Category Archives: Aging Well in the Gorge

Welcome to Aging Well in the Gorge, the Mid-Columbia Senior Center’s article series by former director Scott McKay.

Aging Well in the Gorge February 21st 2017

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Have you noticed when we were younger, we would search around to find childcare, or the best life insurance policy, or what options we had for investing the little money we had left after raising our children?
But now in our greying years, we have different questions: where can you find a qualified caregiver for your spouse or mother, what are the best long term care options, or how do you enroll in Medicare? How times have changed.
When the Center receives calls about services for older adults, we often refer them to the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA), a branch of the Mid-Columbia Council of Governments that covers the five-county region of Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler counties.
Our local AAA provides a vital service: administering and supporting community-based care services to maintain and enhance the quality of life for older adults and to ensure their basic needs are met. The AAA provides a variety of services, so listen carefully as I mention just a few of them: support for family caregivers, the Friendly Visitor Program, Oregon Money Management, in-home assistance through the Oregon Project Independence (OPI), Medicare assistance, options counseling to assist individuals in making decisions about long-term care, and short-term interventions to help isolated seniors navigate and access services.
I know it can get confusing when looking for assistance, but the AAA has an excellent staff to answer your questions. You can reach them at 541-298-4101 or stop by their offices in the MCCOG building on the corner of 11th and Kelly Avenue.
When I was having dinner at Casa El Mirador, I saw Jorge Barragan, the owner, who mentioned that many Center members were using their yearlong 10% discount coupon. That coupon, as well as the Sawyer’s True Value coupon worth $10 off any purchase over $50 (good through March 31st), are just two of the discount coupons you will receive when you join the Center. Stop by to become a member, or mail your check and we will send you your member benefit discount coupons and membership card. The cost is $35 per person or $60 per couple – or $50 for a Super-Duper Membership.
I missed last week, but for this week, #17 of the “40 Great Things about Growing Older” – time to volunteer. And if you look, I guarantee there is a volunteer opportunity that will fit your interests – and the nice thing about volunteering is you can work it around your schedule.
Now that this winter’s snow storms have ended and we can instead enjoy the cool rain, I want to again thank Tom Brace of the Brace Brothers and Paul Lepinski of A&P Recycling for coming to the rescue by clearing the Center’s parking lot of snow and ice so many times during this difficult winter. It was truly appreciated.
For the Center’s Tuesday Night Music on February 28th, Country Road will be performing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated.
What would you find “down at the end of Lonely Street”? Why, the Heartbreak Hotel – which was recorded by Elvis Presley’s and included the chorus, “You make me so lonely baby/ I get so lonely/ I get so lonely I could die”. (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Debbie Bush, Jeanne Pesicka, Jess Birge, Lana Tepfer, Cheryl Green, Harold Stephens and the TDHS class of 63’s own hip-shaking Dennis Davis. And starting next week, I will continue mentioning everyone who submits the correct answer, but will only draw one name for a free quilt raffle ticket.)
For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the song that was released on August 26th, 1968; was more than seven minutes long; spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100; and included the lyrics, “… don’t make it bad/ Take a sad song and make it better/ Remember to let her into your heart/ Then you can start to make it better.”? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it with a picture of Julian Lennon.
Well, it’s been another week, wondering what surprises are waiting over the hill and around the bend. Until we meet again, as the proverb goes, “It’s now or never.”

“When was the last time you woke up and thought this could be the best day in your life?” Dr. Steve Marshall

