I have
been fighting a cold this last week and on Friday I started feeling better. Was
it because I was drinking plenty of fluids? Getting extra sleep? Or the cold
medicine was finally kicking in? Maybe. But I realized what seemed to make the
most difference was the sun was shining!
Do you
often feel more motivated, energized and in a better mood when the sun has broken
through the clouds? And does it sometimes get you down when during the winter months
of inversion and overcast skies, the sun becomes that friend who runs off spending
the winter in Arizona.
Feeling
a little down during the winter months is not unusual. But for a few people it
may be more than just the winter blues. They may be experiencing Seasonal Adjusted
Disorder or SAD. Symptoms of SAD include a depressed mood, feelings of
hopelessness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep and
appetite, a loss of pleasure in activities you once loved, and even thoughts of
death or suicide. If you experience these types of feelings causing disruptions
in your life, you should reach out to your primary care provider or a mental
health professional because treatments are available.
But
for rest of us there are things we can do to lift our spirits. Suggestions include
getting outside more often, trying to get more sunshine (although you may have
to drive to Dufur on Mt Hood), getting plenty of sleep, practicing relaxation
exercises and keeping up your physical exercise.
During
the winter it is easy to get stuck inside - adding pounds and moving slower.
But the Center offers several movement classes, so you don’t lose “your get up
and go” over the winter months. Classes range from Tai Chi to Zumba Gold with
Chair Yoga, Strength Yoga and Strong Women in between.
Planning
a healthier lifestyle during the winter months is always a good idea - staying
active and engaged even when you might just want to stay under the covers in a nice
warm bed all day.
The bazaars
keep cascading through the holiday season and one of my favorites is Habitat for
Humanity’s Annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, December 8th from 10 – 2 PM at
the UCC Church. Besides a variety of local vendors and baked goods, you won’t
want to miss their always popular Soup and Pie Luncheon for $6.00. And this
year they have added the “Festival of the Wreaths” – wreaths made by the local
banks and credit unions. You can vote for your favorite wreath and maybe take
one home.
Quick
reminder. Nehemiah Brown will be performing his Christmas Concert at the Center
on Tuesday, December 11th 11:30 – 1:30 sponsored by The Dalles
Health and Rehabilitation
The
Center’s annual Christmas Breakfast will be December 15th sponsored
by the Center’s friends Dean Dollarhide and Dennis Morgan. The menu will
include “All-You-Can-Eat” Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage plus fruit and your
favorite beverage. The cost is still only $6.00 for the general public and $3.00
for children 12 and under.
The
four Disney animated films that were among the top ten grossing films of the
1950’s, listed in order of gross earnings, were Lady and the Tramp (1955),
Peter Pan (1953), Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959). (I received
correct answers from Cheri Brent, Jeanne Pesicka and this week’s winner of a
quilt raffle ticket Ruth Radcliffe. And from the week before the only answer I
could find was also from Cheri Brent who answered correctly Ray Price.)
We’ll
stick with movies for a couple more weeks. If I asked my kids who the most
popular movies stars are today, I’m sure I wouldn’t recognize half of their
names. But they probably wouldn’t recognize Julie Christie who starred in
several box office hits in the 60’s. For this week’s “Remember When” question
what 1965 epic romantic drama did she star in that was directed by David Lean; set
in Russia between the years prior to World War I and the Russian Civil War of
1917–1922: and was based on the 1957 Boris Pasternak novel of the same name? Email
your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or
send your answer or the back of the score for “Lara’s Theme”.
Well,
it’s been another week trying to pay attention to where I am in life. Until we
meet again, you know you are getting older when your memories are found in
museums.
“I
still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now.” ~Author Unknown
