Madeleine Martin as Becca and Natascha McElhone as Karen. Also, Marcy and Stu continue their relationship, even though she is pregnant with ex-husband Charlie’s baby. And don’t think Ben (and his daughter Pearl) are out of the picture: The season opens with Karen, Ben, Becca and Pearl on a cross-country RV road trip.

***Q: I love Joseph Fiennes and think he is absolutely superb as Merlin in “Camelot.” Will he and the show be back for a second season? -- Sally T., via e-mailA: I am sorry to report that Starz has decided not to continue with the “Camelot” series, citing production difficulties. Starz released this statement to somewhat explain its position: “Due

to significant production challenges, Starz has decided not to exercise the option for subsequent seasons of “Camelot” with our production partners GK-tv, Octagon Films and Take 5 Productions.” This certainly comes as a surprise to many viewers, considering the premiere of “Camelot” garnered the highest ratings ever for an original series on Starz, and continued to pull in high numbers for an original cable series.

***Q: Why isn’t “30 Rock” on NBC’s fall schedule? I didn’t hear anything about it being canceled! -- Janet F. in FloridaA: Don’t worry, Janet! “30 Rock” will be back for its sixth season at the beginning of 2012. NBC decided to postpone its premiere, mainly because of Tina Fey’s pregnancy and also to give a jump-start to some of its freshman comedies.

PHOTO: Eric McCormack

HOLLYWOOD -- Doris Day is back. The tabloids couldn’t wait to scream headlines that “Doris Day is broke!” and “Doris Day makes a comeback at 86 because she has to!” Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is, Doris

was approached by Sony to allow it to release tracks she recorded back in 1985. At first she declined, but when she heard the totally re-mastered tracks, she reconsidered. She decided to move for-ward with the project as a tribute to her late son, Terry Melcher, who died in 2004 from cancer. The Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston worked with Terry on producing the tracks, which include “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries,” “You Are So Beautiful,” “Disney Girls” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams.”Doris is still among the all-time top-10-grossing actresses in film and was Oscar-nominated for “Pillow Talk” (1959), in which she starred with her friend Rock Hudson. Doris often has been men-tioned for an honorary Oscar, but has refused to agree to accept the award on the show. Now that she’s posed for photos to ac-company the new album, called “My Heart,” maybe it will lead to recording a new album and appearing in public again. She cur-rently lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.

***Jennifer Aniston will direct and star in “The Goree Girls,” a mu-sical drama set in the early 1940s. Based on a true story, it’s about a group of Texas women who form a country-western band in prison. The cast includes Jennifer Landon (Michael Landon’s daughter), former Destiny’s Child member and two-time Gram-my winner Kelly Rowland, Pam Tillis (daughter of country leg-end Mel Tillis) and “Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo and Sandra O. Aniston will unveil her singing pipes in the film.

***Can you believe a remake of the classic 1964 Audrey Hepburn/Rex Harrison film “My Fair Lady”? Originally, Keira Knightly was to star, but she’s out in favor of the new “it girl,” Carey Mul-ligan. The screenplay, by Oscar-winning “Sense and Sensibility” screenwriter Emma Thompson, is an update that will reveal more of Eliza Doolittle’s past.Why Carey Mulligan as Eliza? She was Oscar nominated for “An Education” (2009), has “Drive” with Ryan Gosling making the film-fest rounds, and just completed “Shame” with Michael Fassbender. Mulligan is now shooting “The Great Gatsby,” in 3D, in Sydney, Australia. She plays Daisy Buchanan to Leonardo Di Caprio”s Jay Gatsby (in 1974 it was Mia Farrow and Robert Redford). Directed by “Moulin Rouge’s” Baz Luhrmann, the film also stars Tobey Maguire.“My Fair Lady” won eight Oscars, including best actor and best picture. Why remake it? If the new version doesn’t measure up, will they rename it “My Spare Lady.”

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Answers

1. Mike Myers (2000) and Mark Guthrie

(2002).

2. The Dodgers’ Steve Howe in 1980 and St.

Louis’ Todd Worrell in 1986.

3. No. 11 (Wistert brothers: Francis, Albert and

Alvin), No. 47 (Bennie Oosterbaan), No. 48

(Gerald Ford), No. 87 (Ron Kramer) and No.

