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 January 21st 2014

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
We all know that as long as we physically can, we should keep moving and regularly engage in some kind of movement/exercise activity. Be we have also learned – if it is all work and no play, it is no fun and we probably won’t continue for very long.
One key I have found for making exercise fun and enjoyable is to exercise with others. By sharing stories, personal foibles and wacky experiences, I make the social connections that keeps me coming back even when I could think of other things to do – like stay in bed.
An example is the Strong Women’s class at the Center. I have often wondered if they were actually exercising or just drinking scotch and sodas and telling lewd stories. Fern Wilcox, who is probably responsible for it all, is still teaching the class which she started before she retired as an OSU Extension faculty member. 
But the class is more than just laughing and telling stories. There are many proven benefits of the Strong Women’s class: increased muscle mass, strength and balance; improved bone density and reduced risk for osteoporosis; reduced risk for diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression, and obesity; and improved self-confidence, sleep and vitality. The class is every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00 – 3:00 and the cost is a suggested donation of $2.00 per session.
But if you rather enjoy being alone or with a couple of friends, and enjoy the outdoors where you can really experience the different seasons, walking is an easy, inexpensive and convenient form of exercise to consider.
If you would like to start walking for exercise or even if you are already walking, you will be interested in the Center’s Tuesday Lecture on February 11that 11:00 when Ann Stanley and Linda Alexander, from Gorge Spine and Sports Medicine, will be discussing the importance of walking as we age, offer advice and tips on how to walk safely and then end with a walking test to assess your risks for falling.
There are many ways to keep moving. Strong Women and walking are just a few of the choices offered in the community whether at the Center, the Dalles Fitness and Court Club or Water’s Edge. But what is really the best exercise for your health and wellbeing? Whatever you will do – and keep doing!
And a quick reminder. Next Tuesday at the Center on the 28th at the 11:00, Joyce Powell Morin from MCMC will discuss the “Healing Power of Gratitude and Optimism”.
Last week I introduced the new (tongue-in-cheek) English spelling called “Euro-English”. For this week’s Tuesday Night Music announcement, I am incorporating two more changes: the removal of double letters and the wasteful silent e.
Nxt Tusday at the Senter, the Simco Boys wil kep you steping out on the danse flor with their spesial brand of kountry musik. Dors open at 6:00, the band starts piking and struming at 7:00 and you kan go home by 9:00. And to kep the rom warm and the band hapy, donations larg or smal ar always apresiated.  .
Last week’s “Remember When” question brought back memories for several folks particularly Marilyn Gladwell (the winner of a Saturday Breakfast on March 15th) who remembers wearing “petticoats” as in the “Petticoat Junction” TV show. I learned she and many others called them “crinolines”, short for crinoline petticoats.  Marilyn describes them as often made with net and a very heavy starch, or even plain gelatin to make them stiffer to create the desired fullness. And as she sat down, they would often make loud crackling noises. Ah, the joys of our youth!
Since last week’s question was about women’s fashion, this week’s question should be about men’s. But what can you ask about men’s fashions? Not much. But let’s try this one from my youth.
When I was in high school, my dad made sure I had the proper shoes for church and the formal high school dances that he tried to bribe me to go to! What was the name of this style of leather shoe decorated with perforations on the toe cap in the shape of a “W” and is still worn today but in many more colors? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a pair of Scottish ghillie brogues.

Well, it has been another week trying to be more help than a bother. Until we meet again, as the sign in the Mayflower Coffee Shop in Chicago says “As you wonder on through life, sister/brother, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the donut, and not on the hole.” 

