It is always nice to hear from a friend you haven’t seen for a while. Several weeks ago I received a nice letter from Marilyn Erickson. She is doing fine “married to her walker” but her daughter tells her she is looking better every day. Marilyn provided critical leadership for the Center and was the regular writer of this column for many years – sharing the important work of the Center while adding her own personal touch. Because she is living and staying busy in Hood River, we don’t see her much anymore, but knowing the importance of the Center, she included her membership dues for this year – although she admits a little late.

But it is never too late! The Center is in the final push of its 2011 Membership Drive. The dues are only $35 per person or $60 per couple and you can be of any age although you have to be over 50 to vote at the July membership meeting. So as the Romans use to shout “Carpe Stylo” or “Seize the Pen” and write that check today!

Along with her check, Marilyn sent several “smiles” including this one which Marilyn said really did happen – which are always the best stories. On a warm June day, in the dining room of an assisted living facility, Marilyn’s friend was seated next to a person she really didn’t know very well. As another resident walked by the friend said to her new tablemate, “The paper says it may reach 90 degrees today.” Her companion replied, “Oh, she doesn’t look that old.”

It is time again for the Center’s Third Saturday Breakfast. This month’s menu includes Hot Cakes, Bacon, Country Scrambled Eggs, and Fruit plus the regular beverages. The cost is only $5.00 for the general public, $4.00 for Center members, and for anyone ten and under (and I’m not talking about your maturity level!) it is only $3.00. Everyone is welcome and as Jack always said,” Breakfast tastes better when someone else cooks it!”

The 11:00 Tuesday Lecture Series at the Center will continue through the month of June with slide show presentations from the “Mastery of Aging Well” series produced by OSU extension. The next two presentations will be “Medicine Jeopardy” on June 21^st and “Physical Activity and Exercise in Later Life” on June 28th. During July and August the lecture series will take its usual summer break returning in September for the fourth year of Tuesday Lectures “for the curious mind”.

The Center’s Summer Rummage Sale has been rescheduled for Thursday June 23^rd through Saturday the 25^th (I won’t go into the details but you can guess the change had something to do with my organizational skills.) But it does give you one more week to clear out all of your unused items from around the house. Use the “two year rule” and anything you haven’t used, touched, seen or smelled in the last two years needs to go – now! Give the Center a call or just leave your unused items outside the Center’s basement door.

And the very last reminder for “The Talk – Engaging in Compassionate Conversations between Adult Children and their Parents” – a two hour workshop at the Center this coming Saturday starting at 10:00. The workshop will be led by Rev. Kathleen Flynn with an introduction by Lucille Torgerson.

Tuesday Night music on June 21^st will feature Truman who has been entertaining folks with his “Country Gold” since the Shamrock was the hot spot. And tonight “Martin and Friends” will keep you dancing until the sun sets. It’s all fun and everyone is invited. And donations are always appreciated.

Several folks emailed their favorite Burma-Shave signs that dotted the roadsides of America. Marilyn Keys remembers: “T’would be more fun/ To go by air/If they could put/These signs up there”. Joann Scott’s favorite was “Brother speeders/Let’s rehearse/All together/ Good morning nurse!” And from Ted Mahoney in Wamic “In this valley/Of toil and sin/Your head goes bald/But not your chin.” If you want to read all 600 Burma Shave jingles you can find them on the web at http://burma-shave.org/jingles/. (And the winner of a free breakfast is Jean Emerson.)

This week’s “Remember When” is about the song “Beep Beep” released in 1958 and sung by The Playmates. It describes a duel between the drivers of what two models of American automobiles? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a map of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Well it’s been another week – looking for the gold at the end of the rainbow. Until we meet again, remember the advice of Mark Twain “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”

“I’ve been looking over the list of spring chores I made up last fall, and darned if they aren’t fall chores, after all.” Robert Brault

Now that summer has unofficially started, the Center is shifting into its summer gear – while beginning to plan for next fall’s array of classes. Tai Chi and Strong Women will be taking a summer break and although the Tuesday lecture series has ended until September, the 11:00 Tuesday time slot will be used for special presentations during the summer. But the Center’s other regularly scheduled classes will continue to keep you busy during “those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” including Monday’s Lunch with Ted, Brain Fitness, Tuesday Night music, Seniorcise, Chair Yoga, Tap and Clogging, Computer Lab, Pinochle, AARP Driver Safety, Monday Night Wii Bowling as well as Thursday and Saturday Night Bingo. You can call the Center for more information about these classes and activities.