Aging Well in the Gorge February 14th 2017

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According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, one out of three adults 65 or older has a hearing loss – which includes me.  I’ve found hearing aids help – my wife knows when I forget to put them on because I keep asking “What did you say?” which she finds very annoying! Yet even when wearing hearing aids, hearing can be difficult because of distance and background noise. But wouldn’t it be nice if at different venues, you could hear everything directly from the microphone – whether it is in a theater, or church or at a city council meeting? Now you can at many places in The Dalles because of loop technology and the efforts of Tim McGlothlin and the Lions Club.
A hearing loop provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by any hearing aid that is equipped with a telecoil. This system provides clear and clean sound without needing a headset.
Today, approximately 71 percent of all hearing aids dispensed in the United States have telecoils. But you may not have heard of telecoils because few consumers are told about them. You can contact your audiologist to determine if your hearing aid is equipped with a telecoil and whether it is activated.
When Tim McGlothlin, a member of the local Lions Club, learned about hearing loops he jumped on the idea. Lions Club support communities in many ways, but one focus you often hear about is on sight and hearing through the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation. (You probably have seen the collection boxes for recycled eyeglasses, hearing aids and cell phones around town including one at the Center.)
Since then Tim has been busy, installing hearing loops in public spaces in The Dalles including several churches, the City Hall, the Civic Auditorium’s Fireside Room, Spooky’s and just last week Tim, with the help of Ron Sutherland and Gary Patton, installed a loop in the dining room at the Center. Because Tim does the installation for free, the cost is affordable – for the Center it cost less than $800.
With the growing recognition of how hearing loss affects the well-being of millions of older adults, hearing loops are increasingly being installed in community spaces across the country. Thanks to Tim McGlothlin and the Lions Club for being the sparkplug in bringing this technology to The Dalles.
The elevator installation is moving forward. Unfortunately, now that the concrete has been poured for the expansion in front of the Center, the outside stairs are closed. To enter the downstairs, you will need to walk around to the back. But the weather is warming up, so you won’t be slipping and sliding on your way.
Dick Frost had to cancel the AARP Smart Driver Class in January because of the weather, so he is eager to start teaching the class again. The class will be held on Monday and Tuesday, February 20th and 21st from 8:45 – 12:05 each day. The cost is $20 and $15 for AARP Members. Besides learning how to be a smarter driver, you may be able to receive a discount on your auto insurance. To sign up, just call the Center.
Tuesday Night Music has started back up at the Center and on February 21st the Simcoe Boys will be performing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated.
The singer was Johnnie Ray – who I found out attended high school in Dallas, Oregon at the same time as Harold Stephens. And Johnnie Ray’s No.1 hit in January, 1952 was “Cry”. (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Lucille Stephens and Betsy Ayres.)
This week’s “Remember When” question is about a song released on January 27, 1956 and reached the top five on the Country and Western, Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and Pop charts simultaneously. What was the name of the song that included the chorus, “You make me so lonely baby/ I get so lonely/ I get so lonely I could die”? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it with a picture of Alvin Krolik, the man who “walked a lonely street”.
Well, it’s been another week, reminding myself to stand up straight. Until we meet again, I’m finally beginning to feel spring may just be around the corner.

“You can never lose a homing pigeon – if your homing pigeon doesn’t come back what you’ve lost is a pigeon.”

