Do any of you make New Year’s resolutions anymore? As Mark Twain wrote on news years day in 1863, “Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink, and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. We shall also reflect pleasantly upon how we did the same old thing last year about this time.”

It may be surprising but fifty percent of those who make New Year’s resolutions actually keep at least one of them. And a little hint. You are more likely to keep a resolution if it is about adopting a new habit and not about avoiding one – such as that bowl of ice cream every night.

And do we really need them? I mean, at our age we’ve experienced enough that we should have it all figured out, right? And what do we really want to change?

But New Year’s resolutions are an opportunity to imagine what changes we would like to experience this year: walking with friends every day, finishing that book you’ve been meaning to read, or mailing out the Christmas cards! (Is it too late?)

There is much we can’t control: medical emergencies; the size of our social security check; whether it is going to rain or snow. But there are still many aspects of our lives we can control or at least influence.

So here we are, in a new year. We can keep doing the same old same old – and there is nothing wrong with that. But we can also branch out; take this opportunity to contemplate other ways to make our lives worth living – so we won’t miss what is truly important.

Brain Tease

I couldn’t answer several of the past Brain Teases since I’m not the sharpest bulb in the drawer but hoped you could. But for the next several weeks I’ll provide a little respite and share teases which I think you’ll find easier – maybe too easy!

1) How can a woman pass three cars going 70 miles-per-hour, while going 60 miles per hour?

It’s time to catch up on all of you who responded to the last three weeks of “Remember When” questions. And as you know each winner will have a ticket entered in a quilt raffle drawing.

December 21^st – The name of the popular toy invented in 1943 that can travel down a flight of stairs, end over end and land upright was a Slinky. I received responses from

Donna Mollett, Jay Waterbury, Rhonda Spies, Doug Nelson, Barb Blair, Pat Evenson-Brady, Lana Tepfer, Maria and Paul Kollas, Patty Burnet, Jess and Kim Birge, Keith Clymer, Jim Tindall, Tina Castanares, Bruce Johnson, Robert Mobley, Stephen Woolpert, and this week’s winner Melissa Hayes who sent a Slinky Commercial she found on YouTube.

December 28^th – The name of the 1957 tearjerker starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr was An Affair to Remember. I received correct answers from these romantics: Kim Birge, Debbie Medina, Doug Nelson, Rebecca Abrams, Tina Castanares, and Bob Johnson the week’s winner.

January 4^th – The name of the automobile manufacturer that built the Lark and the stylistic Avanti was Studebaker. I receive correct answers from Jay Waterbury, Dave Lutgens, Donna Mollet, Doug Nelson, Bruce Johnson, Steven Woolpert, Marlene and Keith Clymer, and Emmett Sampson this week’s winner.

The national college football championship game is over and to acknowledge the end of the season, I’m going to ask a college football question that has Oregon roots. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was the quarterback that won the Heisman Trophy in 1962 and surprisingly also helped lead his school to the NCAA Basketball Tournament Final Four in 1963? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with the January 7^th, 1963 edition of Sports Illustrated where he was named “Sportsman of the Year”.

“Many years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to never make New Year’s resolutions. Hell, it’s been the only resolution I’ve ever kept!” D.S. Mixell

Well, it’s been another week, trying to remember to write 2023 and not that other year.

Until we meet again, may you have more laughs than tears this new year.

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 cars she passed were going in the opposite direction.

My wife and I should be back from California having visited the children and being enlightened about what we should be doing! (We stop that conversation quickly by asking which one of them will be taking us in when we get to that age.) 

Even though our children would like us to live forever (They haven’t really thought that through!), I know this journey of ours is not about living longer. It is about taking care of ourselves and others so we can gracefully live the rest of our lives with courage, compassion, and meaning. 

For this first column of 2023, I thought I would again share lessons I have learned over the last fifteen years of my journey from the many older adults I have had the fortune of meeting. (Although my wife just asked, “Are we supposed to be learning lessons?”) Each year I will keep revising the list because although I don’t know what the years ahead will bring, I know there are more lessons to learn. 