But summer is also the time the Center starts planning for next fall. Are there any classes or activities you would enjoy? Craft activities? Memoirs writing group? A beginning acting class? Astronomy? The Center could be the place where you and others with similar interests could meet and share your enthusiasm – just for the fun of it – without the pressure of worrying about how good you are or whether you can make every session. (Life happens and sometimes there is the unexpected doctor’s appointment, you aren’t feeling well or most importantly the grandkids are visiting.) If you have a particular interest or an idea for a class or activity you would like to see offered at the Center, send me a short email with your suggestions or leave a message with the Center’s receptionist. I will get back to you to see what we can pull together. (The Center already has the Young-at-Heart Serenaders scheduled to return next September thanks to Phyllis Farner who has stepped forwarded to lead this group of harmonious stray cats.)

There is not a summer break for the Tuesday Night music. If there was – dancing couples would probably be taking turns two-stepping over my outstretched body. And since I value my own health, next Tuesday on the 14^th, Martin and Friends will be playing what is now becoming their regular second Tuesday night engagement. And tonight Andre and the Strawberry Mountain Band will entertain the spirited audience with good dancing and listening music. The fun starts at 7:00 PM, the doors are open for everyone and donations are always appreciated.

Two quick reminders. “The Talk – How to engage in compassionate conversations between adult children and their parents” will be on Saturday, October 18th from 10:00 – 12:00 at the Center. Rev. Kathleen Flynn will be the presenter and will provide valuable suggestions about how to communicate in a positive and respectful way during – what are many times – very difficult conversations. Because of the importance of this workshop, there is no charge.

The Center’s annual summer rummage sale will be on Thursday (16^th) and Friday (17^th) from 9:00 – 4:00 concluding with a bag sale on Saturday (18^th) from 9:00 – 12:00. And for those who are more interested in “getting rid” than “collecting” stuff, we are accepting donations of items that still have some use. You can leave your donation at the back basement door of the center or at the front desk. And for the benefit of Uncle Sam, the Center can provide you with a form acknowledging your donation.

Ralph Kramden’s best friend and fellow member of the Raccoon Lodge in the 1955-56 TV comedy series was New York City sewer worker Ed Norton played by Art Carney. (And the randomly drawn winner – from nine entries – for a free June 18^th Saturday Breakfast is Joann Scott.) This week’s “Remember When” question is from the category – highway literature. From 1925 until 1963 these series of signs were popular along America’s expanding road way system and usually consisted of six consecutive small signs creating a short catchy verse advertising a particular product. One example was “Listen Birds/ These signs cost money/ So sit a spell/ But don’t get funny”. What was the name of the product advertised in these roadside billboards? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or leave it inside a case of Vintage Gillette Safety Shaving Razors.

Well it has been another week when Mother Nature finally offered hints of the summer to come. Until we meet again, remember as we are trying to stay cool, it was only four months ago we were complaining it was too cold.

I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain. ~Jane Wagner

Because of the Memorial Day weekend, I am writing this column early. So I am going to keep it short and sweet – sharing a few “going-ons” interspersed with some one-liners just to keep it interesting. .

The Friendly Visitor program, operated by our local Area Agency on Aging (AAA), provides social visits to isolated or home bound seniors. The program is currently looking for twenty to thirty empathetic volunteers who are interested in spending time with isolated seniors – sharing stories, playing cards and just being a comforting presence. If this appeals to you, call the AAA at 541-298-4101. And if you know someone in need of companionship ask them to call the AAA, or you can refer them to the AAA who will contact them to see if they would be interested in a friendly visit. Maybe you can help provide that welcome “hello” that most of us take for granted.

“I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.”

Isn’t it frustrating! Your children never call anymore – all they want to do is email. Even worse, some of your best friends have traded in their pen for the keyboard. And because you don’t have a computer and don’t want one (even though your kids are going gaga wanting to buy you one) you feel like an outdated model T Ford. If you are in this situation, the Center will help you get online, set up an email account and send and receive emails. And then once you learn to email, any afternoon at the Center, you will be able to confidentially check your emails with friendly help nearby to quickly answer all of your questions. I won’t say it will always be easy but I know it is possible. Call the Center for an appointment, so we can get you connected and finally get your pesky kids off your back!

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

I was beginning to panic, but we sold all the tickets for Riverdance. Unfortunately several folks procrastinated and missed out. But we still have two more performances scheduled this August and you might want to purchase your tickets now to make sure you don’t incur a similar fate. The Center has Sunday matinee tickets for Les Miserables on Sunday August 7th and Momma Mia on August 28th. Once again the tickets are only $70 including transportation but there are also four tickets available for $40 apiece if you want to drive into Portland on your own.