Aging Well in the Gorge February 7th 2017

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There has been plenty of news in the last several weeks about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed, most of the discussion focused on how it would insure millions of citizens who did not have health insurance. What was seldom mentioned in all the noise were the benefits ACA provided for older adults.
More than a decade ago, knowing the hardship older adults faced paying for prescription drugs, Congress, with a strong push from the George W. Bush administration, passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, which created Medicare Part D.
Medicare Part D covered for the first time a portion of the cost of most outpatient prescription drugs which older adults often could not afford. But there was a catch: a temporary gap in coverage described as the Donut Hole. In this donut hole, the cost of prescription drugs between what the Part D prescription plan would cover (up to $3700 in 2017), and when the out of pocket expenses reached an amount considered catastrophic (which in 2017 is $4950), the Part D enrollees were responsible for the total costs of their medications.
The ACA, signed by President Obama in 2010, made prescription drugs more affordable for many older adults by closing the donut hole in stages, eliminating it by 2020. Since the ACA was passed in 2010, more than 11 million people have saved an average of more than $2,100 per person on prescription drugs.
Even though the Republicans have been promising to repeal and replace the ACA, they have not yet come to a consensus of how to do it. There have been several proposals to replace the ACA and many including Rep. Tom Price’s (who is President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary nominee) Empowering Patients First Act, does not include the gradual elimination of the donut hole in Medicare Part B as well as other benefits for Medicare recipients such as screenings for breast and colorectal cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
It is important that older adults of both political parties advocate to include the provisions of the ACA that improve the health of older adults in any new legislation, particularly the gradual elimination of the Donut Hole, so no older adult must choose between their critical prescriptions and their basic necessities.
Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. #16 – Looking Great at any age. Maybe I am a little biased but looking back at my high school yearbook, with the bouffant hairdos and the flattop haircuts, I think we look much better now: wiser, more mature – with a few wrinkles to show we know what we are talking about. 
Tuesday night music at the Center on February 14th will feature Martin and Friends performing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated.
“I just want to say one word to you – just one word…. ‘Plastics.’” was the career advice told to Benjamin Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the 1967 movie The Graduate. (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Betsy Ayres, Jerry Phillips, Sandy Haechrel, and Mary Davis.)
This month I’m going to see if you remember the song lyrics from the 1950’s and the 1960’s – back in the day when you could understand the lyrics even with the scratched records and simple transistor radios.
This song is from the 1950’s and has an Oregon connection since the singer spent part of his childhood on a farm in Dallas, Oregon before moving to Portland, Oregon, where he attended high school.
For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the song that included the lyrics, “If your heartaches seem to hang around too long/ And your blues keep getting bluer with each song/ Well now, remember sunshine can be found
Behind a cloudy sky/ So let your hair down and go right on and …”. Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it in on the back of a postcard from Hopewell, Oregon.
Well, it’s been another week, trying to remember to pick my feet up so I don’t trip and fall head first into a snow bank. Until we meet again, remember everyone has a piece of the truth.

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” — Lord Byron

Aging Well in the Gorge January 31st 2017

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The Center was back to normal – open for the whole week without any cancelled classes or delays. And with the three snow storms that I’ve counted so far this winter season, I’m hoping the snow forecasted for later this week never occurs. 
Because this Friday, February 3rd, the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide starts downstairs at the Center. Tax-Aide offers free tax preparation help for low and moderate income taxpayers with a special emphasis on older adults. The cadre of dedicated volunteers have been training for weeks to be ready for all your questions, so they can prepare and file your taxes electronically.
AARP Tax Aide help is available at several locations in the area.
At the Center the hours are from 2:00 – 6:00 on Fridays and 9:00 – 1:00 on Saturdays. It is first come first serve, but you will know when you arrive if one of the volunteers will be able to see you, so you won’t have to wait around for hours and not receive any help.
The Tax-Aide location in southern Wasco County is at the Tygh Valley Community Center on Thursdays from 8:00 – 12:00 pm. There is also no appointment necessary.
In Sherman County, you will need to call (541) 993-1054 to schedule a Saturday appointment at the Rufus Community Center.
To save yourself an extra trip, you will need to bring proof confirming your identification, income, and deductions such as the following documents. (For a full list of the documents you should bring, you can call the Center or go online to www.AARP.org.)
Identification: last year’s tax return(s), Social Security cards or other official documentation for yourself and every individual on your return; photo ID; and your checkbook or a voided check if you want to direct deposit.
Income: W-2(s), SSA-1099 Form showing the total Social Security benefits paid to you for the year, and a 1099-R Form if you received a pension, annuity, or IRA distribution.
Deductions: if you are itemizing your deductions, you’ll need to bring documents for any deductions such as your 1098 Form showing any home mortgage interest; and a summary of contributions to charities.
The first weeks are usually very busy, so if you can wait, it won’t be as crowded. The last day will be Saturday, April 15th, so you do have some time.
Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 15 – You can take the classes you really want – such as classes at the Center, The Dalles Art Center or CGCC where adults 65 or older are eligible for a 50 percent tuition discount on tuition for many credit and non-credit classes. And there are online courses for little or no cost at Couresa, the Khan Academy and other websites.
Is it a lie if you said what you thought what was going to happen, but it didn’t? Because the last three weeks, I have written that there will be live music at the Center on Tuesday nights, and yet each Tuesday you would have found the doors locked and the lights off.  
But I promise, on my 1966 high school yearbook, that this coming Tuesday, February 7th, there will be live music at the Center with Andre, KC and Joe playing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated.
I remember watching the movie African Queenfor the first time and getting shivers when Humphrey Bogart climbed out of the river covered with leeches. So, I can easily remember the quote, “If there’s anything in the world I hate, it’s leeches – filthy little devils!” (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Lucille Stephens, Tina Castanares, Marcia Lacock, Sandy Haechrel and Mary Davis.)
I’ll close out the month with one last movie quote from the1967 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols. For this week’s “Remember When” question, in what movie did a recent college graduate receive the following career advice “I just want to say one word to you – just one word…. ‘Plastics.’” Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of the movie’s soundtrack that included the song “The Sound of Silence”.
Well, it’s been another week, looking forward to seeing the green grass of spring. Until we meet again, take your time, because really there isn’t a reason to rush.
“To shorten winter, borrow some money due in spring.” W.J. Vogel