Aging Well January 14 2014

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
Life can be so serious. When we were younger we were focused on pursuing a career, raising a family, and for many putting their lives at risk serving our nation in Germany, Korea or Vietnam. And now there are doctor visits, all those pills, and children who we once told when they had to go to bed, now trying to telling us what we should and shouldn’t do. (Ironic isn’t it.)
But now that you are retired or maybe still working, but only part time, there is time (maybe too much time?) that you didn’t have before to try something new – that is light and fun and stretches your perception of what you can do.  
I don’t mean riding Portland’s MAX in your underwear for No Pants Day. I mean taking the Art of Silliness Drawing Workshop – a creative drawing class led by Debra Jones that involves drawing exercises that makes drawing fun.
As you can imagine, this is not your traditional drawing class. It is based on the work of Carla Sonheim and her “Art of Silliness Drawing Classes”. (www.carlasonheim.com.) As Debra explains, it is all about the creative process being fun. And is perfect for the person who feels they can’t draw or aren’t creative. The workshop will offer you a chance to draw without any expectations, without comparisons, without fear, but with the freedom to follow you own instincts and add a little whimsy in your life.
And there is no limit on class size! The cost is only $2.00 for each session and the sessions will be held at the Center from 1:00 – 2:30 on four consecutive Tuesdays starting February 4th.  You will receive a supply list when you sign up at the Center.
So when everything can seem so serious, and when the grey winter skies never seem to lift, why not add a little silliness by signing up for the Art of Silliness Drawing Workshop – and you won’t have to take your pants off!.
At the 11:00 Tuesday Lecture on the 21st, you will experience an example where art, history and technology intersect with a discussion of the online Cultural Institute. Google has partnered with hundreds of museums, cultural institutions, and archives to host the world’s cultural treasures – online and accessible to everyone. And then on the 28th Joyce Powell Morin from MCMC will discuss the “Healing Power of Gratitude and Optimism” which was postponed in December.
Jerry Phillips forwarded me a statement by the European Commission announcing the new official language of the European Union. It was agreed that English would be best, but because English spelling had room for improvement, they negotiated a 5- year phase-in plan to what would become known as “Euro-English”. (But don’t believe everything you read!)
So I thought I would write the music announcement incorporating the new spelling – starting with the changes for the first two years: replacing the soft “c” with an “s”, and the hard “c” with a “k”; and replacing the confusing “ph” with “f”.
Next Tuesday at the Senter, Truman will be playing his Kountry Gold for your dansing and listening pleasure. The doors open at 6:00, the musik starts at 7:00 and the doors klose at 9:00. Everyone is invited inkluding nieces, nefews, aunts and unkles. And donations are appresiatively aksepted.
Several readers remembered singer, composer and pianist Neil Sedaka and his 1961 hit single Calendar Girl. And as Joann Scott pointed out, a time when you could understand the words, and I might add, were not embarrassed by them. (And the winner of a Saturday Breakfast on March 15th is Marilyn Gladwell.)
Shifting gears once again, this week’s two part “Remember When” question is about fashion. If you asked teenagers today, they probably wouldn’t have a clue, but what was the name of the piece of clothing commonly worn under a woman’s skirt in the 50’s and 60’s?  And to be more specific, this article of clothing was used in the title of what television comedy (1963-1970) that took place in the Shady Rest Hotel? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of the Hooterville Cannonball.
Well, it has been another week trying to keep the light on without the bulb burning out. Until we meet again, as Hector in his search for Happiness, once said “There’s no point in looking before crossing the road if you don’t look in the right direction.”
“What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Here is the key to your earthly pursuits.” — Carl Jung

Aging Well January 7th

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
The free 2014 Passport to Happiness Calendar is now available and if you don’t receive one in the mail in the next week, you can stop by the Center or OSU Extension office at CGCC and pick one up. And thanks to the suggestions from many folks, the 2014 calendar has a few changes to make it even better than 2013.
This year there will be quarterly Passport to Happiness events instead of monthly – focusing on three components of health: social, physical and cognitive health. The events will start at 1:00 at the Center, so you can have lunch provided by Meals-on-Wheels and then stay for the presentation. The first event will be on January 15th from 1:00 – 2:30 at the Center – once again featuring guest speakers, useful tips, informative handouts and more healthy recipes.
At this first event you can also pick up your 2014 Passport which can be stamped at each of the quarterly events as well as other sponsored events offered by Parks and Recreation, OSU Extension, the Center and other organizations promoting healthy aging. And then at the end of the year Celebration in December, you can redeem your Passport stamps for special prizes and gifts.
This year the calendar is smaller: 8 ½ by 11, so it will be easier to hang on your wall. But it does not include a resource guide, so don’t throw away the resource guide in your 2013 calendar. And the many activities in the area are now listed in the back of calendar, so there will be room on each month to add your appointments and other important events you don’t want to forget.
But still included are the monthly seasonal recipes from OSU’s www.FoodHero.org website. And outstanding photographs of local folks engaged in healthy activities from quilting at the Center to volunteering at the Chamber of Commerce and the Habitat ReStore Store (who are always looking for volunteers), once again taken by Ray Perkins at Ray Perkins Photography.
But the calendar would not be possible without the generous financial support of the following sponsors who are committed to supporting older adults: OSU Extension, Hearts of Gold Caregiving, Rebecca Street Physical Therapy, Mid-Columbia Medical Center, Flagstone, PacificSource, Regence and BiCoastal Media. As well as several monthly sponsors including Area Agency on Aging, LINK Transportation Network, Mid-Columbia Community Action, Columbia Basin Care Facility, Mid-Columbia Senior Center, and Jim Bishop at Westcorp Mortgage.
And finally, the Calendar was a collaborative effort of the Wasco County Network on Aging whose members are working together to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults. The Network ‘s key partners are OSU Extension, Mid-Columbia Community Action, MCMC, Area Agency on Aging, Oregon Department on Aging and People with Disabilities, Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation and the Mid-Columbia Senior Center.
It’s time again to challenge that three pound organ taking up space between your ears by seeing if you can decipher the scrambled letters in the Center’s music announcement. (Researchers have found we don’t read letter by letter but by the whole word, so it isn’t usually that difficult – if the first and last letters are the same.)
On Jaunray 14th Matrin and Feidnrs will be pckniig and sumimnrtg your old time corutny fivaroets. Doros oepn at 6:00, dcannig sattrs at 7:00 and the band starts pakincg at 9:00. Eovyrnee is welmoce and datonnois are ataerpciepd. 