“We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.”

Now that Memorial Day has passed and summer has unofficially begun, you can dance into the swing of summer with the sounds of the Sugar Daddies tonight at the Center. And next Tuesday on June 7^th the Strawberry Mountain Band will be playing for your enjoyment. The music starts at 7:00 and donations are always appreciated.

“The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”

Many folks remembered the song “Does Your Chewing Gun Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Over Night” but Mary Davis (proud member of the class of ’63) was the only one who sent in the correct answer: Lonnie Donegan, the British King of Skiffle. And check out the videos of Donegan from the 50’s and 60’s on YouTube and you can see why he was the most successful British musician before the Beatles.

Now that it is warming up, I’ve started wearing a vest and t-shirt which brings me to this week’s “Remember When” question. What was the name of the television character, played by Art Carney, who was Ralph Kramden’s best friend? And for bonus points what was the name of the lodge they both belonged to. E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a map of the New York City sewer system.

Well, it has been another week watching the water rise. Until we meet again, there are times to live loud and times to be still. The hard part is knowing when.

“Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves and then we have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.” Snoopy

When you were just a babe in the woods did you have “the talk”? When you sat fidgeting and embarrassed as your mom or dad first told you about the “birds and the bees”? (And you thought “What in the heck is this all about! If it’s not about the Baltimore Colts or the Indiana University Swim Team, I’m not interested!” Okay maybe that was just me.) Or maybe you were the parent not knowing exactly what to say – feeling just as uneasy as your child.

But time has passed and now the roles have reversed – with the adult child initiating the “talk” and it isn’t about sex (at least I don’t think so). It is now about future decisions: long term planning and issues of care. And are just as emotionally challenging as the first talk – often with feelings of guilt, shame and frustration.

How to engage in caring conversations between adult children and their parents while understanding the needs and wants of both is the topic of a two hour workshop that will be held at the Center on Saturday June 18th from 10:00 – 12:00. The presenter will be Rev. Kathleen Flynn, MA, a chaplain for Heart of Hospice. Knowing the value of awareness and honesty, Kathleen has developed a sensitivity and understanding towards these difficult multi-generational conversations and will offer practical ideas you can use when having “the talk”.

The Center just received a certificate from the National Director of the AARP Driver Safety Program recognizing the Center’s Driver Safety Class as one of the top AARP Driver Safety programs in the country. And that is because of the dedicated efforts of the current volunteer instructor Dennis Davis and his faithful cohort Mary Davis, and the area coordinator, Dick Frost. Over the last three years the Center’s AARP Driver Safety class has helped more than 300 folks tune up their driving skills and often reducing their insurance rates. The cost is $14 and $12 for AARP members. The next class is from 9:00 – 1:00 on Monday and Tuesday June 20^th and 21^st. Call or stop by the Center to sign up.

The Center is hosting its annual rummage sale starting Thursday June 17th and continuing through Saturday the 19th. And right now we are looking for decent “stuff”: used items you no longer want but are not yet ready for recycling. Bring your stuff to the Center and receive a tax donation.

The month of May has five Tuesdays, five Mondays and five Sundays which contrary to Internet rumors occurs more often than once every 823 years. (I blindly fell for this urban legend until I realized the obvious: in every 31 day month there will always be three consecutive weekdays with five days in the month!) And on May 31^st, a fifth Tuesday, the Sugar Daddies and will be singing at the Center for all the “Sugar Mommas” in the audience. And tonight the venerable Jazz Generations will be playing the big band sounds for your dancing and listening pleasure. The music starts at 7:00 – you can get home before dark – and donations are always appreciated.

The speaker for the fith Tuesday Lecture in May will be Tina Castellano who is a Water’s Edge physical therapist with a specialization in urinary incontinence and pelvic pain for both men and women. The title of her presentation is “Controlling your bladder so it stops controlling you”. Many of us have had a “Gotta go, Gotta go!” experience – usually when I start washing the dishes – and could use some welcome advice. The presentation starts at 11:00 on Tuesday May 31st.

The multi-talented performer who hosted a variety show on NBC from June 1956 through June 1960 was Steve Allen. (And Beverly McKinney wins a free Saturday Breakfast.) Thanks to Carol Hayward for suggesting that question and to Ron Sutherland who suggested this week’s “Remember When” question. In 1961 the song “Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?” reached number five on the Billboard top 100. This novelty song was the only American hit sung by this British recording artist considered by many as the most successful British recording artist before the Beatles. What was his name? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a paper explaining Skiffle music.