1. What is good for your heart is good for your brain.
2. Learn a new skill without worrying about how good you’ll be.
3. First steps to improve your memory: pay attention and focus.
4. Most things don’t really matter, but a few really do.
5. Stay current with friends. There may not be a tomorrow.
6. Getting older beats the alternative, but it is hard work.
7. Accept what you can’t control – and then adapt.
8. Live in the “now”.
9. Know what you want and let others know – particularly your adult children!
10. Tiredness causes tiredness. Do something.
11. Age is in your attitude.
12. Adeline’s five “S” to avoid: Sugar, Salt, Seconds, Soda, and Shortening.
13. Add color to your meals – meaning eat your vegetables!
14. Isolation kills. Stay connected.
15. Keep moving – at least 30 minutes a day.
16. Breathe from your belly.
17. See the world with virgin eyes and you’ll find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
18. Relationships are more important than things. 
19. Grey hair is cool – and beautiful.
20. Living is aging. Embrace your age.
21. We all depend on each other, so there is no shame in asking for help.
22. Everybody has a story to tell – if we listen.
23. “Dream as if you will live forever and live as if you will die tomorrow.” James Dean 

This month’s “Through the Eyes of an Elder” is about Sally Ann Kortge. On my way to work, I often would see her walking in her colorful clothing and wondering “Who is this woman?” I finally had the pleasure of meeting her and viewing her imaginative and original artwork during the opening of her exhibit at The Dalles Art Center. I found her to be an amazing woman! 

Brain Tease: Try to guess the next number in each sequence using the simplest mathematical operations or ideas. 

1, 2, 6, 24, 120, …

31, 94, 47, 142, 71, 214, 107, 322, 161, …

4, 7, 15, 29, 59, 117, …

The name of the 1957 American romantic film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr who were engaged to others but planned to meet six months later which didn’t go as planned was An Affair to Remember. As I haven’t returned from sunny San Diego by the time I had to submit this column, I will mention next week everyone who submitted correct answers for this week and last.

During the 1950s a massive price war between Ford and General Motors affected many of the independent car companies such as Nash, Packard and this automobile manufacturer who operated a plant in South Bend, Indiana until 1963. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this automobile manufacturer that built the Lark one of the first compacts, and the stylistic Avanti called “the fastest production car in the world” at the time? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a restored 1960 Hawk.

“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” Lily Tomlin

Well, it’s been another week, trying to tip-toe across the stage without being noticed. Until we meet again, even in doubt, there is a time to act.

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: 720 (×2, ×3, ×4, ×5, ×6, …)

484 (×3+1, /2, ×3+1, /2, …)

235 (×2-1, ×2+1, ×2-1, …)

Once again, my wife and I are driving to California to visit the children and enjoy a respite from the cold. So I’d like to keep it simple by sharing a humorous story I have enjoyed and hope you will also. But first. 

Laughing is good for your health – stimulating your brain and reducing stress are just two of the many benefits. Amusing stories are also beneficial as we age by acknowledging the incongruities and absurdities of life and reminding us of our shared experiences. As Robert Fulton puts it “It is a matter of laughing with ourselves, not at ourselves.” 

Although there are many blessings as we get older, laughter can also help us deal with the accompanying challenges. Bob Newhart once said, “Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it, and then move on.” So here we are, still alive and kicking – or at least moving.

Now it’s time for the story about a tired senior and an arrogant and persistent lawyer who to his regret believes the stereotypes of older adults. 

A lawyer and a senior are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer is thinking that seniors are so dumb that he could get one over on them easily. So, the lawyer asks if the senior would like to play a fun game.

The senior is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun.

“I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me only $5.00. Then, you ask me one, and if I don’t know the answer, I will pay you $500.00,” he says.

This catches the senior’s attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game with him.

The lawyer asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the Earth to the Moon?”

“The senior doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.

Now, it’s the senior’s turn. He asks the lawyer, “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?”

