I hesitate to start with this next topic because who really wants to talk about feet because what do you think of? Ugly toenails, disgusting smells, and corns and bunions? There ain’t nothing sexy about feet. But you live and learn, and I have found that this constantly used and often neglected part of the body is a clue to your overall health and critical to your well-being.

Many things can go wrong with your feet – which probably is not surprising to most of you – so it is important to assess your foot health regularly in order to catch problems early. Here are five easy steps to examine your feet and ankles.

1. Check the appearance of your feet and ankles.

While sitting, look for things like swelling, discoloration of the skin or nails, blisters, and excessive calluses. Be sure to examine the space between the toes and the soles of your feet. (If I try, I feel as if I’m imitating a soft-knotted pretzel!) And while standing, look for anything that has changed or looks suspicious in the shape of your foot and ankle.

2. Assess the blood flow.

Press down on the nail of your big toe until the color fades, about 5 seconds. Then let go and allow the blood flow to return to your toe. If you have average circulation, the return of normal color to your toe should take 2-5 seconds.

3. Test your foot and ankle function and flexibility.

For your foot, try to pick up a marble or small dishtowel with just your toes to assess their flexibility. (Is that really possible?) To test your ankle flexibility, stand facing a wall, move your front foot back four inches, and move your knee towards the wall. If your knee can touch the wall, you have good flexibility in your calf and ankle.

4. Evaluate sensation.

Take a pencil eraser and run it on the top, bottom, and both sides of your feet. The sensation should feel the same on all sides of the foot. If you lack sensation in one area, repeat the test over the next few days to see if you get the same result.

5. Examine your level of pain.

There should be no pain in the average, uninjured foot. If you do have pain, make sure to feel the parts of your foot to locate the exact position and source of the pain.

If you find anything suspicious or unusual from swelling and excessive callouses to persistent foot pain, make sure you contact your primary care provider. Good foot care and regular foot checks are an important part of your health care. Often foot problems are the first indication of more serious problems including arthritis, diabetes, and kidney, heart, circulatory, or neurological disease.

BRAIN TEASE

What word is missing?

Begin, inch, chapel, elastic, ? , cellar, arisen, end

Johnny Carson’s sidekick and announcer was Ed McMahon. I received correct answers from Dave Lutgens, Donna Mollet, Rebecca Abrams, Kim Birge, Pat Evenson-Brady, Keith Clymer, Ronda Spies, Nancy Higgins, and Lana Tepfer who is this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

And from the week before when the answer was Abbott and Costello, I received correct answers from Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, Keith Clymer, Donna Mollet, Rebecca Abrams, Deborah Medina, and Nancy Higgins’s almost 99-year-old mom Anna Bolton who is the winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

Since my mom grew up with the Mills Brothers, Harry James, and Frank Sinatra, she couldn’t understand why the musical groups I listened to had such foolish names: The Beatles, the Animals, Mamas and Papas, and the band called just – The Band. So for this week’s “Remember When” question, what band, whose name is more appropriate for a basic journalism class, was known for smashing guitars on stage. and writing the 1969 classic rock album Tommy?  Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or drop it off at the Center while singing with youthful rebellion “My Generation”.

Well, it’s been another week, wondering, “Where did the time go?” Until we meet again, sometimes stubbornness is just another name for being determined – and sometimes it’s not!

“It’s a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water.”

Franklin P. Jones

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

Ice. Each word begins with the last two letters of the previous word.

I’ve shared this parable of a Chinese farmer a few years back. I can’t remember when and you probably can’t either! So, since none of us can remember, I’d like to share it again.

One day a farmer’s horse ran away. His neighbor hears of his bad news and comes over to commiserate. “I hear that you lost your horse. That is bad news.”

“Bad news, good news, who’s to say,” said the farmer.

Well, the next day the farmer’s horse returns to his stable and has brought back nine wild horses. The neighbor across the way can’t believe what he hears and decides to come over and congratulate him. “This is such good news,” he says.

“Good news, bad news, who’s to say,” said the farmer.

The next day the farmer’s son decided to ride one of the wild horses, and as luck would have it, the son was thrown from the horse and broke his leg. Of course, upon hearing this sad news, their neighbor came over to offer condolences. “This is such bad news,” he said.