Well, it’s been another week trying to stay awake while looking for my elusive second wind. Until we meet again, even though you may feel like you are running in circles, at least you are running.

Peter Irene “.changed has anything mean doesn’t different is everything because Just”

How often at our age do we actually learn a new skill? I am still trying to learn how to dictate my thoughts so they actually make sense. (Hey, it’s only been a week! And I can’t yet get use to talking to myself out loud. I feel like I am carrying on a conversation with someone who doesn’t really care.) But I have learned how to floss my teeth – it only took me three weeks – which I would share with you but my wife thought that would be too much information. If she only knew what I have already shared, she might actually read this column.)

But I am firm believer that nothing is or has ever been easy to learn the first time, the second or the third time. All those life skills we were taught as a kid – about effort and perseverance – still hold true today and may even be more important. Life doesn’t seem to get any easier. It just gets different – with new challenges and new blessings. And it is still possible that the “best is yet to come”.

This coming Saturday the 21^st from 8:00 – 9:30 am it is breakfast time at the Center. Chad Krause, Wasco County’s able Treasurer, is sponsoring the breakfast for the windy month of May. And head cook Bonnie Lobdell will be fixing up a menu of biscuits and gravy, sausage, and fruit as well as the usual beverages. The price is right: $5 for the general public, $4 for members and for children under 12 – before they sprout like a weed- it is $3. And as Jack use to say “Breakfast tastes better when someone else cooks it.”

The Center purchased twenty seven tickets for the popular Irish spectacle “Riverdance” at Portland’s Keller Auditorium just so you – and especially you – can enjoy an afternoon’s delight while watching entertainers who know how to kick up their heels. Because we purchased these tickets at the senior group rate, we can sell them for $70 -including comfortable transportation – which is less than the price of an individual ticket. And you don’t have to drive or pay for parking! The bus will leave the Center at 10:30 on Sunday May 29^th for the 1:00 performance. We still have ten tickets left so call the Center at 541-296-4788 to reserve your tickets for this exciting event.

It has been shown that our brains can often understand sentences when the first and last letters of the words are the same but the rest of the letters are scrambled. See if you find that to be true as you decipher the Center’s Tuesday night music lineup. Erevy Tesusady ngiht bgeinnnig at 7:00 the miusc ctus lsooe at the Cteenr. Tnohigt Turamn wlil be pyanilg the cnourty glod of ysetrryaer taht siltl sdouns good tdoay. And nxet Teusady on the 24th the Jzaz Gnereaiotns reutrn – oerffnig a berak form the cnourty calisscs by ginvig you an oorppounity to dnace to the big bnad snouds. Aynnoe of any age is wlecmoe and dnoaiotns are alawys aperpcaited.

The Center’s Tuesday Lectures offer insights and information on a variety of subjects for the curious mind. So if you have been wondering what development is occurring at the Port of The Dalles, or what the plans for the NW Aluminum property are, you will want to attend next Tuesday’s Lecture on May 24th when Andrea Klaas, Executive Director of The Dalles will be the speaker. Andrea’s presentation starts at 11:00 and will conclude by noon – just in time for lunch.

The answer to last week’s “Remember When” question is Ernie Kovacs – considered by many as TV’s first comic genius. (And the winner of a free breakfast is Bill Turner.) And while looking for Ernie Kovacs’ comic skits on YouTube, I found video clips of this multi-talented performer. Who was the host of his own variety show that ran on NBC from June 1956 through June 1960 launching the careers of cast members Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Louis Nye, Pat Harrington, Jr. and Bill Dana and featuring the show’s popular sketch “Man on the Street”. E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the tailfin of a 1957 Plymouth Fury.

Well, it’s been another week trying to do right but knowing I have often been wrong. Until we meet again, keep smiling and your light shining.

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.” Robert Brault

Isn’t there something you would really like to be good at, but aren’t? For me, it would be the ability to speak extemporaneously while being clear and concise – like former Mayor Rob VanCleave who – no matter the occasion – always seemed to be able to say the right thing in the right way. Instead, I always have to prepare precise notes so when I speak I can get from point A to point D without skipping B and C.

For example on the KODL Coffeebreak with Al Wynn, while answering questions about the Center, I will often start an internal dialog with myself. Am I making sense? What did I just say? Now I’m even confused. Al, help me! And I would finally conclude with words stumbling out of my mouth like a drunken cowboy leaving a bar on Sunday morning. Not very pretty.

I think of my lack of articulation as I experiment with a voice recognition program I just downloaded to my iPhone. With the program you dictate your thoughts and it transcribes them word for word with amazing accuracy. How cool – and convenient. But there is one small problem. To use the program effectively I will have to learn how to think coherently – on the spot and without notes.