The lawyer uses his laptop to search all references and he can’t find it on the Internet.

He sends E-mails to all the smart friends he knows; and all to no avail. After an hour of searching, he finally gives up.

He wakes the senior and hands him $500.00. The senior pockets the $500.00 and goes right back to sleep. The lawyer is going nuts now, not knowing the answer.

He wakes the senior up again and asks, “Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four??”

The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5.00 and goes back to sleep. 

Brain Tease: This one turned my head into a pretzel. See if you can do better. The day before yesterday, Chris was 7 years old. Next year, she’ll turn 10. How is this possible?

The name of the popular toy invented in 1943 that can travel down a flight of stairs, end over end and land upright was a Slinky. Since my wife and I are on our annual road trip I will name those who submitted correct answers in two weeks. 

This is a tough one. We’ll see how many romantics there are in the audience. This film is considered one of the most romantic films of all time and it started with a New Year’s Eve kiss. For this week’s “Remember When’ question what’s the name of the 1957 tearjerker starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in which both were engaged to others but decided to meet six months later which doesn’t go as planned. Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. 

“Look to the future, because that is where you’ll spend the rest of your life.” George Burns.

Well, it’s been another week, waiting to turn the page. Until we meet again, may the new year be all you hope for. 

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: Today is Jan. 1st. Yesterday, December 31, was Chris’s 8th birthday. On December 30, she was still 7. This year she will turn 9, and next year, she’ll turn 10.

It’s the Christmas Season – a time for memories that stir our senses: the smell of cookies baking in the oven, houses sparkling with Christmas Lights, and Salvation Army bells ringing at local supermarkets. It is also a time to remember how we have been blessed at our chronologically advantaged age and how we can still give back and make a difference. On this Wednesday before Christmas, I would like to share with you “Star Thrower”, a story about making a difference that touched me when I first heard it. This version was inspired by the writings of Loren Eiseley, anthropologist and natural science writer, and adapted by Joel Barker.

“Once upon a time, there was a young man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had the habit of walking along the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore; as he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day, so he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was an old man and the old man wasn’t dancing, but instead, he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something, and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, ‘Good morning! What are you doing?’

The old man paused, looked up and replied, ‘Throwing Starfish into the ocean.’

‘I guess I should have asked; why are you throwing Starfish into the ocean?’

‘The sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.’

‘But old man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and Starfish all along it, you can’t possibly make a difference!’

The old man listened politely, then bent down, picked up another Starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. ‘It made a difference for that one.’

His response surprised the man, he was upset, and he didn’t know how to reply, so instead he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writings.

All day long as he wrote, the image of that old man haunted him; he tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon, he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed the essential nature of the old man’s actions. Because he realized that what the old man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and watch it pass by but was choosing to be an actor in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed.

That night he went to bed, troubled. When morning came, he awoke knowing that he had to do something; so he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the old man; and with him spent the rest of the morning throwing Starfish into the ocean.

Brain Tease: The elves and reindeer are getting ready for a meeting with Santa. So far 14 of them have arrived. If they have 38 legs between them, how many reindeer are at the meeting and how many elves are at the meeting?

The name of the capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide was Tylenol. I received correct answers from Jeannie Pesicka, Emmett Sampson, Nancy Higgins who I also missed last week, Jay Waterbury, Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, Rebecca Abrams, Donna Mollett, Bruce Johnson, and Bruce Ruttenburg this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. 

This week’s “Remember When” question is about a toy you may have received on Christmas morning in the ’50s and ’60s. What was the name of the popular toy invented in 1943 that can travel down a flight of stairs, end over end and land upright? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a polaroid picture of you and Santa.

Well, it’s been another week, counting my blessings before I go to sleep. Until we meet again, may all of you have a joyous Christmas celebrating peace on earth and goodwill toward all people.

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale

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: 9 elves and 5 reindeer

“Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,–
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

You may be familiar with these last six lines from the heroic poem “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It was my son’s favorite poem during his youthful days because it encapsulated the romantic belief that at all costs – you never give up.