For fifty years at the stroke of midnight (if yoiu were still awake) you could listen to Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadials playing Auld Lang Syne from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. (And the winner of a Saturday Breakfast on March 15th (write that down on your new calendar) is Bill Van Nice.)  But since the 2014 Passport to Happiness Calendar is now available, it only seems appropriate to ask a “Remember When” question related to calendars, right? So this week who was the Americal pop singer, pianist and composer who sang and co-wrote the hit single “Calendar Girl” that reached #4 in 1961? (He also recorded “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen” and “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.) Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of this performer “laughing in the rain” im 1975.


Well, it has been another week trying once again to recalibrate my brain so I will start writing 2014 instead of 2013.  Until we meet again, be well, be kind and be amazing.

”To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Aging Well December 31st

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments

The new year is knocking, anxious to get started with a six pack of football games on New Year’s Day – unashamedly named after the highest corporate bidder. (Ah, the days when the bowl games were named after things that were simple and basic: Cotton, Oranges, Sugar, and Roses.) But this is also the time of the year for new beginnings and the tradition of making resolutions for a new year. (But hold on now. Don’t turn the page! You might believe resolutions are just a waste of time, because you’ve lived this long, so why should you change?

But think about it. There might be some new habits you want to make or some old ones you want to change. What was the doctor telling you? Maybe you should start an exercise class – that yoga or Tai Chi class to work on your balance? Or eat better – by reducing your salt and fat intake? Things you never worried about, but now realize how important they are. And those changes just might improve your health and help you live a little longer.

So if you decide that New Year’s resolutions might not be such a bad idea, here are nine tips from the Happiness Project website www.happiness-project.com that were distributed at the last Passport to Happiness Event on the 18th.

 1. Write your resolution down and be specific. Instead of “make new friends” describe how – such as “start a movie group” or “join an exercise class”.
 2. Review your resolution constantly so you won’t forget.
 3. Hold yourself accountable. Don’t make excuses.
 4. Think big. Make your resolution inspiring and exciting.
 5. Or think small. Something simple and doable.
 6. Separate your resolution, no matter how small, into manageable tasks.
 7. Work on your resolution every day. It is easier to do something consistently than to skip days
8. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The best exercise it the one you will actually do.
 9. As mentioned before, don’t make excuses, BUT if you keep breaking your resolution, no use constantly beating yourself up. Try a different approach that will get you to the same goal.

 These are some suggestions to help you set and achieve your goals for a new year. Because as Carl Bard once said, “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new beginning.”

 After two weeks off, it is time again for the Center’s Tuesday Night music announcement. And I will keep it simple for one more week. On December 7th the Strawberry Mountain Band will be starting off the new year of music with three chord country favorites. Doors open at 6:00, dancing starts at 7:00 and it’ll be time to go home by 9:00. Everyone is welcome and donations are appreciated.

 The 11:00 Tuesday Lecture on the 7th will feature another taped video presentation from the National Forum on Brain Health at the 2013 Aging in America Conference held in Washington D.C. last April. The topic is “Meditation, Mindfulness, Aging, and the Brain”.