Aging Well in the Gorge January 24th 2017

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This is a time when I wish I was spry enough to do cartwheels! Because thirty years after the Center was built; and eight years since funds were first raised to remodel the Center, it’s celebration time. Why? Because with the Building Permit taped to the front window, Jeff Cochenour and his team will start construction to install the elevator this week. And that’s exciting!
The first stage is to frame in the new addition to the front of the building, north of the entrance. This will be the new space for the NU-2-U Shop which is being displaced by the elevator.
This will include removing the snow in front of the Center – which should be completed by the time you read this; laying the concrete for the foundation of the new addition – which should start on Wednesday; and leveling the exterior walkway that borders the front of the Center and goes to the stairs – which could occur as early as February 1st.
But to accommodate this construction, we will need to make several adjustments. There will be the temporary loss of three parking spaces to the north of the entrance; and the exterior stairway to the downstairs will be blocked off forcing anyone who wants to enter the downstairs to use the lower parking area and entrances at the back of the Center.
I will post signs showing how to navigate around the construction and the best way to get downstairs. But please watch out for the workers and equipment.
Joan Silver, who has done an outstanding job as chairperson of the project, will be providing updates which I will email out to everyone on the Center’s email list. If you want to receive the updates electronically, email me and I will make sure you are on the list.
I know these changes are inconvenient for all of us – I’ll be getting in more steps during this time.  But we ask for your patience as we do our very best to keep the inconveniences to a minimum.
And hopefully by May, we will be able to celebrate again when the elevator is operational and the downstairs is then easily accessible to everyone.
I imagine many of you watched or listened to the Presidential Inauguration with either excitement or despair. But there is no argument, big changes were promised. And I suggest we all keep a watchful eye on the legislative proposals that emerge to make sure there will be adequate funding for services to protect and support older adults, particularly the most vulnerable, as well as our children when they reach their retirement age.
Last Tuesday, the weather was better, but wasn’t good enough to ask the Simcoe Boys to drive all the way from Goldendale. But the long-range forecast doesn’t show any precipitation, although it still won’t get much above freezing. So, the weather shouldn’t be your excuse for missing the Center’s Tuesday Night Music on January 31st. But there is a problem. I’m not sure who’s playing. But there will be somebody, so you and your partner can warm yourselves up on the dance floor. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated.
Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 14 – You’ve mellowed like a fine wine. Or as Rose Kennedy once said, “I’m like old wine. They don’t bring me out very often – but I’m well preserved.”
It was in the 1942 movie Casablanca that Humphrey Bogart said “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Caroline Wood, Lucille Stephens and Sandy Haechrel.)
For this second week of movie quotes, it’s another Humphrey Bogart quote, but I hope more challenging than last week’s. (We’ll see how many answers I receive this time.) So, for this week’s “Remember When” question, in what movie did Humphrey Bogart say “If there’s anything in the world I hate, it’s leeches – filthy little devils!”? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or have two Methodist missionaries deliver it.
Well, it’s been another week, feeling like a bear looking for a cave to hibernate. Until we meet again, don’t let one bad day ruin your whole week.
“When I was young, I loved summer and hated winter. When I got older I loved winter and hated summer. Now that I’m even older, and wiser, I hate both summer and winter.”

