There are 760,000 Oregonians suffering from arthritis, and you may be one of them. With arthritis you may find it difficult to keep moving, but there is a program developed by the Arthritis Foundation named Walk With Ease that has been proven effective in increasing balance, reducing pain, improving mental health, flexibility and overall physical health. If you can be on your feet for 10 minutes without increased pain, you will want to join the Walk With Ease program where you will learn how to develop a walking plan, stay motivated, manage your pain and learn to exercise safely.
Lauren Kraemer, the Family and Community Health agent for OSU/Wasco County Extension, will soon be starting a Walk With Ease class. You can learn more about this program at the Center’s 11:00 Tuesday Lecture on March 3rd. Or you can call OSU/Wasco County Extension at 541-296-5494 for more information.
If you happen to be a regular Fred Meyer customer, you probably have a Rewards Card that gives you cash back and discounts. An easy way to support your favorite non-profit, (and I don’t know one that couldn’t use more financial help), is to link your Rewards Card with the nonprofit. The process is pretty simple. First, go online to https://www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. At the top right of the page you will be asked to “Sign In” or if you don’t have an account, click on “Register”. After completing the questions to create your account, search for the nonprofit you want to support.
You can only choose one non-profit and as you can imagine there are plenty in The Dalles and Mid-Columbia area to choose from. Also when searching for a Mid-Columbia non-profit find their location. For some reason the Tri-Cities in Washington think they are the Mid-Columbia. By connecting your rewards card to your favorite non-profit, you will make sure it receives a share of the $2.6 million Fred Meyer donates each year.
Meals-on-Wheels has a loyal cadre of volunteer driver’s that deliver meals to individuals who have difficulty preparing a healthy hot meal. But they do need more drivers. It takes only about an hour with 10 – 15 deliveries. You do have to go through a background check. If you would like to be a MOW driver, stop by their office at the Center or call them at 541-298-8333.
Looking ahead to March, there are several concerts scheduled for the Center besides the regular Tuesday Night Music and Dance. On St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday March 17th, there will be a baked potato supper and concert with Barley Draught playing the best Irish music this side of the Mississippi. Admission for the concert is only $7.00, and $12 if want to enjoy both the baked supper and concert. Supper starts at 5:30 and the concert is from 7:00 to 10:00.
Nehemiah Brown will be back for his first performance of the year on Friday March 27thfrom 7:00 – 9:00 PM. He will be performing the standards from the 50’s and 60’s and the cost will be $3.00 per person. Besides being an entertainer, Nehemiah is also a minister and gospel singer. He will be performing with the Brothers in Christ at the Great Gospel Concert at Calvary Baptist Church on Saturday March 28th from 2:00 – 3:30.
For the Center’s Tuesday Night Music and Dance, it is already time to head back to the top of line-up with Andre, Tom and Joe playing their crowd pleasing brand of country and honky-tonk music on March 3rd. Doors open at 6:00 and the music starts at 7:00. All ages are welcome and donations are appreciated.
The name of the disturbed owner-manager of the hotel in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller, Psycho, was Norman Bates. (And the winner of a free Cherry Festival Breakfast is Betty Richmond.)
This week’s “Remember When” question is from 1959 when entertainment and international politics intersected on the television screen. Shown on January 11, 1959 on this popular Sunday night variety show, just days after Fulgentia Batista fled Cuba and Fidel Castro had assumed control, was a six minute video clip of the show’s host interviewing Castro – calling Castro and his soldiers “Revolutionary Youngsters.” What was the name of the television show? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with Topo Gigio and a block of cheese.
Well, it’s been another week, welcoming another sign of spring – sugar ants appearing on the kitchen counter. Until we meet again, don’t forget to spend time reflecting on what really matters.
“One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.” A.A. Milne