Isn’t that the national ideal we try to live up to? Under all adversity, against impossible odds, we cannot accept defeat. We will scale any mountain, navigate any whitewater and overcome any challenge because as our parents always told us “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

But as we grow older, we learn there are limits to what we can do. We may no longer be able to drive a car safely, walk without assistance, or be able to stay in our homes. And we won’t live forever.

There is a reality that can’t be denied, a time when we must accept, and adapt to what is real and unavoidable with courage and imagination. And no longer complain about the direction of the wind and instead choose to adjust the sails and move forward.

And we should move forward with new understanding and grace; with purpose and strength; and not yield to self-pity and self-delusion that often damages our health as well as relationships with family and friends. That may be the toughest struggle – to accept and adapt to the new reality.  To modify the words of Tennyson, even though we are made weak by time and fate we can still be strong in will and can strive, seek, find – and adapt.

Isn’t it supposed to snow only during the winter which doesn’t begin until the 21^st !? But now with our first dose of snow and ice, it’s time for my annual reminder that if you must go outside on these icy days, don’t forget to “walk like a penguin”! What does that mean? So you can skip the National Geographic special about penguins, it means pointing your feet out slightly; bending your knees and keeping them loose; extending your arms out to your side and hands out of your pockets; taking short steps or waddling. And it might also help to dress in your formal black and white attire to remind yourself to stay focused.

Brain Tease: This is a logic puzzle where you solve the puzzle by elimination – which I can’t do without pencil and paper.

Four sisters, Sara, Ophelia, Nora, and Dawn were each born in a different one of the months September, October, November, and December.
“This is terrible,” said Ophelia one day. “None of us have an initial that matches the initial of her birth month.”
“I don’t mind at all,” replied the girl who was born in September.
“That’s easy for you to say,” said Nora. “It would at least be cool if the initial of my birth month was a vowel, but no.”
In which month was each girl born?

In the Disney adaptation, the comical and wisecracking character appointed by the Blue Fairy to serve as Pinocchio’s official conscience was Jiminy Cricket.  I received correct answers from Tina Castanares, Doug Nelson, Rhonda Spies, Donna Mollet, Debora Medina, Kim Birge, Pat Evenson-Brady, Lana Tepfer, Keith Clymer, and Emmett Sampson this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

In 1982 there were a series of poisoning deaths in the Chicago metropolitan area resulting from drug tampering. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the over-the-counter capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide and led to reforms in the packaging of over-the-counter medicines? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a bottle I can use for my arthritis.

Well, it’s been another week, keeping one eye on the sky and the other on the temperature. Until we meet again, the winter is made to remind us to slow down.

“Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there.” A.A. Milne, Writer

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: Sara was born in October, Ophelia was born in November, Nora was born in December, and Dawn was born in September.

When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with someone from a different generation? Not often for most older adults. We feel more comfortable with those who grew up during the same time as us and share similar experiences and now memories. My generation lived through the soul searching controversies of the Vietnam War and Watergate. And was anyone at Woodstock? But don’t ask me about Instagram or Snapchat; or the Squid Game or The Walking Dead. (Okay, I have heard of Kim Kardashian but I have no idea why she is such a media star!)

We divide up into our corners: schools and youth activities for the young and retirement communities and senior centers for older people. But there are reasons to bridge these generational divides.

A study by the non-profit Generations United, emphasizes the importance of intergenerational connections. “…participation in intergenerational programs and meaningful cross-age relationships may decrease social isolation and increase older adults’ sense of belonging, self-esteem, and well-being, while also improving social and emotional skills of children and youth participants.”

Intergenerational connections and relationships can also help generations value and respect each other; breaking down stereotypes of both older adults and the younger generations.

On the “Better Health While Aging” website, Leslie Kernisan, MD, interviewed Kerry Byrne, Ph.D., an aging and family caregiving expert, about the value of intergenerational connections and five ways to foster more of them.

