Aging Well March 5th 2013

It is a new month – a month of changes with daylight savings time starting on Sunday; the first day of spring on the 20^th and Easter Sunday ending the month on the 31^st. But March is also Nutritional Health Month in your Passport to Happiness Calendar. There you will find tips and suggestions about eating well such as when filling your plate, one half should be fruits and vegetables, one fourth lean protein (less than three grams of fat per serving) and the remaining quarter whole grains such as whole wheat, brown rice or quinoa. (I had never heard of Quinoa - pronounced "KEEN-wah - but it is a favorite for many folks because it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook; tastes great by itself; has the highest protein content of all the whole grains, and is a gluten and cholesterol free. But if you are still not sure, just for you, I will try it and report back next week.)

You can learn more about the benefits of healthy nutrition at this month’s Passport to Happiness event at the Center on Wednesday March 20^th from 3:00 – 4:30. And if you don’t have a Calendar yet, there are still a few left at the Center.

My wife tells me you need to hear something seven times before you remember it. (I wonder why she’s telling me!) But with that in mind, the iPad and Kindle User’s Groups meet tomorrow, the first Wednesday of the month: iPad users at 1:00 and Kindle users at 2:00.

And on the 12^th, the first Creative Arts class, an Introduction to Watercolors, will meet at the Center. Last week, I pointed out the value of finding your inner artist and this class will be a great place to start the search. The Creative Art classes will be held every second and fourth Tuesdays in March, April and May from 1:00 – 2:00. Supplies are provided and the cost is only $2.00. It would be helpful if you called the Center to sign up, but if you are a last minute procrastinator, come anyway - we will make room.

If you feel your breathing difficulties are in charge of you, the Pulmonary Rehab Program at Water’s Edge can put you back in charge of your breathing. Susan Benedict, the Pulmonary Rehab Coordinator at Water’s Edge, spoke at last week’s Tuesday lecture about the benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation: a 10-week program that consists of physical conditioning, education on all aspects of lung disease and stress management. With a team of health professionals, you can improve your breathing and your peace of mind. If you have a been diagnosed with a chronic lung disorder, or experienced shortness of breath that compromises your lifestyle and want to learn more about lung disease and ways to breathe easier, talk to your health care provider or call Water’s Edge.

It’s been a while since I have tested your mental skills - or as the literary detective Hercule Poirot calls them - your “grey cells”.  So see if you can read the following announcement for Tuesday Night Music at the Center.

Nd bfr th rster crws – plying tnght t th Cntr s “The Strwbrry Mntn Bnd”. Nd nxt Tsdy Mrtn nd Frnds wll pt thr bst ft frwrd. Msc bgns t 7:00, vryn s wlcm nd dntns r lwys pprctd.

Motown was the recording company that charted110 top ten hits from 1961 – 1971 with their roster of stars including The Four Tops, The Supremes and The Miracles. (And the winner of five quilt raffle tickets is Alex Currie.)

But enough of TV and pop music, it is time to remember one of the greats of professional basketball during the 50’s and 60’s. Who played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, won the NBA MVP in 1957 and teamed with center Bull Russell to lead the Celtics to five straight NBA titles from 1959 – 1963. E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with the #14 jersey that is currently hanging in the rafters of the Boston Gardens.

Well, it’s been another week, trying not to answer questions when I don’t know the answers. Until we meet again, keep your eyes open and your feet moving.

"I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities."—Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel