Has there been something that caused you to reevaluate your life – something that knocked you out of your complacency, your comfort zone? Maybe an unexpected misfortune that slapped you across the back of your head? Or the realization that your knees, stiff and sore, are just a preview of what to expect from the rest of your body? Or the visit with your new physician who asks the simple but profound questions: What do you want? What are your goals? And your world begins to list to one side.

Everything looks different. You ask yourself what is important – and discover what doesn’t really matter. You dream again. And decide what you want to accomplish – knowing it is never too late. And your world starts to right itself.

But it may be uncomfortable discovering what you really want, because now, not tomorrow, but now you have to do something. It may seem overwhelming, impossible, still just a dream. But you summon the will to start, to leave the shore, to take that first step, no matter how small, because you know very few things are created over night. (Well – maybe children, but I’m not going there!)

Every week I meet regular folks, just like you and me – no TV cameras, no up-close interviews – who have changed their lives by taking that first step; who have found a purpose while enjoying the challenge. It could be taking an aerobics class at the Fitness and Court Club, learning to crochet from a friend, taking art classes at the Art Center, enjoying life affirming presentations at Water’s Edge. Or just getting out meeting people and maybe even falling in love again.

It can happen, but it all starts with the first step. It may not be comfortable, it may not be easy, but it can be fun, it can be rewarding and it can give you purpose and confidence to make these latter years the best of your life.

And someone who knows about taking the first step – and the next – is Carolyn Scott Kortge. Carolyn will kick off “Go Red” – three days of awareness about women’s heart health – with a presentation on Thursday February 3^rd from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Water’s Edge. Carolyn has written several books focusing on the benefits of walking for the mind and spirit. As described in her book The Spirited Walker “With a focus on walking for wellness, Kortge outlines a compassionate, practical program for navigating your way through life’s physical, emotional and spiritual hard times.” Since seating is limited you should register for the event by calling 541-296-8444.

“Go Red” continues on Friday (4^th) with the Heart Expo and Noon Heart Walk from 11am to 3 pm at the Civic Auditorium and concludes on Saturday with the Heart Truth 3k/5k walk/run at The Dalles Marina starting at 10am.

Next Tuesday is the first day of February – just a downhill slide to spring which officially starts on March 20th for those who want to start counting. (I know I should appreciate the special thrills of winter: slippery sidewalks, frozen pipes, expensive heating bills, but couldn’t someone make this season shorter.) Playing on the first is Andre and his Strawberry Mountain Band. And if you can’t wait till February, tonight the Jazz Generations will be playing for your dancing and listening pleasure and well as your peace of mind. Donations are appreciated and everyone is invited to join the fun starting at 7:00 PM.

Well I lied. This week’s “Remember When” question is not from the 50’s but the 30’s. Swing was still coming of age when Benny Goodman Band played Carnegie Hall – initially as a publicity stunt – on January 16th 1938. The event was described by critic Bruce Eder as “the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s ‘coming out’ party to the world of ‘respectable’ music.” This week’s question is “Who was the drummer in the climatic rendition of “Sing, Sing, Sing” and was often at odds with Benny Goodman?” E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of one of the two original acetate recordings of the concert.

The northwest band, that appeared regularly on ‘Where the Action Is” and whose lead singer ,Mark Lindsay, was born in Eugene, Oregon,’ was Paul Revere and the Raiders. And the winner of a free Third Saturday breakfast in March is reserved and shy Dawn McClure.

Well, it’s another day in the woods – as long as I can find my way out. Until we meet again, get yourself out of bed, put on your shoes, and believe it will happen, because it can.

“It’s not where you go, but what you see that makes life a pilgrimage.” Carolyn Scott Kortge

“Necessity is the mother of “taking chances”” Mark Twain

Has there been something that caused you to reevaluate your life – something that knocked you out of your complacency, your comfort zone? Maybe an unexpected misfortune that slapped you across the back of your head? Or the realization that your knees, stiff and sore, are just a preview of what to expect from the rest of your body? Or the visit with your new physician who asks the simple but profound questions: What do you want? What are your goals? And your world begins to list to one side.

Everything looks different. You ask yourself what is important – and discover what doesn’t really matter. You dream again. And decide what you want to accomplish – knowing it is never too late. And your world starts to right itself.

But it may be uncomfortable discovering what you really want, because now, not tomorrow, but now you have to do something. It may seem overwhelming, impossible, still just a dream. But you summon the will to start, to leave the shore, to take that first step, no matter how small, because you know very few things are created over night. (Well – maybe children, but I’m not going there!)