 And just before I enter the home stretch, I just have to ask, am I the only one who starts reading a book and half way through realizes I have already read it? Or while watching a TV mystery I have already watched, and the detectives are closing in on identifying the murder, I still can’t recall who it was! Just wondering.

 The New York department store that hired Kris Kringle in the movie Miracle on 34th Street was Macy’s – and its archrival was Gimbels. (And the winner of a free breakfast – but who will have to wait till the next Saturday breakfast in March – is Helen Lynch.)

 But this week’s “Remember When” question is about New Years celebrations before the days of Dick Clark. Between 1928 and 1976, America welcomed the New Year listening to Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians playing from what New York hotel? And for bonus points what song did he make popular playing at midnight every year? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a book of poems by Robert Burns.

 Well, it has been another week making the best of what comes my way. Until we meet again, it is amazing how you always find what you’re looking for at the very last place you look.

 “One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.” John Burroughs

Aging Well December 24th

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments

During this season of peace and good will, it is often a good time to reflect on how we are all far from perfect and complete and to paraphrase Eleanor Roosevelt “in need of both love and charity”.

 And neither are we totally independent – nor should we want to be. The African word Ubuntu which means “I am what I am because of who we all are” describes this relationship we have with others: the natural interconnectedness where we both give and receive, as we help others while others help us. This interconnectedness makes us more complete human beings and stronger communities as we share our strengths and talents to offset our weaknesses.

 But as we age we tend to move more towards dependency on others – whether it is opening doors, needing a ride or help with daily bathing. But as we learn to accept more help, we can still continue to find our own ways to give back, to stay interconnected in the give and take of life.

 For example, if you enjoy children, read to them through the SMART or READ OUT LOUD programs. If you enjoy building, pick up a hammer and volunteer with Habitat. If you like to listen, visit the home bound through your church. And if you are home bound, make phone calls for local organizations. Or you can give back in more subtle ways: offering a word of encouragement to someone struggling emotionally, a friendly smile to a haggard cashier – or being an example of how to live with dignity and grace during difficult times.

As Joni Mitchell once sang, we have seen life “from both sides, now”. We know the ups and downs; the success and failures; the loves and losses. And with that perspective, we all have much to offer.

 So here at the end of the year, I want to thank all of you who are giving back in your own personal ways – both large and small. Those of you who offer a helping hand and a friendly smile, who are quick to forgive and slow to anger, and especially you who spread laughter and good cheer – by telling some really bad jokes.

 And at the Center there are so many to thank starting with all the volunteers and members who support the Center in their own and many ways. They are the backbone of the Center – and most of the time the brains too. And all the folks at Meals-on-Wheel. It is not easy to share a space (Have you ever tried to share an apartment?) It takes a tremendous amount of respect and trust – and laughter – to make such a close relationship work.

 I also want to thank all the fine folks who work at the many community organizations who are there to support older adults: the Area Agency on Aging, Aging and People with Disabilities, OSU Extension, Mid-Columbia Community Action Program, Columbia Cascade Housing, MCMC, Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation to name a few.

 With all of us working together: individuals, non-profits, churches, public agencies and businesses, we can create the interconnected web of social supports that improve the health and wellbeing of not only older adults but the whole community. And although we are far from perfect, we can make a better place for all of us to live. 

The cap made famous by Fess Parker in the Disney mini-series Davy Crockett (which many of us young boys of the 50’s had to have) was the coonskin cap. And the doll that could both “drink-and-wet” was the Betsy Wetsy doll.

 And for the last Christmas related “Remember When” question, the Academy Award winning Miracle on 34th Street was filmed in 1947 and starred Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn who played Kris Kringle.. What was the name of the department store that hired Kris Kringle and – to make it a little more challenging – the name of its competitive rival? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with 21 bags of letters addressed to Santa.

 Well, it has been another week of Christmas lights and Christmas carols, cookies and hot chocolate, while waiting for what Santa brings. Until we meet again, as the Irish would toast “May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you”.

 “What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” ~Agnes M. Pahro

Aging Well December 17 2013

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
The literature on aging has identified three pillars to successful aging: avoiding disease and disability; active engagement in life; and maximizing your cognitive and physical fitness. But Dr. Michael Parker, at the University of Alabama’s Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, believes there should be a fourth pillar which has been forgotten when discussing successful aging – the spiritual.

