aging Well December 16th 2014

I’m not fond of these winter doldrums in The Dalles: grey overcast skies with a few days of sunshine, just to tease us that better days are ahead. And although I may not like them, I find these gloomy days are necessary, because without them I wouldn’t really appreciate the warm t-shirt days with blue skies. And isn’t that the way it is in our daily lives? All the challenges and difficulties, the missteps and losses, remind us not to take for granted the simple joys and comforts we can experience every precious day.

I’ve mentioned it once already, but in case you didn’t write it on your calendar, from 8:00 AM until 9:30 on Saturday, December 20^th, is the Center’s December Breakfast sponsored by The Springs at Mill Creek. The menu includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit and a hot beverage to keep you warm - all for $5.00 or $4.00 for Center members. Bring along some friends and meet some new ones. It will also be your last chance to purchase your tickets for the quilt, hand stitched by the Center quilters, that will be raffled off at 9:00 AM.

If you enjoy homemade baked goodies, Meals-on-Wheels is having their annual Bake Sale on Thursday from 11:00 – 1:00. You can buy all kinds of tasty treats while helping the good work of Meals-on-Wheels.

Although we may never know who Susan was or why she was so lazy, Meals-on-Wheels is looking for some Lazy Susans if you have one lying around the house (which would be expected of a Lazy Susan). With the new five foot round tables, the folks who eat regularly at the Center (they know where you can always find a good nutritious meal that is gentle on the pocketbook), found it difficult to pass the coffee and the other condiments. And being an industrious lot, they came up a solution: a Lazy Susan for each of the round tables. But there are 15 tables and so far only 2 Lazy Susans have been donated. So bring in a lazy Susan and enjoy a nice meal for a $3.75 donation if you have reached that magic age of sixty.

The Center’s Loan Closet is used daily and depends on individual donations of medical equipment. Right now, we are generously supplied with rollators which is unusual. (I learned rollator is the correct name for the walkers that have the four wheels, a seat and hand brakes). We also have a supply of absorbent undergarments, (I was going to say for loan, but we don’t really want them back) as well as several hospital beds. But at this time, we are in need of shower seats and bed rails.

Were you able to read last week’s music announcement without the vowels? It wasn’t easy, but this time I will keep the vowels but remove two consonants. See if you can tell which consonants are left out and what the announcement says.  

eause of the winter weather, it may e diffiult to get outside to ike, run or walk, ut you an always find a warm plae to dane. And on Tuesday nights that place is the enter where the Highline Express will e performing from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. The ost is only a donation to keep the musi playing and everyone is welome. Also on Sunday the 21^st, the Jammers will take their turn playing at the enter from 2:00 – 5:00. Admission is free ut there will e pie and ie ream for sale.

The “Giant Killers” were the 1967 OSU Football team. (The winner of a free Saturday Breakfast on December 20th is Dan Erickson: a true beaver believer who remembers QB Steve Preece and Earthquake Enyart.)

Until I left home for college, I thought you could only cut cheese with a wired utensil; and I seldom tasted butter. Velveeta and margarine were the staples around my house, as well as this orange flavored powdered drink. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the drink created in 1959 but didn’t become popular until it was used by John Glenn in the early manned space flights? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or drop it off with a box of Pop Rocks and a container of Cool Whip.

Well, it’s been another week, working my way towards imperfection. Until we meet again, when everything seems overwhelming, stop, take a deep belly breath and remember - all things shall pass.

“My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.” Billy Connolly