1. Set a resolution to connect. Establish a goal for how often you will connect with someone from a different generation. Brainstorm a few ways to do this, and then pick one and commit to it.

2. Get involved in an intergenerational initiative in your community. For example, many schools welcome grandparents or older adults as volunteers in the classroom such as the Smart Reading Program.

3. Make efforts to strike up conversations with someone from a different generation. Learn something new from a different perspective. And remember to listen. It might even remind you of all the “I can’t believe I ever did that” mistakes you’ve made.

4. Interview someone from a different generation in your family. Showing an interest in what they like and what they care about be special for both of you. To get you started you can download the app StoryCorps on your phone or tablet.

5. Plan a trip with a member of your family from a different generation. Some grandparents take their grandchildren on a trip when they turn 10 to mark the first decade of life.

And I would add, play a game together. Learn how to play one of their favorite video games. And then teach them your favorite card game – pinochle or maybe Texas Hold’em?

An example of generations connecting is this week’s “Through the Eyes of an Elder” where two young women, Eleanor Buser and Stella Streeter both students at Hood River New School, interviewed Doña Toña’s and tell her story of emigrating from Mexico and becoming a Promotora de Salud (health promoter) for The Next Door.

Brain Tease: This is a tough one! What do the following words have in common?

Feminine, kindergarten, canine, overweight, threaten, cobblestone, height, done.

I’ll give a hint after the “Remember When” question.

The name of the Western television series starring James Garner as a poker player working the riverboats and saloons through the American frontier was Maverick. I received correct answers from Chuck Rice, who I missed last week, Doug Nelson, Jay Waterbury, Lana Tepfer, Kim Birge, Donna Mollett, Nancy Higgins, Tina Castanares, and Bruce Johnson this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

Walt Disney was a great influence during my youth, and I still remember the advice this Disney character gave Pinocchio: “Always let your conscience be your guide”. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was this comical, wisecracking character wearing a top hat and carrying an umbrella who accompanies Pinocchio while serving as his official conscience? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with the original version of “When You Wish Upon a Star”.

Brain Tease Hint: You might find the answer in the end.

Well, it’s been another week, trying to do all that needs to be done. Until we meet again, embrace and relish the unexpected.

“Happiness often sneaks in through the door you didn’t know you left open.” John Barrymore

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: They all end with the spelling of a number.

We are all social beings needing to interact with others: sharing our everyday experiences; our dreams and hopes; our mental lapses, stories about the grandkids; trips abroad, and listening to jokes we’ve often heard again and again (which I don’t mind since I never can remember a good joke – especially the punch line!).

But as we grow older our social connections are reduced: we may no longer be working; friends have passed away or moved; it’s easier to stay home instead of going out. And sadly, we may have lost our lifelong partner with whom we shared everything.

I’ve written about the value of social connections. But often overlooked is the importance of listening. If someone is going to share their stories, there needs to be someone there to receive them. And yes, while listening you may also hear about the latest doctor’s visit, or which medications are working – or not, and the different aches and pains, but we are all trying to manage this gift of living longer, and someone needs to be there to listen.

Although listening is simple, it is not always easy. As Margaret Wheatley points out, “Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present, and that takes practice, but we don’t have to do anything else. We don’t have to advise, coach, or sound wise. We just have to be willing to sit there and listen” – and I may add to be patient. Listening is something we should all do for each other. And if we listen carefully, it might be surprising what we will learn.

Last week, I wrote about the importance of shopping local and supporting our small businesses. Also to sustain a vibrant and healthy community, it is important to support our art, cultural and historical non-profits.

That is true on both sides of the river, but in Oregon you have a special opportunity. You have until the end of this year to donate to a qualifying nonprofit and the Oregon Cultural Trust to receive a matching Oregon tax credit. All you do is donate to any of Oregon’s arts, heritage, and humanities nonprofits which includes forty in Hood River, Sherman, and Wasco counties (listed at www.culturaltrust.org). Then make a matching gift to the Cultural Trust to claim your contribution to the Cultural Trust as a tax credit – which means your donation to the Cultural Trust won’t cost you a thing! The Oregon Cultural Trust supports local communities by funding county Cultural Trust Coalitions that annually distribute grants to area schools and non-profits.