It won’t be easy. And several years ago I would have thought, just forget it. But haven’t I been urging you to try something new even though it isn’t easy? And shouldn’t I be practicing what I preach? So every day I am going to practice dictating my thoughts until something intelligent comes out. Wish me luck. I will need it.

Meals-on-Wheels is looking for more volunteer drivers. The demand for home delivered meals has increased over the last year to where more home delivered meals are served than meals at the Center. At the same time several drivers who delivered meals on multiple days of the week for many, many years have retired or no longer can drive. With this combination, Meals on Wheels is short handed particularly on Mondays. It doesn’t take a lot of time – about an hour, once a week or once a month. And they treat you real fine with cookies and coffee; and hugs and laughs. For more information call Meals-on-Wheels at 541-298 – 8333 and ask for Ashley.

The Center’s Tuesday Lectures are for curious minds – because you never know what you will learn. And Tuesday the 17th will be no exception when Dan Durow, the Community Development Director for the City of The Dalles will be the speaker. He has been closely involved in many of the positive changes that have occurred in The Dalles from the Riverfront Trail to the current east entrance to the downtown with the Sunshine Mill redevelopment and the roundabout. He will share with you the city’s vision for the next ten years and answer any of your questions. It should be a lively and fascinating discussion starting at 11:00 and everyone is invited.

(To turn things around and challenge your brain, try reading the following announcement for Tuesday Night music.) YadseuT Thgin cisum ta eht retneC sevig uoy a ecnahc ot netsil ot doog cisum dna ecitcarp rouy owt pets dna yrtnuoc ztlaw. thginoT nitraM dna sdneirF era gniyalp dna txen yadseuT eht ht71 namurT lliw eb gnignis dna gnikcip. ffo-ekaT si ta 00:7. ydobyrevE si emoclew dna snoitanod era syawla detaicerppa.

The Kingston Trio sang the song about the man who “never returned” while riding Boston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority – and hence the name of the song “M.T.A.” or informally known as “Charlie on the M.T.A.”. (And this week’s winner of a free Saturday breakfast was Ben Neumeyer.) And to oblige Sandy Goforth, this week’s “Remember When” question is back to the early days of television, and maybe a difficult one. Who was the TV comedian considered by many as TV’s first comic genius famous for his off-beat humor and cigar; played characters such as Chef Miklos Molnar, Percy Dovetonsils and Magician Matzoh Heppelwhite and died prematurely in an automobile accident in 1962? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail you answer with a copy of a Muriel Cigar commercial starring Edie Adams.

Well, it’s been another week running into detours and discovering new understandings I never expected. Until we meet again, always try to do the right thing, but as a consolation – bad decisions do make great stories.

Optimist: someone who isn’t sure whether life is a tragedy or a comedy but is tickled silly just to be in the play. ~Robert Brault

Although we never did find the warm sunny beach (found wet, cold weather instead), my wife and I enjoyed our getaway to Vancouver, BC – and the experience enjoying another country and their customs: the day-after-Easter holiday, parliamentary campaigning, and their national hockey teams – Go Canucks! And just as if I was still in high school, I did more sight-seeing, eating and relaxing than reading my homework assignments. But enough rambling ruminations – time to get back to business.

Last week I left you with five brain ticklers to stretch your problem solving skills. But there are many other activities you can do to help keep your brain healthy, fit and tanned. And when choosing activities to work your brain, you may want to ask the following questions.

1. Is the activity challenging? The activity should force you to concentrate and pay close attention. triplets. Although you shouldn’t develop a brain freeze – as if you were drinking a Smoothie too fast, you may feel frustrated and discouraged. But don’t stop. If it doesn’t push you, it may not provide the necessary workout your brain needs. the match 2. Is it progressive? Now here is the second part. As you learn the skill, the difficulty needs to increase so you can continue challenging yourself. You can’t rest on your successes, but instead use them to motivate yourself to try the next level. Mt Everest 3. Does it engage several of your brain’s processing systems? You should try to use different parts of your brain in the same activity. For example as you dance – under dimmed lights to your favorite romantic song, following your partner’s firm lead and appreciating his masculine cologne, try eating a sloppy Big Mac. Melissa 4. Is it rewarding and surprising? If you don’t enjoy the activity and find it interesting, you probably won’t be doing it for long – unless you are a glutton for punishment. So make it fun and reward yourself – maybe with some brain healthy dark chocolate and a small glass of wine? three ducks

These are some questions to ask when choosing a brain fitness activity. But the bottom line is to keep learning, keep moving and keep trying something new every day.