“Bad news, good news, who’s to say,” said the farmer.

On the following day, soldiers came by commandeering an army. They took sons from most of the surrounding farms, but because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, he could not go and was spared.

The neighbor comes running over and says, “Yes! This is such good news; how lucky you are!”

And the farmer replies, “Good news, bad news, who’s to say?”

Have you experienced “bad news” from which you later found some “good news”? This parable of the Chinese farmer reminds us that our situation is always fluid, and we shouldn’t become too consumed by either our good fortune or bad. There is no magic crystal ball to tell us what our future holds.

When we experience hardships, we can take comfort in looking for hidden benefits and opportunities. Granted it may not compensate for the current hurt and pain, but we’re tough and resilient. And the “good news”? Much of what we have learned about life has come from the “bad news” we have experienced.

BRAIN TEASE:

Before the Brain Tease, I have to give a plug for the website Staying Sharp by AARP. There you can find games, brain-healthy recipes, articles, and activities to challenge your brain. Try this example.

“On a sheet of paper, write your name normally. Then switch your pen or pencil to your non-dominant hand and write your name again. How closely did your letters match? Try a few more times to see if you can improve.”

Now that you have worked your brain by changing a routine fine motor movement, here is this week’s BRAIN TEASE.

A recent graduate in engineering was applying for his first job. The interview went well but there was one last question. If he answered it correctly, he would have the job.

“If we filled up a bathtub and offered you a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket and ask you to empty the bathtub, which would you use?”

The engineering graduate thought it must be a trick question, but not seeing how it could be, he decided it must be the obvious answer: the bucket.

Did he get the job?

The comedy duo that made famous the comedy routine “Who’s on First” which was first seen in the 1949 comedy film “Naughty Nineties” was Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Since I’m traveling to upper Michigan for the annual family gathering with a stopover in Detroit to visit the Motown Museum – the music of my youth! I’ll list all of you who sent in correct answers next week when I get back to the Gorge.

Johnny Carson was the gold standard of late-night talk show hosts. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was Johnny Carson’s sidekick and announcer from 1962 through 1992? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a 1958 episode of Who Do You Trust?

Well, it has been another week, separating the sense from the nonsense. Until we meet again, try something you have never done before – and you don’t have to let anyone know!

 “I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh, but I never knew looking back on the laughs would make me cry.” Unknown

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: No. He should have pulled the plug.

Last week I attended the Conference for Older Adults in the Gorge at One Community Health in Hood River. The event was spearheaded by Teresa Obregon who works for One Community Health’s Connected Care Program and Roni Hyde who is an Older Adult Behavioral Health Specialist for GOBHI.

The conference featured six older adults who demonstrated how as we grow older, we can live rich vibrant lives, can still be active and engaged in our communities, and how there are many ways to stay healthy and independent.

But while listening to their inspiring stories, I realized they were living examples of being “old at heart”.

I know for many of you that just doesn’t sound right. Who wants to be “old at heart”? I’m sure my wife doesn’t want to be! But our society has this misconception that anything young is good and anything old is all downhill: frail, inactive, and uninterested in life. But what I heard from these individuals was that they were in their own ways active and engaged with their families and community.

We talk about wanting to be “young at heart”: staying active and trying new experiences – and we should. But if young at heart means waking up every day and enjoying that day as a gift, unburdened by regrets, and understanding the importance of friends and family, I’m not sure that is what I was experiencing when I was “young”.

That is more like how I feel now. And besides I feel I’m more patient and resilient, a little wiser from my life experiences, learning how to accept the blessings and burdens of life, and discovering what is truly important. And I’m considered “old”! So couldn’t we see those attitudes as “old at heart”?

I’m still growing up and still need role models showing me how to navigate this thing called aging. And these six individuals, who for me exemplify what it means to be “old at heart”, I consider inspiring role models. And if I just look around, I’ll find many more!

You can read about another inspiring role model in this month’s “Through the Eyes of an Elder.” Linda Chamberlain describes her travels to Uganda starting when she was 58 and now continuing into her 80s supporting women through knitting, dancing, laughing, and singing who are undergoing life-changing surgery.

BRAIN TEASE:

Last week if you were scratching your head trying to figure out how I came up with the answer 56, well, I shouldn’t have. As Jay Lyman pointed out, the answer should have been 40.