Brain Tease: Based on the pairings that you see below, what word is next, replacing the question mark? rotate – tare; refits – firs; sneaky – easy; throne – rote; tepees – ?

The name of the 1967 satirical talking blues song by singer/songwriter Arlo Guthrie, about the place where “you can get anything you want” (except for Alice I was told) was “Alice’s Restaurant”. I received correct answers from Mark and Kay Fortin, Jess Birge, Rose Schulz, Lana Tepfer, Keith Clymer, Rebecca Abrams, and Lars Reierson this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Nancy Higgins and Margo Dameier.

The quilt raffle drawing was held on the 19^th and there was good news and bad news. The good news is the Mid-Columbia Senior Center quilters sold hundreds of quilt raffle tickets with all proceeds supporting the Senior Center. And the bad news? None of the “Remember When” winners I entered won! I guess I’m just going to have to wait and try again next year.

In the 1950s through the late 60s, westerns were a television favorite with seven of the top ten shows in the 1958 – 1959 season being westerns including this one. What was the name of the Western television series that ran for five seasons from 1957 through 1962 starring James Garner for the first three seasons as the clever and eloquent poker player working the riverboats and saloons while traveling through the 19th-century American frontier? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with the show’s theme song that began with “Who is the tall, dark stranger there?”

“Money talks… but all mine ever says is goodbye!” Anonymous

Well, it’s been another week, trying not to spend beyond my means. Until we meet again, everybody has a story to tell.

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: pets or pest

As we enter this holiday season, it can be a difficult time for many of us. We all occasionally get the blues, but isolation, loneliness, and memories of past holiday seasons can contribute to seasonal depression or the Holiday Blues. An estimated six million Americans over the age of 65 have reported feeling down during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. To cope with the Holiday Blues, here are a few tips from the Milestone Retirement website.

1. Take your time. The holiday season can be a busy time and stressful. Try not to let your daily must-do list get in the way of spending time with family members and friends. And if you do get stressed find a way to exercise. Twenty-five pushups on the living room floor?
2. The more the merrier. We live in a culture that often makes it difficult to ask for help and during the holidays there is often plenty to do: purchasing gifts, putting up Christmas decorations, and cooking that special meal. Avoid trying to do everything by yourself. Instead, ask your children or friends to assist you. Or maybe they can help you plan a big social gathering – or maybe not! But inviting a few friends over can help beat the blues. It’s always more fun to do things with others than alone.
3. Make someone else’s holiday special. Try volunteering. There are many holiday activities needing volunteers. It might not be too late to help at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner in your area. Seldom are there too many volunteers.
4. Stimulate your mind or get creative. Snuggling up with a book on a cold winter day can be a nice way to spend an afternoon. I just started reading Phyllis Diller’s autobiography Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse – there is nothing like a laugh to pick you up. How about working on a crossword puzzle or a jigsaw puzzle? Or start again on that hobby you were too busy to do last summer.
5. Celebrate the present, but don’t forget the past. You may be one of the many older adults mourning the loss of loved ones and aren’t ready to make new holiday memories without them. You can pay special remembrance to family members who have passed away by looking at old photos, preparing their favorite foods, or going around the room and sharing your favorite memories about them. By acknowledging deceased family members, you are reminded that although the people who played such crucial roles in your holiday memories are gone, they’re certainly not forgotten.

During this holiday season, life’s difficulties can take center stage. While we may struggle with our personal challenges, there is always much to be thankful for. I wish you the very best and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The stand-up comedian known for her self-deprecating humor, wild hair, and clothes and who as Linda Frizzell points out taught her and many of us how to laugh at ourselves and accept who we are was Phyliss Diller. I received correct answers from Lucile Stephens, Steven Woolpert, Doug Nelson, Lana Tepfer, Donna Mollett, Rhonda Spies, Rebecca Abrams, Kim Birge, Pat Evenson-Brady, Sandy Haechrel, Lana Tepfer, and Marny Weting, this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. Last week I missed Ruth Radcliffe and Samantha and Jeff Irwin.