Every week I meet regular folks, just like you and me – no TV cameras, no up-close interviews – who have changed their lives by taking that first step; who have found a purpose while enjoying the challenge. It could be taking an aerobics class at the Fitness and Court Club, learning to crochet from a friend, taking art classes at the Art Center, enjoying life affirming presentations at Water’s Edge. Or just getting out meeting people and maybe even falling in love again.

It can happen, but it all starts with the first step. It may not be comfortable, it may not be easy, but it can be fun, it can be rewarding and it can give you purpose and confidence to make these latter years the best of your life.

And someone who knows about taking the first step – and the next – is Carolyn Scott Kortge. Carolyn will kick off “Go Red” – three days of awareness about women’s heart health – with a presentation on Thursday February 3^rd from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Water’s Edge. Carolyn has written several books focusing on the benefits of walking for the mind and spirit. As described in her book The Spirited Walker “With a focus on walking for wellness, Kortge outlines a compassionate, practical program for navigating your way through life’s physical, emotional and spiritual hard times.” Since seating is limited you should register for the event by calling 541-296-8444.

“Go Red” continues on Friday (4^th) with the Heart Expo and Noon Heart Walk from 11am to 3 pm at the Civic Auditorium and concludes on Saturday with the Heart Truth 3k/5k walk/run at The Dalles Marina starting at 10am.

Next Tuesday is the first day of February – just a downhill slide to spring which officially starts on March 20th for those who want to start counting. (I know I should appreciate the special thrills of winter: slippery sidewalks, frozen pipes, expensive heating bills, but couldn’t someone make this season shorter.) Playing on the first is Andre and his Strawberry Mountain Band. And if you can’t wait till February, tonight the Jazz Generations will be playing for your dancing and listening pleasure and well as your peace of mind. Donations are appreciated and everyone is invited to join the fun starting at 7:00 PM.

Well I lied. This week’s “Remember When” question is not from the 50’s but the 30’s. Swing was still coming of age when Benny Goodman Band played Carnegie Hall – initially as a publicity stunt – on January 16th 1938. The event was described by critic Bruce Eder as “the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s ‘coming out’ party to the world of ‘respectable’ music.” This week’s question is “Who was the drummer in the climatic rendition of “Sing, Sing, Sing” and was often at odds with Benny Goodman?” E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of one of the two original acetate recordings of the concert.

The northwest band, that appeared regularly on ‘Where the Action Is” and whose lead singer ,Mark Lindsay, was born in Eugene, Oregon,’ was Paul Revere and the Raiders. And the winner of a free Third Saturday breakfast in March is reserved and shy Dawn McClure.

Well, it’s another day in the woods – as long as I can find my way out. Until we meet again, get yourself out of bed, put on your shoes, and believe it will happen, because it can.

“It’s not where you go, but what you see that makes life a pilgrimage.” Carolyn Scott Kortge

“Necessity is the mother of “taking chances”” Mark Twain

My perspective has changed over time. I shouldn’t be surprised. With sixty years plus of experience, I should see the world differently. But I was surprised at my reaction to a movie I saw this weekend – a movie I had not intended to watch. Apparently I had placed at the top of my Netflix queue, “Shine a Light” the Martin Scorsese’s documentary of the Rolling Stones’ 2008 concert in New Your City. And it arrived in my mailbox on Friday. I was in the mood for something different: a Katherine Hepburn comedy or a Humphrey Bogart mystery, something other than an “up close and personal” documentary of a live performance of these sixty-something aging rockers. And what was scary, it was in high definition.

But I was impressed. Mick Jagger, their lead singer, was bouncing, gyrating, and posing during the whole performance –from one end of the stage to the other – seldom slowing down. And even though Keith Richards’ body looked like a hot dog left in the rotisserie on high, waaaay too long, Mick Jagger’s face had the character and depth of years of performing and living – so much more interesting than the young baby face seen in the film clips from the beginning of his career in the 60’s.

This 2008 Rolling Stones concert with its energy, excitement and talent, reaffirmed my belief that the idea of “old” evolves over time and is ultimately just a state of mind. And I am beginning to understand what Barnard Baruch meant when he said “To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.”

If you want to know what is happening at the Center in a little more detail and with a few more mistakes, I can email you the Center’s weekly newsletter which I try to kick out every Tuesday. Just send me your request to the Center’s email address at mcseniorcenter@gmail.com.