98 (Tom Harmon).

4. Sixteen.

5. Forty-six (2006-07).

6. It was 1953.

7. Ian Poulter.

1. In 2010, pitcher Arthur Rhodes tied a major-league record with 33 consecutive s c o r e l e s s appearances. Who also holds the mark?2. Twice during

the 1980s, a relief pitcher won the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award. Name either pitcher.3. The University of Michigan had retired only five numbers in football entering the 2011 season. Name three of the five.4. How many seasons of at least 50 wins did the San Antonio Spurs have in the past 20 seasons (1991-92 through 2010-11).5. Before the 2010-11 season (32 goals), what was the lowest goal total for a season for Washington’s Alex Ovechkin?6. When was the last time before 2011 that Penn State won an NCAA wrestling team championship? 7. In 2011, golfer Luke Donald became the second player in a row from England to win the Match Play Championship. Who was the first?

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PHOTO CUTLINE: Jeff Gordon celebrates with a burnout in his No. 24 Chevrolet after winning the Sprint Cup Series Advo-Care 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6. (Getty Images photo)

Gordon Gets One Back

It’s so easy to get all misty-eyed.Jeff Gordon outdueled Jimmie Johnson -- his teammate, friend, protege and nemesis -- to win the rain-delayed AdvoCare 500

at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Since Johnson first roared into the NASCAR spotlight in 2002, the two have competed together in 352 Sprint Cup races. Johnson has won twice as many (54-27) and finished ahead of Gordon in 55.1 percent. Johnson has won five straight championships, and Gordon hasn’t won any. His four all were before Johnson arrived.When Johnson arrived, everything changed for Gordon. It’s so tempting to proclaim, while awash in sentimentality, that happy days are here again.They may be, but it’s been 10 years since Gordon’s fourth championship, and the Chase hasn’t even started. He doesn’t have Johnson on the ropes, and others have just as much a stake in dethroning the perennial champion.No one has Johnson on the ropes. He’s finished in the top 10 in five straight races, fourth or better in four of them and second in two of the last three. Oh, by the way, he’s the points leader.All of that having been noted, the Tuesday race, run at shortly after 11 a.m., with millions of fans at work and nestled in neither recliners nor grandstand seats, was a great memory for those who’ll have one. In NASCAR, seldom has so much been wit-nessed by so few.Gordon had that Jimmie Johnson Sinking Feeling and somehow

managed to shake the fever. A winner of 85 races has been in a lot of parades, few of them on Tuesdays, and it appeared as if Johnson was going to rain on it. But Gordon held on, against all expectations, and it was a grand and righteous spectacle.“Not too many people get to do that these days, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it, either,” said Gordon, and the “that” translated to “beating Jimmie Johnson.”Meanwhile, Johnson’s hands were reportedly trembling when he climbed out of his car.“Man, that is what racing is all about,” he exclaimed “That was a lot of fun.”Gordon held on by his wits, for dear life, with all he had and by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin.If he holds off Johnson for 11 more weeks, it’ll be magic. If Johnson wins again, it’ll be expected.

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¥ On Sept. 27, 1854, two ships collide off the coast of Newfound-land, killing 322 passengers and crew. The wooden-hulled Arctic was severely damaged when it slammed into the iron-hulled steamer Vesta. In trying to beach the ship, the Arctic’s captain ran over sev-eral lifeboats, causing even more people to drown.

¥ On Oct. 1, 1890, an act of Congress creates Yosemite National Park, home of such natural wonders as the 2,425-foot-high Yosemite Falls, rock formations Half Dome and El Capitan, and three groves of giant sequoias, the world’s biggest trees.

¥ On Sept. 28, 1938, auto inventor Charles Duryea dies in Philadel-phia at the age of 76. Duryea and his brother Frank designed and built one of the first functioning gas-powered automobiles. Charles insisted on taking full credit for the brothers’ innovation and said that Frank was “simply a mechanic.”

¥ On Sept. 26, 1957, “West Side Story,” composed by Leonard Ber-nstein, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. “West Side Story,” a reinterpretation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Ju-liet, tells the tale of a love affair between Tony, who is Polish Ameri-can, and Maria, a Puerto Rican, set against an urban background of interracial warfare.