With all the picture boards around town, it would be hard to forget the Wasco County Pioneer Association’s Annual meeting held at the Calvary Baptist Church this Saturday May 7th with registration at 9:30 PM and lunch at 11:30. But just in case – that was your reminder.

And for those who like to multi-task, on the 7^th at the Wahtonka Campus, the North Wasco County School District #21 Education Foundation is holding an auction of over 200 “Oldies and Goodies” such as collectibles, heirlooms and unusual items. The doors open at 8:30 am and the lively auction will start at 10:00.

I will be the presenter/facilitator for the Center’s Tuesday Lecture on May 10th discussing the future of Medicare. I will review Medicare’s past history and then look at the competing visions for the future of Medicare. The presentation will start at 11:00 and the Tuesday Lectures are always open to everyone and anyone.

The music at the Center for Tuesday the 10^th will be provided by Martin and Friends and tonight The Strawberry Mountain band will be performing for your dancing and listening pleasure. The doors open at 6:00, the music starts at 7:00 and everyone is welcome. And a grateful thanks to all the folks who donate every Tuesday night to keep the music flowing and the doors open.

As many of you knew, Archie’s best friend at Riverdale High School was Jughead. (And the winner of a free May 21st Saturday Breakfast is Jerry Taylor.) And after weeks of hobbies, politics and fine literature, it is back to entertainment. This week’s “Remember When” question has two parts. During the late fifties this group led a folk revival that lasted until the mid-60’s when the British Invasion came ashore. They recorded a hit song which was originally a campaign jingle for a Boston mayoral candidate and included the chorus “Did he ever return?/No he never returned/And his fate is still unlearn’d/He may ride forever/’neath the streets of Boston/He’s the man who never returned.” What was the title of the song and name of the group that recorded it? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write the answer on the back of the sheet music for the North Carolina folk song “Tom Dooley”.

Well, it’s been another week enjoying the rain, the wind and once in a while the sun. Until we meet again, why not follow the advice of Norman Vincent Peale and become a possibilitarian – “No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities – always see them, for they’re always there.”

Well when you read this column I will be relaxing on the beach soaking up the rays under warm blue skies, with a pink lemonade in one hand snuggled next to my wife watching families frolic in the waves. Oops! Wrong video clip. Actually I will probably be in my room watching out the window a cold rain falling on the English Bay in that Canadian metropolis to our north – Vancouver BC. Not bad – but not quite the warm sunny vacation I was dreaming of. But Lucille, I am not complaining. It is a few days away from home; converting dollars into loonies, visiting a few sites my wife and I have never seen before and a catching up on my ever expanding “to read” list which I never seem to have time for at home. (But it reminds me of my Florida vacations during high school when I would pack all my homework assignments with honorable intentions – but never even cracking a book; instead enjoying the sandy beaches instead. I will see how successful I am at this stage in my life.)

But since I need to write this column early before I leave town, I thought I would again offer some brain teasers to tickle your fancy and remind you how smart and quick you are – but just always proves the opposite for me. You can hear more of these at the Center’s Brain fitness class which is every Monday from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. And the answers but not the questions will be hidden in next week’s column.

1.) Two boys are identical in appearance and have the same parents. One was born five minutes after the other. These two boys are not twins. How is this possible?
2.) In the dead if winter you are in a house with only one match. There is a gas lamp, a fireplace, and a wood stove. Which would you light first?
3.) Before Mount Everest was discovered what was the tallest mountain on earth?
4.) Melissa’s mother has seven kids. Their names are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. What is the seventh kid’s name?
5.) If there are two ducks ahead of a duck, and two ducks behind a duck and one duck in the middle, how many ducks are there?

It may not turn warm any time soon, but soon it will be the “lusty month of May” – that I can guarantee. And the Center still has “Riverdance” tickets for the 1:00 Sunday matinee on May 29th at the Keller Auditorium in Portland. It is Memorial Day weekend so you will still have an extra day to recuperate from the high energy performance. The cost is only $70 for orchestral level seats and comfortable transportation.

Nu-2-U Shoppe is holding its “once in a while” half price sale for a whole week starting tomorrow May 4^th through Tuesday May 10^th. Betty and Martha says there are too many clothes that have overstayed their welcome and need to find a better place to stay – which could just be your friendly closet. The clothes are priced at ridiculously low prices and now they are half price. That’s a real deal! Martha will assist you every weekday from 10:00 – 1:30 when the store is officially open but if you can’t make those hours the Center will be glad to open up the store for your convenience anytime before 4:00 PM.

