How do you feel about the jokes about older adults’ forgetfulness, unwillingness to change, being out of date or slow? Do you find them offensive, or true? Or is your feeling,” Hey, it’s just a joke”?

How do you feel when your doctor explains your condition is because of old age? Or they won’t prescribe a treatment because you are too old?

How do you feel when you learn judicial judges in Oregon have to resign after they turn 75?

How do you feel when someone tells you that you don’t look your age? Is it a compliment or do you answer, “Thank you but this is my age.”

Many advocates for older adults consider these situations as examples of society’s all too common negative view of aging.

Granted many of us may not move as fast, open that jar of spaghetti sauce as easily, or find the right answer as quickly. (Research has shown even though our minds may not be as quick, they are more accurate!)

Although most of us are mentally and physically active, the media often portrays older adults as either stooped over, frail and elderly with nothing to contribute or enjoy, or super seniors climbing mountains or running marathons. (Wow. They aren’t supposed to be doing that at their age!)

But should we care about how society and the media portray older adults?

Yes, when it marginalizes older adults and robs them of choice, independence, and dignity, and negatively impacts their quality of life. It is particularly damaging when those negative views of aging influence how we think of ourselves and shape our own behavior. We may stop taking responsibility, lose confidence, withdraw, and become more dependent because that is what we are told old age is, right?

But every day, you and I pop those bubbles of negative images of aging, because we are the real thing. We are what older is. Most of us are active, caring, inquisitive, and live meaningful lives while in our sixties, seventies, eighties, and older.

We are all growing older in our own way with a great deal to contribute and appreciate – contrary to what society and the media tell us. We do change, particularly our bodies, but in many other ways, we are the same person we were 50 years ago – just a little wiser. And with new possibilities and adventures – if you look for them – we can experience the full abundance of life no matter our age. As Joan Chittister writes in her book, The Gift of Years, ‘Age is not a thing to be pitied, to apologize for, to fear, to resist, to see as a sign of gloom. Only the old can make age a bright and vibrant place to be.” It’s up to us.

Brain Tease: There are many ways to exercise your brain: jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, or learning a new language. To get you started, find the translations for these three Spanish phrases – and you’ll be on your way to learning a new language! 1.) Que gusto saludarte. 2.) Gracias por su ayuda. 3.) Que te vaya bien.

The name of the television series starring Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey that told the story of a young intern working in a fictional large metropolitan hospital was my mother’s favorite show, Dr. Kildare. (Although I found that Ben Casey was the heartthrob of several readers!) I receive correct answers from Rhonda Spies, Jess Birge, Lana Tepfer, Donna Mollett, and Rose Schulz this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

The Pacific Northwest has many famous, and infamous, legends and mysteries: Bigfoot, the “exploding whale” in Florence in 1970, and this one that occurred on November 24^th, 1971. For this week’s “Remember When” questions, what was the common name for the unidentified man who hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 during the flight from Portland to Seattle, possibly armed with a bomb and demanding $200,000 in ransom, equivalent to $1,338,000 in 2021? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with your theory for the fate of this mysterious hijacker.

Well, it’s been another week, finally enjoying the true fall weather. Until we meet again, as Calvin told Hobbes “Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don’t help.”

Cowboy Wisdom: Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through

Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River

Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center

(541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office

(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior

Services (509-427-3990).

A few of us are perennials always blooming, a few more are late bloomers and the rest of us are just hoping to bloom someday. Last July I wrote about one of the secrets of living life to the fullest from Connie Goldman’s book “Secrets to Becoming a Late Bloomer”: the secret of gardening. Another of her fourteen secrets is creativity.

Many people view creativity as a rare talent that few possess which allows these gifted individuals to create beautiful and imaginative paintings, songs, or stories. But Connie describes creativity in much broader terms, where every day we have the opportunity to look at a situation with “beginner’s eyes”; to see in fresh ways, with open and accepting minds. The National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones describes creativity in a similar way: everyday creativity is seeing the “extraordinary in the ordinary”. If you understand creativity in this broader sense, we all possess the ability to be creative. It is in all of us and can be expressed in many ordinary ways: a hobby, a personal relationship, or grandparenting. In all these everyday situations, we can see and engage the world with new eyes.

You can nurture your creativity by engaging in something you enjoy doing on a regular basis. It is when you are doing something you love that your creative spirit opens up. But as with anything important, it’s never easy. Every day remind yourself to look at situations, even the mundane, with fresh eyes and find the extraordinary in the ordinary. As Connie points out “Everyone knows that we can’t stay young forever; yet we can stay fresh, alive, and aware.”