¥ On Sept. 29, 1969, the U.S. Army drops murder charges against eight Special Forces soldiers accused of killing a Vietnamese na-tional. The case against the Green Berets was dismissed for reasons of national security when the CIA refused to release highly classified information.

¥ On Oct. 2, 1985, Rock Hudson, a Hollywood romantic leading man during the 1950s and ‘60s and later a TV star, dies at the age of 59 from an AIDS-related illness. The 6-foot-5 Hudson rose to fame starring in such films as “Giant” (1956), for which he received an Academy Award nomination.

¥ On Sept. 30, 1999, large doses of radiation are released at Japan’s Tokaimura nuclear plant, an accident caused by a serious error made by workers at the plant. Instead of pouring 5 pounds of powdered uranium into nitric acid, workers poured in 35 pounds.

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THE TAIL WAGGING HEROES OF 9/11

• There were many heroes in the terrible aftermath of September 11, 2001. A special group of those heroes were canines. Dogs of many breeds worked at Ground Zero, helping to search for survivors and offering their magical gift of therapy.

• More than 350 dog and handler teams came from all over the United States and Canada to help in search and rescue efforts at the World Trade Cen-ter and Pentagon. These teams were from disaster-management agencies, police agencies and private search-and-rescue groups.

• Omar Rivera and Michael Hingson were inside the World Trade Center along with their guide dogs Salty and Roselle. Both men are blind, but when the plane hit Tower One, the guide dogs knew what to do. Through the panic and commotion of thou-sands of fleeing people, these two heroic yellow labradors, guided their masters down the stairwell and safely out of the building minutes before the tower collapsed.

• The first dog on the scene of the disaster was a golden retriever named Bear. Twelve-year-old Bear warmed the hearts of rescue workers amid the tragedy. Bear worked exhausting 18-hour days searching for survivors and victims, sometimes being hoisted into sunken pockets of rubble, glass and metal to look for bodies. Although he found no survivors, Bear located many bodies, including that of NYFD Chief Peter J. Ganci Jr. Bear died just before his 13th birthday from an illness related to the toxic environment of Ground Zero. He is hailed as a hero.

• Only one working dog was killed by the attack on the World Trade Center, a yellow labrador name Sirius. Sirius was a bomb detection dog. He was trained to search incoming vehicles for explosives. When the planes hit, he was in his cage in the base-ment of the North Tower. His partner, Officer Da-vid Lim, was unharmed and helped in rescue ef-forts. Sirius was honored at a memorial service by the Port Authority. Over 300 people attended the ceremony.

• The tiniest search dog at the World Trade Cen-ter was from Seattle. Weighing only 18 pounds, Ricky, a rat terrier, searched the rubble for 10 days, going where bigger dogs could not. Ricky trained with the Puget Sound Urban Search and Rescue for over two years.

• Servus, a Belgian malinois police dog, fell into an elevator shaft while searching Ground Zero and nearly died. His handler Chris Christensen pulled Servus’ limp body from the ruins. Within minutes, firemen and rescue workers were there to help. A nurse suctioned the thick ash from his lungs, gave him IV fluids, then rushed him to the canine medi-cal facilities. After several hours of treatment, he was released. Like a trooper, he jumped into the nearest police car used to transport dogs to the site.

• The dogs of 9/11 not only assisted in search and rescue but also served as therapy dogs. They were of every imaginable shape, size and breed. These dogs provided solace and comfort to the many res-cue workers, grieving family members and desper-ate firefighters that were forever changed by that day.

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DEAR DR. DONOHUE: For the past five years I have known that I have aortic stenosis. I have no symptoms and no re-strictions on what I do. My doc-tor says I need no treatment. I’m

happy about that. Will I have a shortened life? I’m 55. --- S.B.

ANSWER: “Stenosis” indicates narrowing. The aortic valve closes when the heart pumps blood out and into the aorta and the entire body. Closure of the valve stops blood from leak-ing back into the heart. Because the valve and its opening have constricted, the heart has to pump harder to empty itself. That strains the heart, and, in time, leads to heart failure.Stenosis is relative. Its danger and its consequences depend on how narrow are the opening and valve. Doctors can get an ac-curate picture of the valve’s dimensions through an echocardio-gram, a sound wave picture of the heart.When the valve and its opening reach a critical size, decisions are made about the best treatment. Often, it’s surgery with the installation of an artificial valve. If a severely narrowed valve goes untreated, three symptoms develop: chest pain on activity (angina), shortness of breath and fainting spells. Death occurs within three or fewer years un-less a new valve is put in place. Surgery is usually performed well before these signs make their appearance. You might never need a correction if the narrowing process stops.