It is that time of the year to get out in the yard and get down and dirty – if a cold wind isn’t blowing. So it is timely that the Center’s 11:00 am Tuesday Lecture on May 3rd will feature MCMC Volunteer Horticulture Therapist and Master Gardener, Bicki Shaver discussing the many healing opportunities gardening and nature provide our mind, body and spirit! Learn more about the many lifelong benefits of gardening.

Tonight at the Center The Dufur Boys from Dufur will be strumming a few tunes for your dancing and listening enjoyment. And on Tuesday May 3rd Andre and the Strawberry Mountain Band will be back to get you out of your La-Z-Boy and on the dance floor. The music starts at 7:00; everyone is invited and donations are always appreciated.

There were many folks who had stored in the crevices the memory of Francis Gary Powers who piloted the U-2 plane that was shot down over Russia in 1960 (including Betty Richmond whose name was drawn for a free Saturday Breakfast.) But this week it is back to the fine literature of my youth. Well sort of. Archie Comics published comic books featuring stories of five high school friends: Archie, Reggie, Veronica and Betty and Archie’s best friend the easy going but lazy and slightly nonconformist friend Forsythe Pendleton Jones III. What was the nickname for Archie’s best friend? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the inside cover of a 1941 Riverdale Highs School Yearbook.

Well, it’s been another week walking along the bay while skipping past the rain drops. Until we meet again always look on the bright side. As anonymous once said “There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I’m sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don’t hurt.”

It’s hard to imagine there are young people who get depressed about turning thirty. They must feel they have experienced all of life’s gifts and all that’s left is an unpleasant gradual downhill slide! But for me turning thirty wasn’t a big deal (now fifty was a different story – when my knees started dating Dr. John Scwartz and I realized my body wasn’t going to last forever). But it was an unexpected slap across the face when I was asked how old my son was and realized he will be turning thirty in the not too distant future! And like a child yanking on his daddy’s shirtsleeve, I cried “How did that happen? But after being reassured by several friends at the Center who have – not just kids, but grandkids – turning thirty, I guess even this life’s benchmark is no big deal either.

But as we get older and wiser or a little slower and a lot crazier, it is helpful and comforting to share thoughts and experiences about the reality of getting older; and how to personally grow while making the most of the years ahead.

To that end Lucille Torgerson is once again starting her “Let’s Talk” series on this coming Friday April 22nd from 10:30 – 12:00 and continuing for four Fridays. To initiate the discussions, Lucille will reference three books (which you don’t have to read, although you may want to later): “From Age-ing to Sage-ing” by Zalman Schachter- Shalomi, “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life” by Karen Armstrong and “The Gifts of Years” by Joan Chittister. “Let’s Talk” is open to anyone and everyone, men and women, introverts and extraverts and will offer a chance to share stories and experiences, joys and frustrations as we embrace this journey of living gracefully during the next chapter of our lives.

A quick plug for Habitat for Humanity’s Annual Pizza Feed at Spookys this Wednesday from 5 PM – 8 PM. Tickets for adults are $11, kids (7-12) $6, kids (6 & under) $3. The menu includes pizza, pasta and salad (drinks sold separately). And if you want to do yourself and The Dalles community some good, Habitat is always looking for volunteers for the Restore Store and their building projects. For more information you can call 541-296-8817 or the Restore Store at 541-296-4486.

Tonight at the Center, Truman will be performing his “Country Gold”. And next Tuesday the Dufur Boys from Dufur will be back kicking it up for your listening and dancing enjoyment. And if you haven’t enjoyed the Tuesday Night music for a while, now is the time – the sun is staying up past 8:00 and the weather is at least warmer. The music starts at 7:00 and donations are appreciated to keep the music flowing like a creek on a warm spring day.

It is going to be May pretty soon – that I can guarantee – and we still have “Riverdance” tickets for the 1:00 Sunday matinee on May 29th at the Keller Auditorium in Portland. It is Memorial Day weekend so you will still have an extra day to recuperate from the high energy performance. The cost is only $70 for orchestral level seats and transportation. Call the Center at 541-296-4788 for more information.

The magazine full of technological gadgets and the latest in home and automotive innovations that I read as a child – and is still published – was Popular Mechanics. (And the winner of a free breakfast is Marilyn Sarsfield.) But I also received not one but two answers for Heathkits. You may remember these do-it-yourself kits which included all the parts you needed to assemble electronic gadgets from radios to computers.