Jarod Kintz

Aging Well in the Gorge January 17th 2017

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All I’ve been thinking about these last couple of weeks is the weather with all the cancellations and delays. And what’s distressing is even when we get past this way-too-long snow and cold spell, there are still sixty-two days till the start of spring. Can you believe that? I think there should be some meteorological law that states the harder the winter, the quicker spring arrives! And February 1st would not be soon enough.

Even though I’m an eternal optimist, I don’t think that will happen, so a few winter safety tips could still be helpful. But what don’t you already know about staying safe during the winter? I mean you have made it this far – and you have probably seen much worse. So, what more do you really need to know?

I’m not sure there’s much, but maybe a few reminders found at HealthinAging.org might help you be prepared for some of the more common winter conditions.

Hyperthermia: This is one situation most of us won’t have to worry about unless you are cross country skiing the Tilly Jane trail. But if you are the adventurous type, be aware of the warning signs for hyperthermia such as cold pale or ashy skin; feeling very tired or confused; and slowed breathing or heart rate. But don’t depend on shivering as a reliable sign. Older people tend to shiver less or not at all when their body temperature drops.

Fires and carbon monoxide: If you use a wood or gas stove, make sure it is properly used, vented and cleaned. You can even install carbon monoxide detectors in your house. If you use space heaters for extra heat during these very cold days, make sure the they are at least three feet away from anything that might catch fire.

Shoveling snow: This can put added stress on your old ticker when it is already working double time to keep warm in the cold weather. So, don’t push it or hire someone. Slipping and falling: Every winter I hear of someone breaking a leg, arm or hip. Be particularly careful of icy steps and pavement that appears just wet but is iced over. Have your walkways cleared of snow and salted; wear boots with non-skid soles; and use a cane or ski pole when walking.

But you knew most of that, right?

So maybe the best advice is just to be alert and take your time. We may not be as quick or flexible, but our years of experience should make us smarter and wiser so we can be safe during these winter months.

The average high temperature in The Dalles for January is 43 and the average low is 29. So who knows, the temperature just might meander above freezing sometime soon. We can only hope. Which means it will be safer to come to the Center’s Tuesday night music and hear Country Road perform on the 24th. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are always appreciated. 

Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 14 – Big photo albums. Although they may soon be a thing of the past, as society moves to storing digital pictures somewhere in the “cloud”.

In the1965 epic romantic drama Dr. Zhivago, Lara was the woman Doctor Yuri Zhivago fell in love with while married to Tanya. (The winner of a quilt raffle ticket is Marcia Lacock, who loved to play on her piano the theme song Somewhere my Love, which was also called Lara’s Theme.)

If you are stuck inside, you might be watching old classic movies on TCM or Netflix, so for the next several weeks of “Remember When” questions, I’m going to give you a movie quote and see if you can remember what movie it came from. To start off, in what 1940’s movie did Humphrey Bogart say “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it on the back of a picture of “Rick’s Café Américain”.

Well, it’s been another week, STILL waiting for the snow to melt – but please not too fast. Until we meet again, as the writer Hal Borland once wrote “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” 

The problem with winter sports is that–follow me closely here–they generally take place in winter.” Dave Barry

