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

Life is all about adjusting, and adapting. And I am working on adjusting and adapting to this early date for the Cherry Festival. It took me a while to realize that with Easter so late this year – about as late as it can be – the Chamber had to find an alternative date. So this year we have an opportunity to enjoy all the festivities, just a little earlier.

But the great unknown is always the weather. It can be iffy whenever the Cherry Festival is held, so let’s hope for blue skies, comfortable temperature and no wind (it’s tough when the wind is blowing so hard you have to spread yourself across the display table trying to keep the brochures from flying away like kites at the beach). But no matter when – there will be plenty of ways to get into that “Cherry Groove” – from Friday night’s “It’s the Pits” Lip Sync contest to Saturday night’s “Cherry Stomp” at the Civic featuring the Hit Machine. And thanks to Bob Wagenblast, I already have my ticket for the Shriners’ Oyster Feed at St. Mary’s Parish Center on Friday night.

Like most of the town, the Center we will be bustling with activity starting off Saturday morning from 7:30 – 10:00 with the Cherry Festival Breakfast sponsored by the Center’s neighbor – Cherry Heights Retirement Community. The menu includes country-fine fried potatoes, eggs of your choice, biscuits, bacon, and fruit as well as the regular beverages. The cost is $6.50 for the general public, $5.50 for members and $3.50 for children under twelve – and that doesn’t mean maturity level.

And there is more. For all the politicos who have time to break away from the downtown activities, Senator Jeff Merkley will be at the Center at 2:00 for a Town-hall meeting to hear your concerns and answer your questions. And later in the evening if you would rather play bingo instead of dancing to the “Hit Machine”, Saturday Night Bingo starts at 6:00 with the doors opening by 5:00. So come down and have some fun, support the Center and maybe take home a few bucks.

For the 11:00 am Tuesday Lecture Series, the Center has scheduled two enthralling, mesmerizing, galvanizing and just outright interesting lectures – one exploring the past and the other looking towards the future. On April 12^th, Jerry Tanquist will discuss “Train Wrecks and Other Rail Mishaps in Wasco County” with photos and fascinating stories. And then on Tuesday the 19th, Dan Durow, Community Development Director for the City of The Dalles, will be discussing future plans for The Dalles particularly focusing on the downtown area. It is easy to forget the many changes that have occurred in The Dalles over the last decade and it will be exciting to hear the possibilities for the next decade.

Tonight at the Center the Strawberry Mountain Band will be kicking it up – so you can get down – for a evening of dancing. And next Tuesday on the 12^th, Martin and Friends will be playing for your listening and dancing pleasure. The music starts at 7:00 and everyone is invited. And while the music is free, donations are always appreciated.

Many folks remembered Ronald Reagan as the host of Death Valley Days during the ‘64 and ‘65 seasons including Talie Kingsbury whose name was drawn for a free Cherry Festival breakfast. But to generate this week’s “Remember When” question I had to go back to my mom’s advice. In high school, I was the strong, silent type minus the strong – especially when any girl was within shouting distance. And when I needed help thinking of something to say that would impress my date, my mom suggested the acronym HELP: Hobbies, Entertainment, Literature, and Politics. Well, you can tell right there, I wasn’t the most exciting fish in the frying pan. But her advice has finally helped – even if it is some fifty years later. So for the letter “L” as in literature, what was the name for those yellow and black covered student study guides that were not recommended but were commonly used in high school and college? (In several classes that was as close as I got to literature!) E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of that long lost essay explaining the obtuse relationship between Captain Ahab and Moby Dick.

Well, it’s been another week tugging at the house curtain – waiting for the show to begin. Until we meet again – for each and every day take time to put a cherry on top. It’s the groovy thing to do!

“Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’ Then a voice says to me, ‘This is going to take more than one night.’” Charlie Brown

Last October Dr. PK Swartz came by the Center and dropped off an article from the New York Times which discussed how to protect yourself from Medicare fraud. It may not seem like a big deal because Medicare recipients are rarely held financially liable for these fraudulent claims, but still Medicare fraud can affect you in several damaging ways.

According to the article, several individuals were denied medical equipment because unknowingly their Medicare had been previously billed for the same kind of equipment. Another potential harm is when Medicare identifies an excessive type of Medicare fraud, they respond by tightening eligibility requirements which makes it more difficult for anyone who really does need the service. And this is in addition to the obvious: billions of dollars of fraudulent payments raises the cost of premiums for everyone.

According to the “Stop Medicare Fraud” website, there are several common sense actions you can take to protect yourself and help prevent Medicare Fraud: guard your card, beware of free services, examine your Medicare statements, and make a report. More specifically – if anyone approaches you in a public place to offer free services in exchange for your Medicare number – WALK AWAY. If you are called to answer a health survey and asked to provide your Medicare number over the phone, – HANG UP; if you find unexpected and suspicious charges on your medical bill – REPORT IT; and if a health care provider tells you the equipment or service is free but they only need your Medicare number for their records say – NO THANKS.