Spirituality extends beyond the physical and material, and connects the individual to something greater than the self. It is deeply personal and expressed in a variety of ways including the involvement in religious activities which is associated with better physical and mental health by providing intergenerational connections, social supports, and encouraging social involvement through good works.

To learn more you can attend the last Passport to Happiness Event of 2013 on Wednesday December 18th at the Center from 3:00 – 4:30 when Joyce Powell Morin will discuss the connection between spirituality and health and well-being.

You’ve probably heard the joke “Keep Grandma off the Street – Support Bingo”. For Thursday and Saturday Night Bingo at the Center, there is a loyal following of older adults but you will also find people of all ages enjoying bingo and  the tantalizing feeling of being, oh, so close – “just one more number!” Or the thrill of taking home $1000.

But bingo is the largest fundraiser for both Meals-on-Wheels (on Thursday nights} and the Center {on Saturday nights). For the Center, bingo generates approximately 20% of the Center’s operating budget. And as a special thank-you to all the bingo players who help support both Meals-on-Wheels and the Center, and to invite new players to this classic American game of chance, on Saturday December 28ththe Center will welcome the New Year, albeit  a few days early, with a Bingo Bash. A free dinner featuring pulled pork sandwiches will be served between 4:30 and 5:30 – in time to digest, clean up and be ready for the games to begin at 6:00 PM.

Thanks to the several folks who stepped forward to help with Bingo, but we still need a couple more cashiers and concession workers to fill in once a month. The time commitment is between 3 ½ and 5 ½ hours a night. Call the Center if you are interested.

The Center’s annual Christmas breakfast will be on December 21st – once again sponsored by The Springs of Mill Creek. The menu will include Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon plus fruit and your favorite beverage. And to add to the festive spirit, The Springs will be providing musical entertainment; plus they have invited Santa so the young-at-heart can have their picture taken with Santa. The cost is still only $5.00 for the general public and $4.00 for Center members. This will also be your last chance to buy raffle tickets for the beautiful quilt hanging in the Center’s lobby. The drawing will be held at 9:00 during the breakfast. .

During the holidays, the Center and Meals-on-Wheels will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. And because Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Wednesdays, there will not be Tuesday Night Music at the Center for the next two weeks. (You will just have to wait to use your already scrambled brain cells to decipher the wacky mixed up weekly music announcement.}  And there will not be Tuesday Lectures for the next two weeks either – which gives me time to line up the next speaker for January 7th. During the holidays many other Center classes are cancelled, so you may want to call to make sure your class is meeting.

In one of his last roles, Boris Karlof was the voice of the Grinch who stole Christmas in the children’s classic first shown on December 18th in 1966. (The winner of a free Christmas Breakfast on Saturday December 21st is Glenna McCargar.)

As you remember Christmas pasts with presents bought and received, here is a “Remember When” question for both the boys and girls in the peanut gallery. For the boys, what kind of cap did Fess Parker make famous in the Disney mini-series Davy Crockett? And for the girls, what was the name of one of the most popular “drink-and-wet dolls” of the 50’s? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with a saver book of S&H Green Stamps.

Well, it has been another week discovering what you think does matter doesn’t and what doesn’t matter does. Until we meet again, don’t let your angels pass by without saying thank-you.  


“Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white’.” Bing Crosby 

Aging Well December 10th 2013

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
I know you’ve been around the ice block a few times, so you have heard how to stay safe in cold weather. But then if I remembered everything I’ve heard, I would be a very sharp cookie – which I am reminded daily I am not. So maybe just a few reminders might help to keep you upright and avoid falling – one of the major dangers during the cold and slippery winter months.
Wear proper footwear – stable shoes with good traction. Keep a shovel, salt and sand nearby to make your path to the car or mailbox accessible and safe. Carry a cell phone with a contact number for ICE – In Case of Emergency. Take it slow – no need to hurry. No one else is moving very fast. Ask for assistance – don’t let pride goeth before a fall. Don’t take chances. Even if the Center and Meals-on-Wheels are open, don’t come in if you think it is unsafe. It’s not school and we won’t be calling your children if you miss a day. Have a plan for whom to call if something does happen: a fall or the car won’t start.
And don’t ignore the everyday healthy habits during these cold winter months: eat nutritious foods, exercise moderately; get proper rest; and drink adequate amounts of liquids.
For those of us who haven’t flown the coup to warmer climates (although when the temperature is below zero it is tempting), these are some common sense steps we can take to make sure the winter months are safe, enjoyable and full of good cheer with family and friends.
Daily exercise is good but spending hours shoveling snow can make a long day even longer. But this last Saturday, as Ron Sutherland was shoveling the Center’s parking lot, a crew of young people from the TOOL program at NORCOR came by with shovels in hand; and then a young man from Brace Brothers drove up on his hefty steed of a snow plowing machine and started plowing. Thanks to their generous help the parking lot is plowed and shoveled – but still slippery – waiting for the warmth of sunny skies and warmer temperatures to melt away the rest of the ice and snow.
Every third Monday and Tuesday, the Center offers the AARP Driver Safety class taught by Dennis Davis. And it was just announced that Dennis was selected as the AARP Drivers Safety Volunteer Instructor for November – in the whole State of Oregon! I knew he was good – but not that good. You can sign up anytime by calling the Center at 541-296-4788.
The Nu-2-U Shop has been picked up, put back down and spun around – cleaned up and ready to go for the Holiday Season with nice women’s and some men’s used clothing. But the Nu-2-U crew is telling me they are running low in good quality used clothing. So think of them while you are cleaning out the closet making room for all your new Christmas gifts. You can drop off any unwanted clothing at the Center on any week day between 9:00 and 4:00 PM.
Do you know there is an Internet website that will randomly mix up the letters in all the words of a sentence? Which makes it real tempting to jumble the letters every week for the Center’s music announcement. But since this is the last announcement for 2013, (there will not be music on the 24th or 31st) I will let you off easy – but just wait till next year.
On Tuesday, December 17th, Truman will be playing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Doors open at 6:00 and the music starts at 7:00. Everyone is welcome and donations are always appreciated.
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was the Christmas classic that reached #1 in December of 1952. (The winner of a free Saturday Breakfast is Morris Melton.)

Continuing the Christmas theme for this week’s “Remember When” question, before Jim Carrey’s Grinch stole Christmas, there was the television special of the children’s classic, first shown on December 18th 1966. In this animated version, who was the voice of the Grinch (and also the narrator) playing one of his final roles?

E-mail your question to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with a copy of Mary Shelley’s first novel.
Well, it has been another week watching how the falling leaves have now turned to snow. Until we meet again, bad always looks better after it gets worse.   

“It’s good to have an end to journey toward; but it’s the journey that matters, in the end.” Ursula LeGuin.

Aging Well December 3rd 2013

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
Sometimes, don’t you just wish things were different? Thoughts wouldn’t disappear like a magician’s assistant; the body could still scale tall mountains; and old friends would still be there – sitting next to you at church or during lunch at the Center.

There are days when it is a struggle just to keep moving and your head above water. And when that happens it is easy to focus on what we don’t have (and during this season we are bombarded with all the material things we don’t have) instead of what we do – and can get stuck riding a downward spiral into the sticky goop of self-pity.

But in the book Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life by M.J. Ryan, a book recently loaned to me by Ron Nelson, Ryan shares her thoughts and understanding of how gratitude can make us better aware of all the wonders we experience and remind us of the bountiful harvest before us and the amazing miracle of life.

By expressing our gratitude for what we have and making it a daily habit, we can live a more positive and meaningful life and have the strength to address our worries and change what is broken.

As Meister Eckhart once said “If the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘thank you’ that would suffice.”

And for those of you who thought you missed last Tuesday’s Lecture by Joyce Powell Morin on the Healing Power of Gratitude and Optimism, you didn’t. I had to postpone the presentation, but it has been rescheduled for January 28th.

And speaking of the 11:00 Tuesday Lectures at the Center, the next speaker on December 10th will be Dick LaFever sharing his moving and powerful story of forgiveness and his faith that’s given him strength during the painful times in his life. Whether you have heard his message or not, I would encourage you to attend this presentation.

Pinochle is a popular card game: it is challenging involving teamwork and skill, but easy enough to learn. And what better way to get together with others, stretch your cranium (and if you know the right places – enjoy some great homemade snacks) while having fun. There are many places to play Pinochle including at the Center on Thursday afternoons starting at 1:00 and Friday nights starting at 6:00 – and like all the activities at the Center, they are open to everyone.

But if you want to learn how to play Pinochle or brush up on your skills, starting December 3rd on every Tuesday from 1 – 3 PM at the Eagles, there will be free instruction on how to play the game. It is open to everyone – you don’t have to be a member of the Eagles. For more information contact Gayla Hill at 541-993-0873.