But writing a Center Newsletter as well as this weekly column does create a challenge for this “Winnie the Pooh” brain of mine. I can’t remember if I wrote something for this column or the newsletter. It’s like having two girlfriends and not remembering which story you told to which girl. But with the chance of being redundant – which isn’t always a bad thing – the AARP Tax Aide program is starting up again on February 4^th and will be available every Friday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and every Saturday from 9:00 AM through 1:00 PM through April 9th. (Every year I seem to announce the wrong times, but this year I think I got it right.). It is first come – first serve and it gets pretty busy the first month. But if you can wait, the crowds slow down. And as a reminder, the tax help is for simple tax returns. If you have more complex tax situations, you should see one of the professional accountants in town.

It has been a while, but the Jazz Generations will be back performing their big band sounds on Tuesday the 25th for your listening and dancing pleasure. Hank and Ann have played all across the country and with Bob Fiske, they can still strut their stuff. And tonight John Martin and Friends are playing for those who enjoy their music with a country and western flair. The fur starts flying at 7:00 and everybody is welcome – warm or cold, young or old.

There are only eight openings left in the popular “Steps to Wellness” – a fifteen week class that starts Wednesday February 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Center. This class is for anyone who has diabetes or is overweight and “who would like help and support to eat better, exercise, manage their stress and live healthier” There is no cost for the class but there will be loads of fun, healthy food and prizes. It is provided by La Clinica, MCMC and the Next Door, Inc. This class is in English and a class in Spanish will be offered in August. For more information call Eli Bello at 541-296-4610 Ext 1004

The answer to last week’s “Remember When” question was “Shindig” – the “teen scene” musical variety show from 1964 – 1966. And the winner of a free breakfast (starting back up on the third Saturday in March) is none other than that groovy kind of guy- Bob Earls. But several folks mentioned “Where the Action Is” a Dick Clark production that was broadcast from ‘65 through ‘67 on ABC and was set in different locations in Southern California. So this week’s question is “What northwest band, whose lead singer was born in Eugene, Oregon, appeared regularly on ‘Where the Action Is’? This group also recorded the classic party hit “Louie, Louie” although their version was overshadowed by another northwest group “The Kingsmen”.

Enough of the rock and roll memories. I promise next week I’ll find something from the 50’s. Until we meet again, keep shaking those tail feathers – if you have any left.

“The truth is, I’m more interested in the roll than I am the rock.”– Keith Richards, guitarist for the Rolling Stones ( b.1943)

It was twenty four years ago in January 1987 that the Center celebrated its grand opening – at a time when Dow Jones Industrial average finally closed above 2000; the Simpsons first appeared on television, Nintendo video games were introduced and Fox television started broadcasting with only 10 hours of prime time programming a week.

How times have changed. But the Center has also changed: providing more activities and classes, and working with the many community partners to fulfill the Center’s mission of “promoting healthy aging by sharing and caring”. But as I look back through the photos and news paper clippings saved from those early years, these changes are just building on the strong foundation laid by the determined “United Seniors” who made this Center possible.

And yet many of their dreams remain unfulfilled. It has been the goal of the building expansion campaign to complete their dream for the Center: an elevator to the basement, additional office space to rent, and adequate space for exercise classes. These goals will be realized in the revised plans for the building expansion.

But while everything changes, many things remains the same and the expansion project is facing many of the same challenges the “United Seniors” encountered. The expansion is taking longer than anticipated, funding is difficult to acquire and we have had to scale back the project. But that didn’t deter the folks twenty four years ago and I hope it won’t deter us today. In a year from now what better way to celebrate the Center’s twenty-fifth anniversary than to start the construction of the Center’s expansion project. It can happen.

Reducing your daily stress can improve your brain health as well as your physical and emotional health. To help you manage your stress, MCMC is offering two free classes at Water’s Edge. From the “Introduction to Mindless Meditation” you will learn the history of meditation, the medical benefits and simple relaxation techniques that can help quiet the mind and body. The class is on Wednesdays February 9th and 23rd from 7 – 8 pm. And in the “MIndfulness Breath” class offered on Wednesdays January 26 and February 2 from 7 – 8PM, you will learn “simple breathing techniques that can help lower blood pressure, improve immune function, ease insomnia, improve digestion and speed healing time”. To register for both of these free classes call 541-296-7319.

Tonight’s Tuesday night music will feature a staple of the local music scene: Truman and his Country Gold. His silky smooth voice will give you a chance to dance all your troubles away. And next Tuesday on the 18^th, John Martin and Friends will be back again for your dancing and listening pleasure. The music starts at 7:00 PM and donations are always appreciated.

Do you want to exercise while walking along a beautiful trail with a companion who will listen and not interrupt, and will occasionally take a break so you can rest. Then drop in at Home-at-Last and walk one of their many dogs waiting to be placed in a caring home. But just don’t take my word for it, ask Karen Olson. You can call Home-at-Last for more information at 541-296-5189.