So how about this idea? If you are retired, you can receive a license that gives you the right, without any questions asked and with no guilt attached, to pursue any “trivial pursuit” you had put off throughout your working career because of all those “adult” reasons.

This Trivial Pursuit License would allow you to explore your creative side by checking out the activities at The Dalles Art Center or the Columbia Center for the Arts, picking up a guitar and writing songs to sing in the shower, or just drawing with paper and pencil at the kitchen table every morning. Or other activities that may not be as creative: assembling model cars or planes, blowing bubbles at a street corner, (you may get some looks!), or building a fort out of Legos with your grandchildren – or without your grandchildren. But you may want to skip playing twister or spin the bottle. They just don’t have the same appeal anymore!

No matter what you decide, “trivial” activities are good for your mind, body, and soul. So take the time to do that something you’ve always wanted to do.

Brain Tease: Another Caesar Cipher which involves replacing each letter of the secret message with a different letter of the alphabet.

See if you can decipher this well-known Mae West quote.

“Brx rqob olyh rqfh, exw li brx gr lw uljkw, rqfh lv hqrxjk.”

This espionage thriller that ran from 1965 to 1968 starring Bill Crosby, the first African American actor in a lead role in a television series, and Robert Culp was I Spy. I received correct answers from Doug Nelson, Margo Dameier, Lana Tepfer, Keith Clymer, Rhonda Spies, Tina Castanares, and Kim Birge this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

We’ve had a comedy, and a spy thriller and now this week’s question is from another popular television genre that began in the late 50s and produced hit television shows such as Ben Casey and this show that ran from 1961 through 1966. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the television series starring Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey that told the story of a young intern working in a fictional large metropolitan hospital? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with the short story, “Internes Can’t Take Money” from the March 1936 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine where the character was first introduced.

Well, it’s been another week, deciding when to turn on the furnace. Until we meet again, as my doctor once told me, “Aging is not a disease”.

“If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?” Will Rogers

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through

Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River

Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center

(541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office

(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior

Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

How do you know it’s autumn? The leaves falling? The cooler mornings? The football hysteria? No, it’s a mailbox full of solicitations from Medicare insurance plans.

And why? Because October 15th is the start of the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period which continues through December 7^th. Since each year the insurance companies can adjust their Medicare plans, the Open Enrollment period gives you a chance to decide if your Medicare plan is still the best option for you or if it’s time to switch to another plan.

To help decide, first take time to review your plan’s “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC) which you should have received in September. It describes any changes to your current plan for next year. Then ask yourself the big three Medicare questions.

1.) Does your plan allow you to go to the providers you want including your pharmacy?

2.) Are your prescription drugs covered?

3.) How much does the plan cost?

If you’re satisfied with your current plan, you don’t need to do anything although you still may want to look for a better deal, especially if you have avoided the hassle of comparing plans over the past several years.

But if you aren’t satisfied with the changes, you will want to compare your current plan to other plans which can be frustrating, perplexing, and downright confusing. But remember all health insurance is complicated!

To compare the available plans in your county, you can visit www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan and use the Medicare Plan Finder; study the “Medicare & You” handbook you received in the mail; call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) where help is available 24/7, or in Oregon you can visit the Oregon SHIBA website. (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance which is a federally funded, state run program.)

If you’d rather talk to someone face-to-face, you can meet with a private insurance broker who specializes in Medicare, or you can schedule an appointment with a trained impartial SHIBA volunteer counselor who will help you navigate your way through the Medicare system. To schedule an appointment, call 541-288-8341 in Oregon, 509-773-3757 in Goldendale or 509-493-3068 in White Salmon, and for Skamania County call the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington at 888-637-6060.

I know it takes time to review all the Medicare options: Original Medicare, Advantage Plans, Medigap, and prescription drug plans. But it is important that you understand your Medicare options so you can make informed decisions – both for your health and your pocketbook.

Well, I’m getting a little tired, and also frustrated, with the Lateral Thinking puzzles. So switching gears here is another brain tease for your mental enjoyment from the website Braingle.com.

A Caesar Cipher is one of the simplest and easily cracked encryption methods. It involves replacing each letter of the secret message with a different letter of the alphabet. A hint: it’s also called the Caesar “Shift”.

See if you can decipher this Mel Brook’s quote.

“Bt mpoh bt if xpsme jt uvsojoh boe tqjoojoh xf’sf hpoob cf ejaaz boe nblf njtublft.”