Lana Tepfer shared with me her favorite hint from Phyllis Diller’s Housekeeping Hints. “It’s okay to let your kids write their initials in the dust on your furniture but NOT the date.”

I remember driving to Thanksgiving dinner listening to the radio and hearing this song which has become a tradition each Thanksgiving for many classic rock radio stations. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this 1967 satirical talking blues song by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie, about the place where ”you can get anything you want”? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a picture of the old church building in Stockbridge, Massachusetts where Arlo Guthrie spent Thanksgiving Day.

Brain Tease: Another teaser where you must think outside the celebrated box.

What word starts with `e` ends with `e` and only has one letter in it?

Well, it’s been another week, asking myself how can young kids walk around in freezing temperatures only wearing a t-shirt.  Until we meet again, take time to hold hands even if they are cold.

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: An envelope!

With Thanksgiving becoming another shopping holiday: Black Friday spreading into Black Thursday, and now stealing into most of November, I have begun to appreciate the perspective I have gained from having lived these many years: I don’t need the mad rush of finding the best deals of the pre-pre-holiday sales. And I certainly don’t need crowded stores, long lines, and packed parking lots. The fact is I don’t need any more “things” (although I do dream of the latest Apple product).

But knowing that in a flash, my life could be tossed upside down, more “things” aren’t that necessary. As long as I have food in the cupboard, a roof over my head, friends, family, and a wonderful and patient wife, I’m doing just fine. I hope you have found all you need and can appreciate all you have during this season of giving thanks.

You may not need any more “things” this holiday season, but you may want to buy something for your grandchildren that’s more exciting than a gift card. When you do, think first about shopping local. Our communities depend on strong and healthy small businesses owned by local community entrepreneurs who put their time, energy, and passion into their businesses to serve you.

Everyone knows you can shop online, and I do for some items, but before you do take a tour through your downtown shops where you can touch and see all the wonderful item. (Well, it looked good in the picture on Amazon!). And while shopping for your grandchildren, you just might find there is something you really do need and can’t pass up!

I’ve been meaning to mention MedlinePlus, the website hosted by the National Library of Medicine, where you can find the latest information on a wide variety of health subjects such as:

Health Topics – Find information on health, wellness, disorders, and conditions.

Drugs and Supplements – Learn about prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, drugs, herbs, and supplements.

Genetics – Explore genetic conditions, genes, and more.

Medical Tests – Learn why your doctor orders medical tests and what the results may mean.

Medical Encyclopedia – Articles and images for diseases, symptoms, tests, and treatments.

Healthy Recipes – Recipes for a healthy lifestyle.

On the Internet there’s a wild variety of health information, so much that it is often hard to separate what’s reliable from the quackery. MedlinePlus is your source to find the latest health-related information where you will learn what medical research has shown to be effective, ineffective, or where the results are inconclusive, so you can make your own informed health decisions.

Brain Tease: Enough of the language lessons. Here is a riddle found online at Braingle.

Find out what the animals are! For example, “To run away or escape” could be a “flea”.

1. hair-control foam; 2. very exposed; 3. tellin’ falsities; 4. a lamenting cry; 5. a dull person; 6. a precious or loved one; 7. first you get a parking ticket, then you get this; 8. these make up a chain.

Two bits is an old slang term for twenty-five cents that dates back to the 1700s. I received correct answers from Diana Weston, Nancy Higgins, Donna Mollet, Rhonda Spies, Kim Birge, Dave Lutgens, Lana Tepfer, Margo Dameier, Linda Frizzell, Rebecca Abrams, Emmett Sampson, Gloria Krantzof-Dee, and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket Keith and Marlene Clymer who if asked will enthusiastically belt out the cheer “Two bits, four bits, six bits a Dollar, all us Old Guys/Gals stand up and holler”. And last week I missed Tina Castanares.

