Basic medical equipment is not cheap. A simple shower bench can cost between $30.00 and $45.00. And if you are on a limited income and Medicare doesn’t cover the cost, it may not be affordable. .
But an often overlooked service the Center provides is its Loan Closet. With the help of Joyce Browne and Visiting Health Services, the Center expanded its Loan Closet about four years ago to include a variety of medical equipment that can be borrowed for a day or indefinitely depending on your situation. And the only cost is a minimum suggested donation of $5.00. But the available equipment depends on generous donations. The Center accepts any equipment from wheelchairs to quad canes; from bath benches to disposable underwear. And right now the Center is in need of rollators (rolling walkers with a seat), transfer benches and a specific need for a wide heavy duty wheelchair. (But we do have available several hospital beds – one with side rails.) If you have limited resources or have a short term need, give us a call. The Center might be able to help.
A new offering coming in September to the Center is “Seasons” which will take a closer look at the highs and lows of growing older. Through mutual exchange and support, class participants will be encouraged to share stories of loss, loneliness, changing roles, re-location, and other aspects that often accompany this special time of life. The class, led by Sally McBain – author of Soul Portrait, is open to both men and women and will be held at the Center from 10:00 – 11:00 AM for three consecutive Mondays starting September 10th. And to add to the conversational ambience, coffee and tea plus a few mid-morning treats will be provided.
If you missed seeing the new sign at the Center, you may want to stop driving – because you’re really not paying attention. (Or you could sign up for the Center’s AARP Driver Safety Class.) Last week Meadow Outdoor Advertising installed a sign on the corner of 9th and Cherry Heights and thanks to their generosity, it didn’t cost the Center or Meals-on-Wheels a cent. And it wasn’t easy – with design work, the permitting process and installation. So a big public thank-you to Chris Zukin and all the folks at Meadow Outdoor Advertising – the sign looks fantastic. (But there is one little, bitty, tiny thing. Is there any way you can make it rotate with the wind? That would be really cool!)
August 26th is the summer’s last “Fort Dalles Fourth Sunday at the Fort Music Concert” featuring The Dufur Boys from 4-6 PM. You can bring a picnic dinner and a lawn chair, and enjoy a summer concert on the lawn. And if you would rather listen to music inside on the 26th, the Center is hosting the Jammers from 2:00 till 5:00.
And at the Center on the following Tuesday, the 28th, you can double your pleasure and double your fun by once again listening and dancing to the Dufur Boys. And tonight, Truman will be playing his Country Gold. You know the pitch – starts at 7:00, everyone invited and donations are suggested.
It is Sherman County’s turn with the 103rd Sherman County Fair running from August 22nd – 26th at the fairgrounds one mile outside of Moro. Some of the highlights include the Shipley Shuffle Walk-Run, Parade and Barn Dance on Saturday; and a Cowboy Cook-Off and Demo Derby on Sunday.
The answer to last week’s “Remember When” question was a Silver Bullet – the calling card of the Lone Ranger. (The winner of a free Saturday Breakfast is Kathy Gonser.) And since there was such a good response to last week’s question, I’ll try another one from the “Are You Smarter than a 60 year Old?” quiz. The advertising campaign for this product included high-divers, water skiers, paint mixers and the propeller of an outboard motor. What was it that could “take a licking, and keep on ticking? (And for the tie-breaker who was the television spokesperson that described each of these amazing stunts?) Email your answer to the mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with an antique Waterbury #44 walnut double dial calendar clock with alarm.
Well, it has been another week, watching life from the off ramp. Until we meet again, don’t give up – you don’t make butter by just looking at the cream.
“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie-the-Pooh