Medicare Fraud is a billion dollar national problem. You can report any suspected Medicare fraud by calling 1-800-Medicare. And if your Medicare card is lost or stolen, report it right away by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) for a replacement. There are things you just don’t share with anyone: your Social Security number, Medicare number and what you did when you were twenty one!

As Snoopy – the happy hoofer of the comic pages – once said “To live is to dance, to dance is to live”. So if you want to live it up, down or sideways – there is always music on Tuesday nights at the Center. Tonight the Cherry Park Band will be jammin and next Tuesday it will be Andre and the Strawberry Mountain Band hitting the high notes. It all starts at 7:00 PM and even though we don’t expect to get rich, donations are appreciated. And everyone one – including beagles and their owners – are invited.

At this time I don’t have a speaker lined up for the April 5thTuesday Lecture. But to give you an idea of what’s on the horizon, I do have scheduled Jerry Tanquist for April 12^th discussing Train Wrecks which should appeal to the little boy in all of us guys – I don’t know about the gals; Tara Koch director of Haven – but after their major fundraiser at the Civic on Thursday March 31st starting at 6:00 PM (complete with culinary delights by local chefs, wineries and music) and our monthly speaker from MCMC. If you are the curious type and want to learn more about the world around you, this is the place to be.

There are now eleven hearty singers plus a pianist interested in reigniting the Center’s “Young at Heart Serenaders” but the Center still needs a music director, councilor, shepherd or whatever the position requires. Is there anyone out there who wants to fill this once in a life time opportunity? Maybe Phyllis? I promise I won’t add my voice to the ensemble.

You must be a real Bozo if you didn’t know the answer to last week’s “Remember When” question. Although there were several Clarabell answers (It’s Howdy Doody time!), it was Bozo “The World’s Most Famous Clown” that was franchised to TV stations all across the country first airing in 1949. This week’s question is from Al Wynn who stumped me on the Coffeebreak when he asked “In 1964 and 1965 who hosted Death Valley Days which was sponsored by 20 Mule Team Borax? I had no clue – maybe it’s because I’m a Democrat – but if you know, e-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the inside of a 1932 yearbook from Eureka College.

Well, it’s been another week chasing my tail while looking for the end of the rope. Until we meet again, Ivy Baker Priest reminds us “the world is round – and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning”.

“I think I’ve discovered the secret of life – you just hang around until you get used to it.” Sally Brown (Charlie’s Sister)

Now that it is Spring – at least astronomically speaking – it is time to put away the snow shovels and heavy coats and take out the hedge trimmers and hiking boots. And time to start thinking about warmer weather and longer days, and maybe some day trips out of town?

For late spring and summer, the Center has again scheduled trips into Portland for three always popular “Broadway Across America” performances: “Riverdance” on May 29th, “Les Miserables” on August 7th and “Momma Mia” on August 28th. They are all Sunday matinee performances starting at 1:00 for easy travel in and out of Portland and daylight when you return. Twenty-four seats are reserved for each show and the cost is only $70 a piece or $195 for all three performances. And that includes no-hassle, to-the-stage -door transportation in a comfortable 24 passenger van. The tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Center.

The Hood River School District Community Education also offers trips including the popular monthly Mystery Trips. You can call them at 541-386-2055 to place your name on the list for the Mystery Trips. Each month they will call you with the latest details and cost. As their web site states, their “past trips have ranged from train rides, visiting historic places and partaking of local attractions, and of course, great food! Each month expect something new and exciting! “

And I will keep you posted on other opportunities in the Gorge including trips offered by Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation (there summer catalog will be out in April) and Sherman County Transit.

Through the many activities the Center provides for older adults, as well as through partnerships with local organizations, the Center tries to give back to the community as much as it asks. But the Center is now in their spring membership drive and is asking you to join the already one hundred eighty plus 2011 members. You may have been one of last year’s members who can’t believe it is time to renew already. Or maybe you haven’t had the nerve to take that leap and join a “Senior Center”. Although you can be a member at any age (you just have to be over 50 to vote at the annual membership meeting), the only real requirement is a zest for life. Annual membership dues are only $35 per person or $60 per couple and can be purchased at the Center.

The Center’s Tuesday Lecture will feature Steve Lawrence who is busy with several projects these days, but this time will be discussing the latest dreams and hopes for one of The Dalles most important landmarks: the Civic Auditorium. The long process of renovating the Civic began in 1991, and has restored this jewel of the downtown area into an active community center. But there is still exciting work to be done. On March 29th at 11:00 AM learn more about the past, present and future of The Dalles Civic Auditorium – the place “Where It Happens!”

You have heard it before but let me say it loud and clear – TUESDAY IS MUSIC NIGHT at the Center. Bring a friend or several friends – depending on how much fun you can handle – and enjoy an evening of two stepping, country waltzing, or whatever kind of dancing suits your fancy. Next week the Dufur Boys from Dufur will be playing, while tonight is your chance to enjoy the big band sounds of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s with the Jazz Generations. The music starts at 7:00 and ends at 9:00 so you can still get in bed by 9:30 if you hurry – but why hurry.