But this week it is “P” for politics – and international intrigue. It was on May 1^st, 1960 when a U-2 American spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union and the circumstances of the incident were initially denied by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This week’s “Remember When” question is who was the pilot of the spy plane? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of an aerial photograph of ICBM sites in and around Sverdlovsk, Russia.

Well, it’s been another week watching the hills turn green. Until we meet again – there are three types of people in the world: those who see the glass half full, those who see it half empty and those want to know who stole their water.

“Sometimes when I get up in the morning, I feel very peculiar. I feel like I’ve just got to bite a cat! I feel like if I don’t bite a cat before sundown, I’ll go crazy! But then I just take a deep breath and forget about it. That’s what is known as real maturity.” Snoopy

One of life’s more astute philosophers, Charlie Brown, once mused “Sometimes I lie awake at night and I ask, ‘Why me?’”, then a voice answers “Nothing personal, your name just happened to come up.”

You may also find yourself wondering, “Why me?” Why does it have to be so painful to start moving in the morning? Why does it have to be so hard to breathe after climbing the stairs? Why couldn’t I have chosen different parents with a better gene pool? You may wish your chronic medical condition could be cured and it would all just go away. But you know it probably won’t. And yet you still have dreams and there is much you want to do.

A way to live better with a chronic condition is to take charge – by learning how to better manage your symptoms and medications so you can move to the point where your life isn’t controlled by your condition but you are in charge of your life.

For those who would like to learn more, the next “Living Well Workshop” starts tomorrow – Wednesday April 13th. (If that is too short of notice, there will be additional workshops later.) It is held once a week for six weeks on Wednesdays from 1:30 – 4:00 PM at the Center. This workshop “provides tools for living a healthy life with chronic health conditions, including diabetes, arthritis, asthma and heart disease. Through weekly sessions, the workshop provides support for continuing normal daily activities and dealing with the emotions that chronic conditions may bring about.” To help provide a little incentive, which never hurts, you will receive a free resource book and a $25 grocery gift certificate if you complete the workshop. To register call the Area Agency on Aging – quickly – at 541-298-4101 ext 219 or if you want to be the rebel just drop by and see if there is room.

For the 11:00 am Tuesday Lecture Series at the Center on April 19th, Dan Durow was to be the speaker but because of events beyond his professional control – he won’t be able to make it. The Center has rescheduled his “enthralling, mesmerizing, galvanizing and just outright interesting” lecture for Tuesday May 17^th. So you are going to have to wait a little longer to learn more about the exciting plans for our fair city, The Dalles, Oregon. “But who is going to take his place?” you may ask. “I don’t know” I may answer. But I am sure I will find another “enthralling, mesmerizing, galvanizing and just outright interesting” speaker.

Tonight at the Center John Martin and Friends will be performing and next Tuesday on the 19^th it will be Truman Boler playing your country favorites. But it won’t be quite the same. Last Thursday one-of-a-kind Carl Kramer who “lived to dance and danced to live” passed away. Just last month friends made sure Carl celebrated his 103^rd birthday with dancing to music provided by Truman – one of Carl’s favorite musicians. And on Wednesday Truman stopped in to see Carl and sang a few of Carl’s favorites knowing it might be the last time. It seemed like Carl knew it was time to move on to a better place. But we will all miss him – his artistry, his independence and his love of dancing.

I only received one correct answer to last week’s question thanks to Don McAllister (this week’s breakfast winner) but I ran into a lot of folks who had an intimate and scholarly experience with these study guides call CliffsNotes while scrambling to pass their literature exams. (But I won’t name names of my fellow Rotarians!)

This week I will again use my mother’s acronym for conversational ideas – HELP, but instead of L for Literature, this week it is H for Hobbies. When I was a kid, I often read this magazine tantalized by the latest news on automotive and technological advancements and do-it-yourself projects (In 1961 it included a do-it-yourself aluminum cottage for less than $1000. I wonder if any of those are still standing!) First published in 1902 what was the name of this popular magazine? (And if you want to go down memory lane you can find most of the back editions on the Internet through Google book search.) E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of the plans for a 1961 prototype of a futuristic two way TV Intercom allowing you to watch your kids in another room.

Well, it’s been another week hanging on to the kite of life on a blustery day trying to keep my feet on the ground. Until we meet again – although we can’t do as much as we once did, we can often do more than we think we can.

“I never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong.” Lucy Van Pelt from the comic strip Peanuts

Wednesday (13) Beef Stroganoff over Noodles
Thursday (14) Chicken Breast in Alfredo Sauce
Friday (15) Salisbury Steak
Monday (18) Meatloaf
Tuesday (19) BIRTHDAY DINNER Pork Chops with Gravy