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).

In this month’s “Through the Eyes of an Elder” Colin Wood eloquently describes how the consequences of hearing loss have affected his life and offers suggestions for how family and friends can provide support to anyone with hearing loss.

One of his suggestions is to talk to your family and friends about your hearing loss, making this invisible disability visible. From my experience, when someone hears of my hearing loss, they are sympathetic – but they don’t really understand and are then often frustrated when I ask, “What did you say” for the third time!

So how do you describe hearing loss to others, so they can better understand?

A year and a half ago I mentioned Shari Eberts’s article “How to Explain Hearing Loss to the Uninitiated”. Because I found her suggestions for describing hearing loss to others useful, I thought I would again share three of them.

Hearing loss is like playing Wheel of Fortune where the players try to identify a phrase with only some of the letters visible. With hearing loss, you are trying to do the same, but with sounds instead of letters. You are constantly combining these incomplete sounds with other clues: lipreading, body language, and the context within the conversation to understand the words.

With hearing loss, you don’t have peripheral hearing. With sight, you do have peripheral vision: the ability to see things outside of your direct line of sight. But with hearing loss, when I’m focusing on an activity it’s difficult to concentrate and understand any conversation outside that activity.

Hearing aids don’t work like glasses. They don’t give you 20-20 hearing. Hearing aids will make sounds louder and help you differentiate between sounds but they are far from perfect.

As Colin points out even though hearing loss can be a significant burden, the financial barriers prevent most people from obtaining hearing aids.

But there have been significant changes to address the high cost of hearing aids. As of October 17^th, you can purchase OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aids without a medical exam, prescription, or professional fitting which can save you several thousand dollars.

But OTC hearing aids aren’t for everyone. Most importantly, they are designed to treat only mild to moderate hearing loss. If your hearing loss is more severe, you should consult a hearing health professional.

And you are on your own. There is no in-person hearing care provided after the purchase. No professional sizing, custom earpieces, or follow-up fine-tuning.

To learn more about OTC hearing aids, check out the National Council on Aging’s website at https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/over-the-counter-hearing-aids/

There are other options besides OTC hearing aids. Costco offers a variety of brand-name hearing aids at a low cost. And although Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids, some Medicare Advantage plans now offer good quality, low-cost hearing aids.

Hearing loss has affected many lives. Now, thankfully, there are affordable options to make them more accessible and improve the lives of older adults.

Brain Tease: This week how about learning a little French in case you want to visit Paris. Try to find the translations for these common French phrases. “Merci beaucoup”, “Pourriez-vous m’aider?”, and most importantly “Où sont des toilettes?”

The name for the unidentified man who hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 during the flight from Portland to Seattle on November 24^th, 1971 was D.B Cooper or as several readers pointed out Dan Cooper. I received correct answers from Diana Weston, Rhonda Spies, Rhonda Schuh, Barbara Cadwell, Lana Tepfer, Doug Nelson, Donna Mollet, Patty Burnet, Dave Lutgens, Pat Kelly, Nancy Higgins, Tina Castanares, Rose Schulz, and Jerry Taylor this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Steven Woolpert.

Ross Bagdasarian Sr. whose stage name was David Seville wrote several novelty songs in the 1950s including this one. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the song that included the line (which I will never forget!) “Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang”? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with the album Sing Again with The Chipmunks on Liberty Records.

Well, it’s been another week, wondering how it could be November already. Until we meet again, although it is good to know where you are going, there are times to travel without a destination in mind.

Cowboy wisdom: “Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.”

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).

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.

Well, it only took me six months to get to that third stage of retirement: Now What? I was finding the less I did, because there wasn’t anything I HAD to do, the less I felt like doing. But in life, you never know when a new door will open. So my wife and I are now job-sharing the community liaison position for Circles of Care in The Dalles and Hood River

You may have read about Hood River Circles of Care in this paper last week. As Amy Mallett, Executive Director of the Hood River Adults Center, pointed out, Circles of Care connects older adults with trained and caring local volunteers to help older adults stay in their homes and age with dignity.

Circles of Care’s trained volunteers can lend a hand in assisting with everyday tasks such as transportation, meals, errands, light cleaning, technology support, minor yard work, and household maintenance – and often most importantly friendly check-ins.

My mission as community liaison is to match an older adult with a volunteer. But that can only happen if there are enough volunteers.

So here is my pitch. Besides the rewarding feeling of personally assisting an older adult and often even becoming friends, being a Circles of Care volunteer allows you a wide range of flexibility. You choose how you would assist (several volunteers have chosen to share their musical talents during their regular check-ins); how often you would like to volunteer; or if you want to volunteer with others or would rather enjoy a one-on-one experience.

If you are interested in lending a hand and becoming a part of the Circles of Care community, go to the Age+ Circles of Care website https://ageplus.org/circles-of-care/ where you will have the choice of volunteering in The Dalles or Hood River.