Aging Well in the Gorge January 10th 2017

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“Uncle!” I give up! I’ve had enough snow with all the cancellations and disruptions. I’m beginning to wonder, is it something I did? But maybe this will be the end of the wintry mix because, really, how long can this keep going on? At least we don’t live in Minnesota where they have four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.
But if the weather has kept you inside and you haven’t had a chance to regularly exercise, there are exercises where you don’t even have to leave the house. And all you need are a tennis ball, chair with arms, weights, and a towel.
In a well-rounded exercise program, the exercises should address three areas of your fitness: strength, balance and flexibility. I’ll describe a couple of examples for each area to give you an idea of how simple they are. But if you want to find more exercises, plus tips on how to stay motivated and tools to track your exercise, go to the website Go4Life.
But before you start, a few safety tips: breathe regularly during exercise, use smooth steady movements when lifting weights, keep your arm and leg joints slightly bent, always bend forward from your hips – not your waist; and most importantly: repeat the exercises, but stop if you feel pain.
Okay, here we go.
Strength exercises: Hand grip – slowly squeeze a tennis ball. Wall Push-Ups – pushing yourself off the wall (that’s the wall – not the floor!).
Balance exercises: Stand on One Foot – stand behind a sturdy chair holding on for balance and lift one foot and hold; and then repeat with other foot. Heal-to-Toe Walk – walk heel-to-toe while focusing on a spot ahead with arms raised to your side.
Flexibility exercises: Thighs – stand behind a sturdy chair and hold on for balance. Bend your leg back and grab your foot and gently pull your leg until you feel a stretch in your thigh. Shoulder and upper arm – stand straight and grab a towel in your right hand, raise hand and hang towel behind back. Reach behind lower back with other hand and grab end of towel. Pull the towel down with your left hand.
Now that you know how simple it is to exercise in your own home, you can start anytime. But if you want something more structured, there are many opportunities including CURVES, The Dalles Fitness and Court Club, Water’s Edge or any of the many affordable classes at the Center.
Even with ten inches of snow outside, there are many ways to be physically active -.you can even make up your own exercises. The point is to find something you enjoy and keep doing it.
For the Center’s Tuesday Night Music on January 17h, if the weather cooperates, the Simcoe Boys from Goldendale will be performing. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are always appreciated.
Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 13 – Time to finally write that great novel. Or how about your life story for your children and grandchildren? How I wish I knew more about my father’s life which he seldom shared thinking it wasn’t important.
The 6’9” basketball forward who played for University of Oregon from 1968-1971, led the Pac-8 in scoring for two straight seasons, and whose son now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers is Stan Love. (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Jerry Phillips and Lee Kaseberg, a true Duck fan from Wasco, who pointed out that Stan’s son, Kevin Love, spurned his father’s alma mater and instead played for UCLA.)
All this snow reminds me of the film Doctor Zhivago – the 1965 epic romantic drama set in Russia prior to World War I and during the Russian Revolution of 1917–1922. It won five Oscars, but lost best picture to The Sound of Music. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the woman who Doctor Yuri Zhivago fell in love with while he was married to his wife Tanya? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with a recording of Somewhere My Loveperformed by the Ray Coniff Singers. 
Well, it’s been another week, waiting for the snow to melt so the garbage can be picked up. Until we meet again, remember, this too shall pass.

