We often talk
about living to 100 but there’s a time when you realize it is not the years in
your life that’s important but the life in the years. But how can you make the
most of your remaining years? Travel to far-a-way lands? Attend classes at
CGCC? Hit the pubs on the weekend?
I have found
from talking to older adults at the Center the main ingredient for living a
happier life in your later years is attitude - particularly in the following three
ways.
First, be open
to change and avoid hanging on to what isn’t possible anymore. I’m not going to
run a marathon again - I can hardly jog across the street! Second, be creative by
finding new ways to enjoy what you once did. If you can no longer eat your
favorite foods, experiment in the kitchen, and create new dishes. And third,
focus on what you can still do and don’t go down the long dark alley of always
complaining about what you can’t.
By keeping a
positive attitude and learning to accept and adapt, when life throws you a
curve, you’ll find that you can still hit the ball out of the park.
Last
week’s lesson from the Blue Zones was to eat less – which these days is easier for
me. (Just as its quicker for my bladder to feel full, it seems to be the same
for my stomach.) But this week’s lesson may be harder. Lesson five from the
“Power of Nine” is “Plant Slant”.
Like
many of you, I was raised on hamburger, fried chicken, bacon and sausage. But
according to Dan Beuttner, the inhabitants of the Blue Zones kept their meat
consumption to a minimum and ate mostly plant based foods: beans, greens,
fruits, nuts and whole grains. So during these wintry months, why not experiment
and try some new healthy recipes with less meat. You can find some tasty
recipes at Oregon State University’s website www.foodhero.org.
As
you consider all the holiday activities, don’t forget the local Habitat for
Humanity Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
at the United Church of Christ 111, East Fifth Street. There will be craft vendors
and baked goods. But what makes it a stop you don’t want to miss is the
delicious homemade soup lunch with rolls, beverages, and a slice of pie for
only $5.00!
December
7th is the last day for Medicare open enrollment. To compare Medicare plans, you
can go online at Medicare.gov. But the easiest and most convenient way to
compare plans and have your questions answered is to call the Center and schedule
an appointment with a trained SHIBA volunteer who can guide you through the
Medicare jungle.
The Center’s
Holiday Breakfast is December 9th from 8:00 – 9:30. And you can’t
beat the menu: all-you-can-eat pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit, juice
and coffee – all for $6 per person and $3.00 for those 12 and under. It will
also be your last chance to purchase a quilt raffle ticket before the drawing
at 9:00 am. The sponsors are Dennis Morgan and Dean Dollarhide – who were the
sponsors for last year’s holiday breakfast which was cancelled because of snow.
But don’t worry. There won’t be snow this year. Santa promised!
The
name of the Saturday morning cartoon canine hero in the episode “Simon Says, No
Thanksgiving” was Underdog as in “There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!” (It
was a tough question, but I did receive correct answers from Jess Birge and
this week’s winner of a free quilt raffle ticket Diana Weston.)
This
one hit wonder was recorded in 1969 after the singer heard Porter Wagner
singing a gospel song on TV and thought “Yeah, I could do that”. For this
week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the song, an innovative
combination of gospel and psychedelic rock sounds, sung by Norman Greenbaum? Email
your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or
send it with a Fender Telecaster guitar with a fuzz box.
Well,
it’s been another week, trying to remember to keep my shoulders back and my
head up. Until we meet again, we take better care of ourselves by taking good
care of each other.
“Grief
is like the ocean, it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water
is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn how to swim.”
Vicki Harrison