Have
you ever looked forward to a holiday vacation with high expectations and a
to-do list a mile long - and then it turns out nothing like you expected? That
was my Thanksgiving this year and even though everything turned out fine, all
those things I wanted to do were replaced by what I had to do. So this week, I’ll
just keep it simple and share a few thoughts for this busy first week of
December.
Several
months ago, Fire Chief Bob Palmer spoke at the Center and explained how the
Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue can help install smoke alarms in your home. But I
have also learned from Marc Berry, there is another source: the American Red
Cross. They have launched a national “Home Fire Preparedness Campaign” to
reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries by 25% over the next five years
for three sobering reasons.
1.
Fire related deaths and injuries are highest in homes without smoke alarms.
2. Last year the Red Cross responded to nearly two home fires each day in Oregon and SW Washington.
3. More than 60% of fire deaths occur in homes without a working smoke alarm.
2. Last year the Red Cross responded to nearly two home fires each day in Oregon and SW Washington.
3. More than 60% of fire deaths occur in homes without a working smoke alarm.
To
have a free smoke alarm installed by a trained Red Cross volunteer, call
503-528-5783, send an email to preparedness@redcross.org or complete an online form at www.redcross.org/cascadeshfpc.
It
is life-or-death important to have working smoke alarms in your home, but it’s
not always easy to install them. But now there are two places you can find help:
Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue and the American Red Cross.
There
is plenty to do this Saturday besides Christmas shopping, and here are two events
I would recommend.
Habitat for Humanity’s
annual Holiday Bazaar is Saturday, December 3rd from 10:00 – 2:00 in
the UCC Church basement at the corner of 5th and Court Street. There
will be vendors, and most important, at least for me, are the delicious baked
goods and the soup and pie lunch.
Also, the Columbia
Gorge Discovery Center is hosting their Holiday Open House and Community Appreciation
Day on Saturday, from 12 to 5 p.m. There is free admission from 9:00 – 5:00
with music from 12:00 – 5:00 plus much more.
If you missed the
Center’s Holiday Bazaar, you still have a chance to purchase a one-of-a-kind lap
blanket for only $25 to $35. You can find them in the Nu-2-U Shop which is open
from 10:00 – 3:00 Monday through Friday.
The AARP Smart Driver
Class is an easy way to catch up on the current rules-of-the-road and save a
few bucks on your car insurance. The class is usually held on the third Monday
and Tuesday of every month, but for December the class is on the 12th
and 13th. The cost for the class is $20 and $15 for AARP members. Call
the Center to sign up.
Continuing the
countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 7 - No more kids’ tuition to pay. (Unless you had to take out parent
loans - which is a monthly reminder of your wonderful children even if they live
thousands of miles away.)
The Center’s 11:00 Tuesday
Lecture on December 3rd, will be on Healthy Aging - the subject of the second
in a series of videotaped panel presentations from the 2016 Oregon Conference
on Aging.
At the Center on
Tuesday, December 6th, Andre, KC and Joe will be performing for your listening
and dancing enjoyment. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations
are always appreciated.
The anchorman who ended
the CBS Evening News with the words “And that's the way it is.” was Walter
Cronkite. (This week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket each are Maxine Parker
and Ed Anghilante.)
Now that Black Friday
and Cyber Monday have jump started the Christmas buying frenzy, this week’s
“Remember When” question is about a toy many of us received for Christmas when we
were just a kid in knickers. What is the name of the clown pictured on the
front of a 46-inch-high inflatable punching bag with a sand filled base? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of Willard Scott when
he played the part of this famous clown from 1959–1962 on WRC-TV in Washington
D.C.
Well, it’s been
another week, adding two and two and still coming up with twenty-two. Until we
meet again, everyone looks better wearing a smile.
“Little by little one
travels far.” A Spanish saying
1 comment:
nice post
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