The Tuesday Lecture on the 18th starting at 11:00 will feature Jim Burris – a local Veteran’s advocate who has a “take no prisoners” passion for helping veterans receive the support they have earned and deserve. He will offer his uncensored and many times provocative views explaining the resources available to veterans and how to access them.

The bandleader who hosted forty eight consecutive radio and television broadcasts on New Year’s Eve was Guy Lombardo who with the Royal Canadians created the “sweetest sounds this side of heaven”. And the winner is Alex Currie and this time he outsmarted his son.

But this week’s “Remember When” question is for the younger generation and I imagine will stump most of you – although Al Wynn and I mentioned this TV show last month on the Coffeebreak. What American musical variety show aired on ABC from September 1964 to through January 1966? It featured such performers as the Righteous Brothers, Sonny and Cher, Rolling Stones, and Sam Cooke; and although its success was temporary, forced NBC to counter with its own “teen scene” show called Hullabaloo? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a ticket stub to the Beatles concert at Shea Stadium in New York City on August 15^th 1965.

Well that’s another trip down memory lane wearing my favorite rose colored glasses. Until we meet again, keep your eye on the road, hands on the wheel and foot to the gas.

“I always find it more difficult to say the things I mean than the things I don’t.” W. Somerset Maugham

Last week I tried something different. I wrote the column as an annual Christmas letter, similar to the many letters I received this past Christmas from friends and family who shared their latest adventures or misadventures. (I once thought these letters were trite and impersonal but have come to appreciate this once-a -ear chance to hear from many friends whom I seldom see.

But the excitement and anticipation of the long holiday vacation is over and it is back to business as usual – with people to see, things to do and songs to sing. I just hope this year, I can stay in tune.

The Next Chapter lecture series kicks back in gear next Tuesday the 11^th at 11:00. The first presentation of the New Year will be an update on the Center’s building expansion plans, now that the latest design has been completed. This new plan features an elevator to the basement plus additional office space and a renovated interior entry way and commons area. We have had tremendous support for the initial expansion plan and this new plan will include many of the same features except for the medical clinic which was to be built in cooperation with MCMC. That part is still possible and could be added at a later date. But this newer and simpler design is more realistic considering these tight economic times as the country slowly grows out of the “Great Recession”.

The music never stops and tonight Andre and the Strawberry Mountain band will be playing old-time, foot-tapping music for your body and soul. And next Tuesday on the 11th Truman will be back performing his Country Gold. As with green bananas, some things just get better with age. The music starts at 7:00 and donations are appreciated.

Those of you who understand what Benjamin Disraeli meant when he said “How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.” Or who experience the same passion as the person who believed “God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. Or those of you who have felt the same discomfort as Charles Dudley Warner when he observed “What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.” Then you will want to attend this year’s OSU Wasco County Master Gardeners training. The training will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church beginning February 16th and ending on March 30th. Classes will be held on consecutive Wednesdays from 9:00-4:00. The cost for training is $90.00 for tuition and the Sustainable Gardening Handbook, and $15.00 for Wasco County Master Gardener Association dues. Applications are available at the Wasco County Extension Office 400 E. Scenic Drive Suite 2.278 and must be returned no later than January 28th. And keep your ears open for an upcoming workshop on the care and feeding of roses presented by the Master Gardeners on February 12^th at the Center.

Here is a New Year’s Eve solution for those who – like me – have trouble staying awake till midnight to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve count down in Times Square. I discovered that with live video streaming over the Internet on your computer you can imagine yourself dancing and celebrating with all the folks in Times Square, give your spouse a big fat smooch at midnight and still get to sleep by 10:00 PM The Dalles time. What a deal! And who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

You may know Dick Clark has been hosting the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve since 1972 – and since his stroke in 2004 with a little help recently from Ryan Seacrest. But this week’s “Remember When” question goes back even further. Who hosted forty eight consecutive radio and television broadcasts of his New Year’s Eve show – including from 1956 to 1976 on CBS TV – starting with his first radio broadcast heard on December 31, 1928? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the sleeve of a phonograph record by the Royal Canadians.

And for the question from two weeks ago, many of you knew the name of the cat-like, present-stealing, joy-sucking green creature created by Ted Geisel – more famously known as Dr. Seuss. And contrary to Jodi Cochenour – who’s first thought was her husband Les since he did dress the part in a Starlight parade of years past – the greedy soul was the “Grinch”. And the winner of a free breakfast, which returns in March, is Ron Sutherland.