So, to make up for last week’s blunder here is one more number puzzle. Let’s see if I can get it right this time!

111, 13, 112, 24, 113, 35, 117, ??? Is the answer A) 46, B) 57, C) 68, or D) 79?

The pianist, singer, and songwriter discovered and first recorded by Sam Philips at Sun Records was Jerry Lee Lewis. I received correct answers from Sandy Haechrel, Karen Mielke, Nancy Higgins, Donna Mollet, Lana Tepfer, Rebecca Abrams, Keith and Marlene Clymer, Patty Burnett, Jay Lyman, and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket Kim Birge who enjoyed listening to Jerry Lee Lewis’s cousin Mickey Gilley.

I still laugh when I watch the comedy routine “Who’s on First?” in which a peanut vendor named Sebastion Dinwiddle, is talking with Dexter Broadhurt, the new manager of the mythical St. Louis Wolves. Broadhurt is identifying the players on his team, but the players’ names can simultaneously serve as the basis for questions which leads to repeated misinterpretations and frustration.  For this week’s “Remember When” question, what comedy duo made this routine famous?  Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it in with a copy of the December 26, 1999, Time magazine where “Who’s on First” was named the best comedy routine of the 20th century.

Well, it’s been another week trying to avoid those moral dilemmas. Until we meet again, as I was recently told, “I have most my marbles. I just don’t where I put some of them!

“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice I don’t know what is.” Kurt Vonnegut

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: The answer is D) 79. The answer is the last digit and the sum of the digits of the preceding number.

Do you ever fear you will become that friend or neighbor who can’t remember when – he told what – to whom? I do. Many times when writing this column I can’t recall if I have previously shared the same story, repeated the same quote – or even if I am repeating this fear of repeating myself!

As we age our brain changes. We are slower remembering names with faces, reading everything three times to remember what we read (or is that just me!), and being more easily distracted which is all normal. But many of us fear what we are experiencing is not normal, but the early stages of dementia.

To better understand dementia, I attended the “Getting to Know Dementia” class based on Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care®. She wants to change the conversation around dementia and show how all of us can support people with dementia.

Here is a little of what I learned.

What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

In simple terms, dementia is like an umbrella covering several diseases affecting memory and other cognitive abilities including Lewy Body, Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and the most common Alzheimer’s. Dementia is more than just Alzheimer’s and Alzheimer’s is more than just memory problems – it also affects your visual and tactile senses.

What are the four truths about dementia?

1. At least 2 parts of the brain are dying: One related to memory and another part.
2. It is chronic – can’t be fixed.
3. It is progressive – it gets worse.
4. It is terminal – it will kill, eventually.

That is tough to hear. Although there have been drugs approved to slow down the disease, there is no magic cure. It is terminal, but isn’t life terminal? (Somehow that still doesn’t make me feel any better!)

How should we consider the progression of dementia?

Since dementia is so debilitating, we naturally focus on the loss – on the seven stages of decline.

But here’s the key point. Teepa Snow wants us to celebrate what the person still has. In her Positive Approach to Care®, she uses her GEMS® dementia classification model that, unlike the traditional models, focuses on the skills and abilities a person has, not what they have lost. Every stage she describes is a different gem where the individual can still shine.

Doesn’t dementia rob the person of their dignity? No, it is our reaction to them that does.

Think about it. How do we treat someone with dementia? Do we argue about what we consider inappropriate or their irritating stubbornness – even if it doesn’t harm anyone? Or do we focus on the relationship which is most critical?

Do we see inappropriate behaviors as “Problem Behaviors”? Or do we reframe them and see them as expressing “Unmet Needs” while considering the person’s perspective and what is trying to be communicated?

Dementia is a challenging disease. But by better understanding dementia and the effects of brain changes, celebrating what is still there, and treating the person with respect and compassion, we can change our perspective and as a community, better support people with dementia and reduce the stigma that is associated with it.

BRAIN TEASE: Another number puzzle.

2+10=24, 3+6=27, 7+2=63, and 5+3=???. Is the answer 40, 44, 60, or 56?