The name of the 1968-1972 television show hosted by Dan Rowan and Dick Martin was Laugh-in. And the political candidate who asked, “Sock it to me?” was Richard Nixon. I received the correct answer from Linda Frizzell, Marlene and Keith Clymer. And those who also remembered Richard Nixon were Donna Mollet, Doug Nelson, Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, Margo Dameier, Mike McFarlane, Tina Castanares, and Nancy Higgins this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Jody Cochenour.

This espionage thriller ran from 1965 to 1968 and broke ground as the first American television drama starring an African-American actor in a lead role. For this week’s “Remember When” question what was the name of the television series that starred two tennis bums/secret agents: Robert Culp as the international tennis player Kelly Robinson, and Bill Crosby as his trainer Alexander Scott?  Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with sweatshirts from Temple University and the University of Washington.

Well, it’s been another week, avoiding the tough questions. Until we meet again, keep a smile on your face.

“Whatever the limits are, you can always do a little more than you think you can, and you can get a certain pleasure out of that.” George Leonard

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through

Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River

Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center

(541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office

(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior

Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: “As long as the world is turning and spinning, we’re gonna be dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.”

Are you happy?

Since 2016, October has been celebrated as Gorge Happiness Month reminding us we can be happier and healthier by practicing the “Daily Three”.

1.) Gratitudes: Find time each day to list three things for which you are thankful. It could be a good night’s sleep, an absorbing book, or a visit from one of your grandchildren.

2.) Acts of kindness: It can be as simple as picking up three pieces of trash, enjoying a sunset, telling a good joke – or a really bad one. (What did the fish say when he ran into a wall? Dam!) You can also volunteer at a non-profit which most are always looking for new volunteers.

3.) Moments of Silence: Sit silently for just five minutes every day. Turn off the TV or radio which are often our familiar and constant companions and just sit still and observe your thoughts and all that is around you.

While we practice the “Daily Three”, what is often forgotten is that happiness doesn’t mean never being sad.

Helen Russell, author of How To Be Sad (2021) argues that we can’t be truly happy unless we acknowledge and embrace our sadness. “Studies show that experiencing temporary sadness, and allowing ourselves to sit with those feelings when they come, can counterintuitively make us happier.”

Sadness is an inevitable part of the ups and downs of the human experience. No one is immune to it. There is no vaccine to avoid it. Accepting there will be sadness in our lives, teaches us to see negative emotions as an inevitable part of our lives, so when we do experience sadness, we are less likely to dwell on it and more likely to deal with it.

Expecting to be happy all the time, leads to “toxic positivity” which can create an inherent sense of shame when we inevitably feel sad. And when we pretend we’re happy when we’re not, true happiness becomes harder to identify. Am I actually happy or just putting on a happy face?

Engaging in the “Daily 3”: saying thanks, expressing kindness, observing moments of silence – AND also allowing ourselves to be sad can lead to a happier life while making our community a better place.

For this month’s “Through the Eyes of an Elder” Trish Leighton interviews Bill Jones who is an example of resiliency: finding ways, with the support of his wife Adie, to work around the challenges he faces. It’s another great read.

After last week’s discussion of Circles of Care, I have been asked whether there is something similar in Klickitat County – and there is. Isaias Garcia is the Volunteer Services Coordinator for Klickitat Senior Services and he will be glad to answer any of your questions about volunteering or needing assistance. You can reach Isaias at 509-773-3757.

To challenge your brain here is another lateral thinking puzzle where you have to use an indirect and creative approach to discover the answer.

Brain Tease: A man who lives in a 30-story building decides to jump out of his window. He survives the fall with no injuries. How did that happen?

The name of the artificially flavored drink mix used by NASA on John Glenn’s Mercury flight was TANG. I received correct answers from Joann Gage, Anita Burris, Emmett Sampson, Diana Weston, Lana Tepfer, Margo Dameier, Donna Mollet, Dave Lutgens, Marlene & Keith Clymer, Rose Schulz, Rebecca Abrams, Molly Fauth, Rhonda Spies, and Elaine Kirby this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

From 1968-1972 one of the most popular television shows was hosted by Dan Rowan and Dick Martin. For this week’s “Remember When” question what was the name of this show which gave us such memorable catchphrases as “Sock it to me” and “Here Comes the Judge”? And for those who find this question too easy, what political candidate appeared asking “Sock it to me?” Email your answers to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or send it on the back of a clean, crisp $20 bill.

Well, it’s been another week, trying to keep both hands on the steering wheel. Until we meet again, life is just one long continuous learning curve.

“Volunteering is at the very core of being human. No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.” Heather French Henry

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through

Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River

Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center

(541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office

(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior

Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: He lives in a 30-story building, but he only jumped out the first-floor window.