The name of the 1930’s cartoon character and famous animated sex symbol (which just doesn’t seem right) was the “oop-opp-a-doop” Betty Boop. Of the many entries, the winner of a free Cherry Festival Breakfast on April 9th was Shirley Christiansen but only if she brings her “Betty Boop” handbag.

This week’s “Remember When” question is about a television character first appearing in 1949. Called the “World’s Most Famous Clown”, this clown was franchised to different TV stations where each station had their own actor playing the part including Bob Bell in Chicago and Willard Scott in Washington DC. What was the name of this clown? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or drop your answer off with a wing-tipped bright orange wig.

Well, it’s been another week -waiting for the ants to appear, the weeds to surface and warm nights to arrive. Until we meet again, take time to play – like the children we once were – spontaneously, with no real purpose and just for the fun of it.

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” George Santayana

It usually starts off as “Did you hear the one about grandma Bessie – followed by a humorous story about the quirks of aging. I have read and heard many of these jokes and have certainly enjoyed sharing them – at least the clean ones.

But it is said in every joke there is a piece of the truth and as we look at ourselves there is plenty of truth to poke fun at (my forgetfulness is my own source of amusement). But with the condescending caricatures of older adults often portrayed in today’s culture, I can understand why some folks are offended by many of these jokes – fearing that they just reinforce those demeaning stereotypes. Granted many of us may not move as fast (okay let’s face it, none of us move as fast as we use to) or hold a cup as steady or find the wrong answer as quickly (research has shown even though our minds may not be as quick, they are more accurate!) But every day, you and I see folks who pop these bubbles of negative images: folks who are active, caring, and inquisitive – and are in their seventies, eighties and older.

We can still laugh with each other without consciously – or more importantly subconsciously – accepting these mis-perceptions that can limit our dreams and expectations of what is possible. We can have a good laugh and still change the world.

Even though these jokes often remind us of our limitations (I can’t find my banana!), humor can help us transcend the challenges we face by also reminding us that we are all in this aging vessel together – bailing water as fast as we can.

And did you hear the one about grandma Bessie? A police car pulls up in front of grandma Bessie’s house, and grandpa Morris gets out. The polite policeman explained that this elderly gentleman said that he was lost in the park and couldn’t find his way home. “Oh Morris”, said grandma, “You’ve been going to that park for over 30 years! How could you get lost?” Leaning close to grandma, so that the policeman couldn’t hear, Morris whispered, “I wasn’t lost. I was just too tired to walk home.”

On the 19^th, Saturday breakfast at the Center is baaaaaaack! Because our regular cook Bonnie is out for the spring season, Edna will fill in cooking up a mouth-watering, toe-tingling, belly-filling breakfast menu of biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage and fruit plus the regular beverages. And for all of you high school alumni from the 60’s – just pretend it’s spring vacation at Daytona Beach (that’s where all us from the Midwest wanted to go) and bring your beach blanket and sun tan oil. I betcha the “mouse” from the class of ’63 will! The doors open at 8:00 and breakfast is served till 9:30.

The Center’s Tuesday Lecture on the 22^nd will feature Dr. Thomas Hodge discussing the programs and services available to help people with chronic lung disease. If you or someone you know is troubled by shortness of breath or is limited in their daily activities by breathing problems, you will find this presentation helpful. It all starts at 11:00 allowing plenty of time for questions.

Tonight’s Tuesday night music at the Center will give you a chance to step out to the sounds of Truman’s Country Gold. And next Tuesday the Jazz Generations will be playing the big band sounds giving folks an alternative to the Center’s regular menu of country western fare. The music starts at 7:00 and everyone is welcome.

And a last minute reminder. There is still room in the “AARP Driver Safety” class ably taught by Dennis Davis. This month’s class is from 9:00 – 1:00 on the 21^st and 22^nd. Call the Center to sign up and save a buck or two on your car insurance.

Many of you (including Joanne “pick me, pick me” Scott – the winner of a free breakfast on Saturday) knew that the musician who gave up his seat to the Big Bopper on that fateful flight in 1959 was “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” Waylon Jennings. But this week’s “Remember When” question is for Betty Harlan. What was the name of the 1930’s animated cartoon character and famous sex symbol (if a cartoon character can be considered a sex symbol) created by Max Fleischer and modeled after actress Clara Bow? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or drop your answer off with the original tape of the Talkartoon “Minnie the Moocher”.

Well, it’s been another week – dodging raindrops falling from the sky. Until we meet again keep laughing and don’t take yourself too seriously. As the baseball player Mike LaValliere once said “Whatever is going to happen is going to happen when it happens, regardless of what happens.”

“Whatever the limits are, you can always do a little more than you think you can, and you can get a certain pleasure out of that.” George Leonard from the book Ageless Spirit by Connie Goldman