The hit song “No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In)” was based on the music from the Alka-Seltzer commercial. I received correct answers from Nancy Higgins, Donna Mollet, Dave Lutgens, Rebecca Abrams, Deborah Medina, Rose Schulz, Jess Birge, and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket is Maria Kollas whom Alka-Seltzer reminded her of the mineral water she grew up with.

At Sun Records Sam Phillips discovered and first recorded musicians such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and this recording artist nicknamed “The Killer”. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was the pianist, singer, and songwriter described as “rock ‘n’ roll’s first great wild man”? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a 45 record of “Great Balls of Fire”, the first record I ever owned.

Well, it’s been another week thinking in the back of my mind, “There’s something missing!” Until we meet again, enjoy the dawn of each new day.

“The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.” Friedrich Nietzsche

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: 56

There are so many ways that Cybercriminals try to exploit us and steal our confidential information, it’s hard to keep track of all the distinct types. But the Texas Tech University Cybersecurity Awareness Program has identified five types of scams of which several may be unfamiliar to you.

Phishing – an email disguised as an email from a legitimate, trustworthy source. The message is meant to lure you into revealing sensitive or confidential information.

Spear Phishing – when criminals obtain information about you from websites or social networking sites and then customize a phishing scheme to you.

Spoofing – a criminal impersonates another individual or organization, with the intent to gather personal or business information.

Pharming – a malicious website that resembles a legitimate website, used to gather usernames and passwords.

And then there’s everyone’s favorite, Spam. Interestingly, the name comes from a 1970 Monty Python sketch that takes place in a café. When the breakfast menu is read aloud to a couple wanting to order, roughly 80% of the menu items were spam. And the wife keeps telling the waiter she doesn’t like spam! Just like unsolicited emails!

Fortunately, there are clues to help you identify certain scams. You may have experienced some of these.

• Requests for your username and/or password – credible institutions and organizations will not request personal information via email.
• Time-sensitive threats (e.g., your account will be closed if you do not respond immediately).
• Spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Vague or missing information in the “from” field or email signature.
• “To” field contains multiple random email addresses or is alphabetized.
• Impersonal or awkward greetings, such as the one I just received, “Hi dear.”
• Unexpected files or downloads.
• Links that don’t refer to the sender or sender’s organization.
• Emails about accounts that you don’t have, such as eBay or PayPal.
• Emails “from” celebrities. No. Madonna or Tom Cruise is not interested in dating you!
• Asks you to reply to “opt-out” of a service.
• Plays on human emotions.

If you’re tired of scams and want to learn more so you can fight back, you can attend the SCAM JAM 2023 at the Columbia Gorge Discover Center from 9 a.m. – 12 noon on Aug. 4 – which is this Friday!

You can join the Oregon Office of the Attorney General, AARP Oregon, the Federal Trade Commission, and other experts for a fraud prevention workshop. You will learn how to spot scams and gain prevention tips and tools to protect you against fraud.

You are asked to register, which is a two-step process. (Nothing is simple anymore!) Go to https://events.aarp.org/ScamJamSummer, create an AARP log-in (you don’t have to be an AARP member), and then register for the event. If you have any questions, call 1-877-926-8300.

BRAIN TEASE: This one I was able to solve! “What is it that goes up and goes down, but does not move?”

The common brand name for this popular inexpensive “pork luncheon meat” made up of squares of pressed meat and gained popularity worldwide after its use during World War II was SPAM.

Some people loved it and some hated it but those who knew the correct answer were Nancy Higgins, Melissa Hayes, Donna Mollet, Rebecca Abrams, Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, Kim Birge, Dave Lutgens, Vicki Thomas, Doug Nelson, Rose Schulz, Mary Pierce, Steven Woolpert, Linda Frizzell. And this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket is Diana Compton who has visited the Spam Museum and attended the International Spam Festival in Austin, Minnesota where the Hormel Company made Spam.

There have been many songs that were written for commercials and later became pop hits: “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” which was changed to “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” recorded by The New Seekers, and the Carpenters hit “We’ve Only Just Begun” which was from a Crocker Bank commercial.

For this week’s “Remember When” question, the hit song “No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In)” was based on the music used in what TV commercial? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a 1966 photo of The T-Bones.

Well, it’s been another week, worrying more with the more I know. Until we meet again, as my wife reminded me, you never see the boundary until you cross it.”

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” Russell Baker

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: The temperature.