“A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!” Author Unknown

Aging Well in the Gorge January 3rd 2017

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The Center had to cancel its New Year’s Eve Bingo Bonanza – and guess why? It wasn’t because of the snow – which thankfully was beginning to melt off. It wasn’t because I had plans to stay up all night partying – I’m lucky to stay awake past 10:00. It was because our only available Bingo caller was sick with the flu.
But she wasn’t the only one with the flu. Last week, the North Central Health District reported there has been a sharp increase in cases of influenza, both state wide and locally, as compared to last year.
Unfortunately, most reported cases are of Influenza A/ H3 which this year’s flu vaccine doesn’t cover. It is still recommended to get a flu shot since Influenza A/ H3 isn’t the only flu strain going around this season. But to reduce your risks this year, you may want to particularly practice good health habits: avoiding close contact: staying home when you are sick; covering your mouth and nose; washing your hands with soap and water; and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
If you do exhibit mild symptoms of the flu, just stay home, rest and avoid others (unless you are at a high risk or are concerned about your condition, then you should call your healthcare provider). But if you have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent nausea, purple or blue discoloration of the lips, or seizures, you should seek medical advice promptly.
Thank-you to all of you who were 2016 Center Member’s. With less than 1% of the Center’s funding coming from government sources, your memberships are critical – providing over 15% of the Center’s operating budget.
But it is a new year, and the 2017 Membership Drive has started – with an added twist. To show our appreciation, this year all 2017 members will receive a sheet of discount coupons to ten local businesses. If you use just half of the discounts in 2017, you will save the cost of the $35 basic membership.
We couldn’t do this without the support of the local businesses that are offering the discounts: Casa El Mirador Fine Mexican Dining, Sawyer’s True Value and Just Ask Rental, Cannon Packer Gift Shop, Griffy’s Quick Lube, Klindt’s Booksellers, Allen’s Food Center, Beachwood Eatery and Lounge, Ere’s Beauty Salon, Subway, and Montira’s Asian Market.
There is not an age limit to be a member, although to be a voting member at the Center’s annual membership meeting you must be fifty or older. The cost is $35 per person, $60 for a couple or $50 to be a Super-Duper member. You can pay your dues at the Center, by mail or online at www.midcolumbiaseniorcenter.com.
For the Center’s Tuesday Night Music on January 10th, Martin and Friends will be performing. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are always appreciated.
Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 12 – More time to read to your heart’s content – especially if these cold snowy days has kept you under house arrest and you’re tired of watching television.
The two-time All-American OSU defensive lineman (and two-time NCAA wrestling champion and 1968 Summer Olympian) who caught USC tailback O.J. Simpson from behind to preserve the Beavers’ 3-0 win over USC in 1967 was Jess Lewis. (Both Mary Davis and Harold Stephens were close, but the only correct answer was from Al Wynn. And to celebrate the new year, all three win a quilt raffle ticket.)
After asking an OSU sports question, I am obliged to ask a University of Oregon question – particularly since as a U of O graduate, I felt left out last week. So, for this week’s “Remember When” question, who was the 6’9” basketball forward who played for University of Oregon from 1968-1971, led the Pac-8 in scoring for two straight seasons, and his son now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers?   Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a Beach Boys album.  
Well, it’s been another week, keeping an eye on the ice. Until we meet again, it’s okay for an embarrassing mistake to spoil your dinner, but don’t let it ruin a good night’s sleep.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”  Hal Borland

Living Well in the Gorge December 27th 2016

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
In a few days, it will be a new year: the traditional time to make New Year’s resolutions, full of optimism and hope.
But do any of us make New Year’s resolutions anymore? They just seem like a young person’s thing: resolutions to stay fit for the dating game; resolutions to follow some new self-improvement practice.
And then do we really need to? I mean at our age, we’ve experienced enough that we should we have it all figured out, right? And what do we really need to change?  
But resolutions are not just about personal fitness or self-improvement. They are also an opportunity to imagine what new experiences we would like to encounter in the upcoming year: walking unfamiliar trails in the Gorge, finishing that book you’ve been meaning to read, or finding more time to spend with family and friends.
There is much we can’t control: medical emergencies, the size of our social security check, or whether it is going to rain or snow. But there are many aspects of our lives we can influence, if not control.
So here we are, about to start a new year. We can keep doing the same old same old – and there is nothing wrong with that. Or we can branch out; take this opportunity to contemplate the new year and what makes life worth living – so we won’t miss what is truly important.
What is important to you this coming year? What are your New Year’s resolutions?
Saturday Night Bingo will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with free pizza and a chance to win $1000. Over $1200 will be paid out during the evening plus if there is a blackout in 58 numbers or less on the last game, the payout will be $1000. Doors open at 4:00, pizza served starting at 4:30, and bingo starts at 6:00 PM. If you are a new player, try to arrive by 5:30. Minimum buy-in is $10.00. Ages 12 and over are welcome (children between 12 and 18 must be accompanied by legal guardian).
It’s a new year for the Center’s Tuesday Night Music with Andre, KC and Joe performing on January 3rd. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are always appreciated.
Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 11 – Your clothes are in style again – although this time around you’re smart enough to keep them in the closet. (I’m not wearing skinny jeans anymore! – or pegged pants as they were called when I was in High School.)
The toy that consisted of 3-D pictures on a circular disk which could be viewed in a plastic device is called a View-Master. (This week’s winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Maxine Parker, Lana Tepfer, Sandy Haechrel, who was offered a job at View-Master when she first moved to Oregon, and Jerry Phillips who lived about a mile west of the old View-Master site. But the winner of one and a half tickets is Jim Ayers who didn’t send me a Virtual Reality View-Master, but left me the next best thing – a Fred Meyer discount coupon for one.)
The college football bowl season is here again, and although neither OSU or U of O are traveling to a bowl game this year, there have been many highlights over the past 50 years including the 1967 OSU football team known as the “Giant Killers”. That season OSU went undefeated against three #2 ranked teams which included a victory over USC and OJ Simpson at what was then called Parker Stadium in Corvallis. So for this week, here is a “Remember When” question suggested by Ron Sutherland, to see who is really a true orange-and-black OSU football fan. Who was the two-time All-American defensive lineman who caught USC tailback O.J. Simpson from behind to prevent a touchdown and preserve the Beavers’ 3-0 win over the top-ranked Trojans? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with a big pumpkin.
Well, it’s been another week, trying to keep the icicles from hanging off my nose. Until we meet again, don’t expect hot water if you only turn on the cold-water tap.
“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.” Ellen Goodman