Are you tired of having to read all the mixed up letters for the Center’s music announcement and just want it to be simple and clear? Sorry, no can do. You see, I’m only thinking of you – and how “easy” is really not good for your brain health – or much of a challenge. But you say you have enough challenges – like just getting out of the chair!  Okay, in the Christmas spirit, I will only scramble some of the words in this week’s music announcement. Now are you happy?

On Tuesday igevnen, Emderbec 10th ta the Rnecte, Martin adn Friends iwll eb lgyinap curntyo favorites. Rsodo open ta 6:00, hte usmci starts ta 7:00, and donations aer radpatpeiec. And no matter how cldo ti is outside, Byab ti’s wamr dnseii.

The answers to last week’s “Remember When” questions were Tom Mix, the original cowboy actor, and his horse Tony. (The winner of a free Saturday Breakfast on December 21st is Jim Ayers.)

And during the month of December I will ask questions from Christmases past – including this one about the No. 1 song in December 1952. What was the name of this Christmas oldie recorded by Jimmy Boyd, when he was only 13 years old, describing what a little boy saw when he walked downstairs on Christmas Eve. E-mail your question to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with a bushel full of Phoradendron serotinum that I can hang in the bedroom doorway.

Well, it has been another week raking away the leaves that somehow keep reappearing.
Until we meet again, as we experience the challenges of aging don’t forget all the things that don’t need fixing.

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”  Thornton Wilder

Aging Well November 26th 2013

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
Well, it’s the beginning of the holiday season – when we enjoy the company of family and also gain seven pounds before the start of the New Year. But while visiting with parents, children, grandchildren or all three, it can be difficult navigating around and through past hurts and slights that are brought to family gatherings along with gifts and holiday treats.
But I found this advice that might help avoid the traps and difficulties often encountered at family gatherings. It is from the website Next Avenue (http://www.nextavenue.org/), a service of several PBS stations that offers advice on health and well-being, living and learning, work and finances and caregiving.
First, bury the hatchet (and although tempted – not in someone’s back!). You may not forget past wrongs, but try to maintain a spirit of forgiveness.
Second, keep your mouth shut! Well, not exactly. But hold your tongue – even when they have it all wrong! Follow the advice of Rumi, a 13thCentury Persian poet and philosopher, who suggested before you speak let your words pass through three gates. “At the first gate, ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’ At the second ask, ‘Is it necessary?’ At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?’”
Third, simplify and reduce stress. Don’t be totally worn out when guests arrive. Determine ahead of time what is essential and what is not. And skip what is not.
Fourth, sneak in a few breaks to relax before, during and after the gathering.
Fifth, reinvent your traditions. Find a new location for the gathering. Or go as a family to help volunteer for a community event. Think outside the turkey roll.
Sixth, rethink your gift giving. Donate on behalf of your loved one to a non-profit. Or give “experience” gifts: tickets to the theater or a gift card to a restaurant they would not normally visit.
Families are our support system in times of trouble; our connections to the past and future. And when families are so scattered and often disconnected, the time together is a special time to be enjoyed and savored.   
The 11:00 Tuesday Lecture at the Center on December 3rd will be “Creative Aging: Using the Creative Arts to enhance your health and well-being”. Debra Jones who has offered the popular Creative Arts program at the Center will share her perspectives on the value of the creative arts.  
You have had a chance to buy raffle tickets for the quilt hanging in the Center’s lobby since July, but time is running out with the drawing on December 21stduring the Center’s annual Christmas Breakfast sponsored by The Springs at Mill Creek. You can purchase raffle tickets at the Center – one for a $1.00, seven for $5.00, or I’ll make you a deal. How about eighty for $50? You can find a picture of the quilt on the Center’s website at midcolumbiaseniorcenter.com.
Okay it wasn’t easy to read last week’s music announcement – maybe the vowels are as important as they think. So I will bring back last week’s missing vowels and include them in this week’s music announcement. That should make it easier, right?
Ono Tueesdaya Deoecemeber 3rd, Tohe Storawobeirery Mioeunatiain Boanod uwill bie peaiying faor yoiur lisateyning auned deaonacinig enijoyomenot. Deooros oopen aot 6:00 aond aot 7:00 tehe mausuic sitarats faleying tehorougih tehe aoir leike lieaves uon ai buluseteroy daoy. Dionaotions arae apapreceiated aond everiyone and teheir beust fariend aere welecome.
Many folks remembered the Weigelts: brothers Paul and Gus plus sister Edna, who bought the bookstore from Inwer Nickelsen. And after they sold it to Phil and Linda Klindt in 1981, Edna continued working there until she was 91. (The winner of a free Saturday breakfast on December 21st is Virgil Choate.)
This week’s “Remember When” question was suggested by Alex Currie. Who was the silent movie star of westerns, the “King of Cowboys” when Ronald Reagan and John Waynewere mere children, and made over 291 films during his career?  And for bonus points, what was the name of his horse that was even given costar billing in several movies?  E-mail your question to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or drive you answer to the Center in a 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton.
Well, it has been another week trying to keep my hands warm while thinking 100 plus degree heat during the summer wasn’t that bad. Until we meet again, from Oprah Winfrey, the sage of daytime television, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Aging Well November 19th 2013