For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was the stand-up comedian and actress, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes who was described by her mentor Bob Hope as “a Warhol mobile of spare parts picked up along a freeway”? (Hint: It’s not Joan Rivers.) Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a copy of her autobiography Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse – My Life in Comedy.

“I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes… so she hugged me.” Anonymous

Well, it’s been another week, looking forward to the holidays. Until we meet again, be careful what you look for. You might find it.

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).

Answers: 1. Moose (Mousse), 2. Bear (Bare), 3. Lion (Lyin’), 4. Whale (Wail), 5. Boar (Bore), 6. Deer (Dear), 7. Toad (Towed), 8. Lynx (Links)

You may have recently talked with someone who is having trouble expressing themselves: finding the right word or remembering a name, and thinking to yourself, “Poor soul. He must have dementia” while in the back of your mind worrying about your own memory.

Dementia is not a normal part of aging but many of us will be diagnosed with it. And although a diagnosis of dementia may seem dire, it is not the end of living. We’ll handle the diagnosis in different ways: denial, confusion, self-awareness and even humor.

As a community and as individuals, we need to support people with dementia. We can by using the following ten dementia friendly communication skills when speaking with someone with memory loss.

1. Greet people warmly even if you think they do not remember you. If they seem confused, remind them who you are.
2. Slow your pace slightly and allow time for the person to process and respond.
3. Speak clearly and calmly, and be patient and understanding.
4. Keep communication simple; ask one question at a time.
5. Listen with empathy and seek to understand the person’s reality or feelings.
6. Connect on an emotional level even if conversation topics shift or do not make sense to you.
7. Be aware of the person’s and your own body language: smile, and make eye contact at eye level.
8. Enjoy spending time with the person in the present moment.
9. Offer hugs and hand-holding as appropriate.
10. Avoid arguing with or embarrassing the person.

Because some of us will experience dementia, there are several facts we should consider.

Dementia is not a specific disease but rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities.

Experiencing dementia-like symptoms may not be dementia. Those symptoms may be caused by infections, metabolic problems, a reaction to a medication or an interaction of several medications, depression, and even nutritional deficiencies.

To make the diagnosis of one of the several types of dementia including the most common Alzheimer’s, a neurological exam, brain imaging, and neuropsychological testing is generally needed.

Dementia is a scary diagnosis taking us into the unknown. But those diagnosed with dementia are still with us, living life in their own way and still in need of affection, connections, and opportunities to express themselves and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Brain Tease: In the last two weeks, I challenged you to translate several common phrases in Spanish and French to English. This week see if you can translate this sentence that’s written in my favorite childhood language: Pig Latin. “orryWay isyay ikelay ayay ockinray’ orsehay. Ityay’say omethingsay otay oday atthay onday’tay etgay youyay owherenay.”

The name of the 1958 novelty song that included the memorable line “Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang” was the “Witch Doctor”. I received correct answers from Diana Weston, Donna Mollet, Lana Tepfer, Rhonda Spies, Jess Birge, Dave Lutgens, and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket Doug Nelson back from his trip to Ireland.

For those of you who have won a quilt raffle ticket, you will learn if you are a winner of a beautiful quilt on November 19^th when the quilt raffle drawing will be held at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center during their annual Holiday Bazaar. Everyone who was a quilt raffle ticket winner since last December will be entered in the drawing. You do not have to be present to win but you are certainly invited to attend the holiday bazaar.

Two bits is a word we seldom hear anymore except in a cheer at sporting events. It means inferior, cheap, worthless, or insignificant, but is also an old slang term for a monetary value that dates back to the 1700s. For this week’s “Remember When” question, how much are two bits? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or a video of George Edmondson Jr. leading a cheer before the University of Florida football game at the age of 86.

Well, it’s been another week, wondering what is going to be served next. Until we meet again, don’t let the monsters under your bed keep you up at night.

Good things come in threes so one more piece of cowboy wisdom.

“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.”

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).