Living Well in the Gorge December 20th 2016

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments

Tis the Christmas Season: a time for memories that stir our senses: cookies baking in the oven, houses sparkling with Christmas lights, and bells ringing at local grocery stores. It’s also a time to remember how we have been blessed at our chronologically advantaged age.

But sometimes it is hard, particularly this time of the year when we would give everything to share again memories of Christmas’s pasts with friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. It’s not always easy to stay upbeat and positive, but Shawn Achor, who researches and teaches positive psychology, describes three steps that can help us recognize the positive instead of mindlessly absorbing the negative.

First, for twenty-one days in a row, take two minutes a day and write down three things you are grateful for.

Second, start a journal and each day write about one positive experience you encountered.

Third, do one positive random act of kindness each day – whether it’s complimenting the salesperson during a hectic Christmas shopping day or buying a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling juice for your local senior center director (and he prefers a red grape to a white apple cider!)

But I would also suggest two more steps.

Fourth, each day give at least one person a big hug – the human touch is an essential nutritional requirement for the spirit.

And last, if there has been something you have been meaning to tell someone, tell them. Don’t wait and regret missing the opportunity.

Whether your glasses are rose colored, broken or you can’t find them, during this season of hope, love and possibilities, consider these five steps to better appreciate all that is good and right – and the bountiful banquet spread before us.

The Christmas season often brings snow and frigid weather – and we saw both these over last two weeks. With the inclement weather, it is often a tough call whether to keep the Center open or to close. I guess I’m just a little more cautious since I broke my hip several years ago. (Although the cause wasn’t snow or ice, but not being bright enough to find the bottom step.).

Consequently, last weekend we played it safe instead of sorry, and postponed the Holiday Breakfast – even though Mary Davis was bringing the Mistletoe! We’ll try again in March when there’s less chance for snowflakes and Santa shouldn’t be as busy.

Also, Saturday night bingo was cancelled, but will return on New Year’s Eve when we’ll welcome in the New Year (east coast time) and there will be a $1000 payout for a blackout in 58 numbers or less on the last game.

If you are making your end-of-the-year donations, and are donating to any of the twenty-two qualifying cultural non-profits in Wasco County, don’t forget to also donate the same amount to the Oregon Cultural Trust for which you’ll receive a 100% state tax credit and help the cultural arts in Wasco County and the state. You can find more information and a list of the cultural non-profits at www.culturaltrust.org.

Tuesday night music is back at the Center on December 27th with Country Road performing. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated to feed the band and keep the lights on.

Continuing the countdown of “40 Great Things about Growing Older”. # 10 – Grandchildren are great. And great grandchildren are a bonus.

The Christmas classic, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, was first sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. (This week’s winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Betsy Ayers, Sandy Haechrel and Jerry Phillips.)

This season you may see ads for VR (virtual reality) glasses, which I have tried and admit are pretty cool. But in 1939 there was a Portland company that introduced another cutting-edge technology consisting of stereoscopic 3-D pictures on a circular disk which could be inserted into a plastic device and viewed.

For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this classic toy? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with the latest virtual reality edition of this viewer.

Well, it’s been another week, waiting for Santa to poke his beard around the corner. Until we meet again, let the spirit of Christmas light up the new year.

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