You will be asked to create a username and password so you can log on to your Myimpactpage. Once you have logged on, you will find the application page where you will complete a questionnaire that helps me know when and how you want to assist.

Also, if you or someone you know is interested in receiving periodic volunteer assistance, go to the same Age+ Circles of Care webpage and choose The Dalles or Hood River. If you have any questions, you can email me at smckay@ageplus.org or call 541-397-0724.

AGE+ is a statewide non-profit that developed Circles of Care as one of its initiatives to champion a new vision for successful and equitable aging for all Oregonians by empowering communities and linking generations to make longer life an opportunity, not a burden. But in simpler terms, I see Circles of Care as the embodiment of the good old American value of “neighbor helping neighbor”.

Brain Tease: This is a test of your lateral thinking. I had to kick myself when I looked at the answer.

A man rode into town on Monday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Monday.

How can this be?

The name of the cartoon character created in the 1930s and is associated with the classical comedic opera Barber of Seville in the Looney Tunes episode “Rabbit of Seville” was Bugs Bunny. I received answers from Donna Mollet, Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, and Patty Burnet this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.  And last week I missed Mike Nagle.

When growing up, my family wasn’t into fine cuisine. I thought the only type of cheese was processed cheese which you had to cut with a wire.  And I never knew what butter tasted like until in my late teens. But we always had this artificially orange flavored drink mix at the breakfast table because it was the drink of the astronauts!

For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this drink

mix whose sales were poor until NASA used it on John Glenn’s Mercury flight in February 1962? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or send it with the video of Walter Cronkite reporting on the launch of the first American to orbit the earth.

Well, it’s been another week, trying to keep my balance on an uneven dance floor. Until we meet again, never deny who you are.

“Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.” Brendan Gill, 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: Monday is the name of his horse.

Well, this hasn’t been a good week! On Saturday, the 3^rd my cough started worsening, and to be safe I decided to take a COVID test. I wasn’t worried. I haven’t been infected with COVID and I didn’t even get it when my wife was sick from COVID. I figured my immune system was one part of my body that was working to full capacity. But you know where I’m headed. I did test positive! And it has been a very uncomfortable eight days: constant coughing fits, tiredness, loss of appetite.

I think I have finally turned the corner, but it has thrown my fine-tuned writing routine out the window. And worse, I kept telling myself if I’m too tired to write I can wait till the next day and the next day. And now here I am. I need to submit the column by Sunday which as I’m writing is tomorrow!

But I made it! And although this week’s topic is not one you would normally have on your list of conversation starters, it is important because it does affect many of us.

You may have had a “Gotta go, Gotta go!” moment – and from own my personal experience it can be embarrassing when you don’t make it. If you experience incontinence, you’re not alone. An estimated 32 million Americans have incontinence,

But what can you do? I found the report “Better Bladder and Bowel Control, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School” that you can access on the Internet. It offers a regular bladder workout that can tame incontinence without surgery. See what you think.

Doing more bladder training can go a long way toward helping with urinary incontinence. In simple terms, this workout strategy involves learning to urinate on a schedule and doing pelvic muscle exercises.

Here’s a step-by-step bladder-training method.

Keep a diary. For a day or two, keep track of the times you urinate or leak urine during the day.

Calculate. On average, how many hours do you wait between visits to the bathroom during the day?

Choose an interval. Set your starting interval for training so that it’s 15 minutes longer.

Hold back. On the day you start your training, empty your bladder first thing in the morning and don’t go again until you reach your target time interval. If the time arrives before you feel the urge, go anyway. If the urge hits first, remind yourself that your bladder isn’t really full,

Try pelvic floor exercises (also called Kegels), or simply try to wait another five minutes before walking slowly to the bathroom.

Increase your interval. Once you are successful with your initial interval, increase it by another 15 minutes. Over several weeks or months, you may find you can wait much longer and that you feel the urge less often. After four to eight weeks of improvement, you can reward yourself with a glass of wine before you start another diary.

Brain Tease. A man was walking in the rain. He was in the middle of nowhere. He had nothing and nowhere to hide. He came home all wet, but not a single hair on his head was wet. Why is that? Too easy again?

The two stars of the 1951 critically acclaimed film African Queen were Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. I received correct answers from Jess Birge, Margo Dameier, Lana Tepfer, Rebecca Abrams, Donna Mollet, and Rhonda Spies this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Patty Burnet and Margo Dameier.

It has been almost 40 years since the “Where’s the Beef?” commercial was televised and since then it has become a popular catchphrase. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what fast food chain introduced the phrase in 1984? And for bonus points what presidential candidate used the phrase in a 1984 Democratic presidential debate?  Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or send it with a Dave’s Combo.

Well, it’s been another week, coughing and sputtering. Until we meet again, as I’ve learned, it’s always a risk thinking it won’t happen to you.

I saw this Kurt Vonnegut quote on a t-shirt hanging in the Kurt Vonnegut Museum in Indianapolis that speaks to the value of art. “Practicing an art no matter how well or badly is a way to make your soul grow.”