You probably wonder how you acquired the valve problem. You might have been born with a valve that had minor defects, which promoted narrowing. Calcifications could have settled on the valve. Or you might have had rheumatic fever as a child, which caused valve deformity.The booklet on heart-valve disorders gives a comprehensive view on these valves and their treatment. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 105W, Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. ***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have had three attacks of gallblad-der pain due to gallstones. My doctor is pushing me to have my gallbladder removed. The prospect of surgery doesn’t thrill me. Can’t these stones be treated in some other way? How does my body function without a gallbladder? -- R.C.

ANSWER: Have the surgery. You have had three attacks of gallbladder pain; you’re bound to have more. You won’t find the surgery as frightening as you imagine. Often, it is done through small incisions with the guidance of a scope.The body does quite well without a gallbladder. It’s a reservoir for bile, which is made in the liver. When a person eats a meal that has fat in it, as most meals do, the gallbladder contracts, sending a jet of bile into the digestive tract to promote fat diges-tion. Without a gallbladder for storage, bile drips into the diges-tive tract on a constant basis; that works out well.Medicines can dissolve gallstones. They take a long time to work, and the stones have to be small. Frequently, the stones re-form after medicines are stopped.

Physical Activity Pays Dividends

It makes sense to pay attention to a study that’s gone on for many years. There’s one that’s been in place since 2,400 men and women were born 1946. The study, reported in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, was called “Physical Activity Across Adulthood and Physical Performance in Midlife.”

Scientists hoped to learn whether leisure-time physical activity at a younger age had anything to do with the status of physical strength in later years. The participants were contacted more than 20 times for updated information, checked at ages 36, 43, and 53 and tested for standing balance, how long it took to rise up out of a chair, and grip strength.Standing balance measured how long the participant could stand on one leg with eyes closed, up to 30 seconds. Chair-rise speed involved getting up out of a chair, standing straight and sitting back down -- ten times! Grip strength used an electronic device for measurement.Here’s how the results turned out: At all three checks, “chair rise” time was positively affected by prior physical activity. At ages 43 and 53 standing balance was affected. At age 53, women’s grip strength wasn’t affected, but it was with men.The conclusion was that yes indeed, physical activity does affect the status of our physical strength and performance later in life.Cooler weather is coming, with winter right behind. Consider signing up for some type of physical activity class, some-thing fun, that meets on a regular basis.We can’t go back and give ourselves a more active youth, but we can start now to give ourselves a stronger future, right?

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¥ It was 20th-century American humorist Evan Esar who made the following extremely sage observation: “Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.”

¥ The Ghirardelli company, now renowned worldwide for the fine chocolate it produces, originally was a pur-veyor of mustard and spices.

¥ Frank Lloyd Wright was an unusually prolific archi-tect. During the 70 years of his professional career, he designed a whopping 500 buildings.

¥ Unless you’re employed in the publishing field, you might think that a typographical error is rather insignifi-cant, something that only nitpickers worry about. Typos, however, sometimes radically change the meaning of text. Take, for example, the 1631 edition of the Bible published by the royal printers in London. A word was left out of one of the Ten Commandments, resulting in

the exhortation, “Thou shalt commit adultery.” This book is now known as the Wicked Bible or the Adulterous Bible. Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, the publishers responsible for the error, were fined 300 British pounds, or about $54,000 in today’s currency.

¥ In 1826, the eastern part of Texas declared its indepen-dence from the United States, calling itself the Republic of Fredonia.

¥ You might be surprised to learn that author Norman Mailer, best known for his novel “The Naked and the Dead,” majored in aeronautical engineering when he was in college.

¥ If you’re an arachnophobe, you may not want to read the following tidbit: There are some species of spider that dine on fish -- and catch them, too.

¥ For reasons surpassing understanding, in 1845, the city of Boston made it mandatory to have a doctor’s prescrip-tion before taking a bath.

***Thought for the Day: “A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good compa-ny.” -- Charles Evans Hughes