Aging Well in the Gorge No Comments
I don’t want to run as fast as I once did; or even look as ruggedly handsome – when all the girls I asked were too intimidated by my good looks to go out with me. (Wasn’t it Mark Twain who said when you’re young, you remember anything, whether it happened or not, but when you’re older, you only remember the latter. But I do vividly remember the lack of dates!)
No, I just wish I had a little of the youthful self-confidence: the “I know everything and can do anything” attitude that I once possessed. Because if there was a problem or mistake, I knew it was them. It was them that didn’t understand, or hear the question. I wasn’t me!
But not anymore.
Now too often I wonder – Is it me? Did I hear that right? Did I miss something? Did I really buy that $249 printer listed on the credit card statement? Because I haven’t seen it and I really didn’t need one? But did I? Could I be mistaken? It must be me!
But it isn’t. Well, not most of the time. I find it easy to magnify the hurried oversights, the inadvertent mistakes to start questioning my own abilities. And then I start playing it safe. But I know there is so much more to experience. And whether at 65 or 75 or 85 I can still have dreams, discover new interests and still believe that the best is yet to come. I just have to take the time to get off my rear end and look for it. 
At the urging of several folks who went to see the Singing Christmas Tree last year and wanted to go again, I have arranged another trip to see the Singing Christmas Tree in Portland on Sunday December 1st for the 2:00 matinee performance. But I am a little late on the draw, so you have less than two weeks to hop on board. The cost is $55 including transportation provided by the friendly folks at Sherman County Community Transit. The bus will leave the Senior Center in The Dalles at 11:30. You don’t have to be a Center member or even live in Wasco County – there are five folks from Hood River who are going to be picked up on the way. But you do need to call the Center now at 541-296-4788 to reserve your seat.
And two more quick announcements. November’s Passport to Happiness event, on Wednesday the 20th from 3:00 – 4:30 at the Center, will focus on Mental Health. (And save a place on your wall for the 2014 Passport to Happiness Calendar. It will be out next month.) And at next Tuesday’s 11:00 Lecture at the Center, Joyce Powell-Morin from MCMC has lined up a speaker to discuss the benefits associated with the “Healing Power of Gratitude and Optimism”.
Because you can’t have words without syllables; and syllables without vowels, vowels are known to be rather arrogant – believing they belong at the top of the alphabetic food chain. But just to show them they are not indispensable, this week’s music announcement for the Center has the vowels stripped away and placed in exile until next week.
n Tsdy, Nvmbr 26th “Fr th Gd Tms” wll b plyng fr yr lstnng nd dncng plsre. Sggstd dntn s $2.00 fr n nd $2.00 fr tw. Drs pn t6:00; msc strts t 7:00 nd vrybdy s wlcm ncldng trkys lkng for a plce t hd.
Thanks for the several ideas for the “Reminder When” question including one from Bill Van Nice (the winner of a free Saturday Breakfast on December 21st) who suggested I include questions about local events such as this one.
In 1870 Inwer Nicholson opened a bookstore in The Dalles across the street from where it is currently located – now known as Klindt’s Booksellers. What was the name of the family who bought the bookstore from Inwer in 1927 and sold it to Phillip and Linda Klindt in 1981?” And for bonus points, what was the first name of the sister in the family who continued working at the store until she was 91? E-mail your question to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with a copy of the book Win-Quatt; A Brief History of The Dalles, Oregon.
Well, it has been another week trying to follow my mother’s advice “Stop shuffling and PICK UP YOUR FEET!” Until we meet again, keep the porch lights on and the fire burning warm.
“Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” Anonymous