Well it’s off to the races for another year. Until we meet again, enjoy the New Year and all the possibilities it brings.

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” Bill Vaughan

I finally found time to write my first ever Christmas letter. And of course I am late. But I will try to keep it short and not try to bore you.

It has been a good year at the Center. I use only the word “Center” because for many boomers “Senior” sounds too much like “old folks” and you know boomers: they will never get old. They will just dance off into the sunset singing the Who’s “My Generation”. to the sounds of the “Rolling Stones”. Boy will they be surprised! But one thing I have learned from the tremendous folks here at the “Center” is that although getting “old” is no piece of cake, you can still be a nice slice of pie – with a little luck and the right attitude.

I can’t say enough about the folks around here. I have a supportive and active board of directors and a tremendous cadre of volunteers including the sleeping bag brigade – those folks who volunteer so many hours they need a sleeping bag – including Edna Chandler, Janice and Lowell Finn, Betty Dalhberg and the keeper of the Nu-2-U Shop Martha Williams. Lyn Dalton who has called Bingo every Saturday for five years is finally cutting back thanks to Jim Lobdell stepping up to take her place but she is still calling Bingo twice a month as well as continuing on as the Center’s bookkeeper. I am the Senior Center employee, so the Center couldn’t operate without all the volunteers.

The Tuesday night music program is still going strong thanks to Boyd Jacobsen and the many music groups who play for free or just a pittance of their normal fee. The local musical talent is impressive including the Dufur Boys who are playing at the Center on the 28^th and the Strawberry Mountain Band playing on January 4^th. We try to make everything affordable for folks so the music is free but we always accept donations and we find folks to be very generous.

The Next Chapter Lecture series on every Tuesday still continues to be a success although I wish more folks would attend. There isn’t a lecture when I haven’t learned something new. Thanks to the Oregon Retired Teachers Association we hosted Roger Anunson a national speaker on Brain Health. He shared the basics on how to keep your brain fit: exercise both your body and brain, sleep and eat well, reduce your stress and socialize with others. We incorporate those ideas into the Center’s Brain Fitness Class that meets every Monday at 1:00.

Because of the “Great Recession” we have scaled back our dream to expand the Center focusing on a new elevator to the basement and some additional office space. There was strong support for the initial plan – we raised over $30,000 – but the timing could not have been worse. We just received the new drawings for the revised plan, and the next step is to start looking for funding – hoping we can start construction by January of 2012 when the Center celebrates its 25^th Anniversary. But more immediately, check the Center’s corner at 10^th and Chery Heights. It has been landscaped thanks to Jack and Alvena Smith. And if you drive by the Jack and Alvena Smith donated funds to landscape the corner of 10^th and Cherry Heights which is vast improvement.

We still provide exercise classes including Debra Lutjie’s chair Yoga class which is popular because she never asks you to get down on the floor – many of us wouldn’t be able to get back up. And she also instructs the well attended Seniorcise class when she – like an action hero – transforms from a gentle yoga instructor into the hardcore Marine drill sergeant. Corliss Marsh teaches the once weekly Tai Chi class which has shown to improve balance and strength. And the Strong Women class still meets on Monday and Wednesdays wishing that Fern Wilcox would come back to lead that class – now that she is retired she should have all kinds of extra time, right? Ardyce Edling who is a real inspiration is still teaching the Tap and Clogging and to spice things up they have added lap and pole dancing (Okay guys I am just kidding!)

And there is so much more: Nancy Russell’s “Yes, I can Draw” class, Josh Price’s Tech Talks, Steps to Wellness in partnership with La Clinica, AARP Tax Aide, the “Desire Not to Drink” AA meetings, Saturday Breakfasts, computer classes, the medical equipment loan closet, computer classes, pinochle, bridge – and I am out of breath.

Finally, it has been a real pleasure working with Denise Patton and all the Meals-on-Wheel crew. They provide nutritious meals at the Center and deliver over eighty meals thanks to their many volunteer drivers. (I have included a menu to give you an idea of what they serve.) The Senior Center and Meals-on-Wheels are separate organizations (We were married, then divorced and are now are living together and doing just fine.) but with similar missions working together to support older adults. The Senior Center would not be what it is without Meals-on-Wheels.

Well that was longer than I had hoped, but there is a lot going on at the Center. Until next year, let me paraphrase a common prayer circulating among us “old” folks: “Grant me the senility (wisdom?) to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference”.

Wednesday (29) Salisbury Steak
Thursday (30) Stuffed Peppers
Friday (24) Closed
Monday (3) Salisbury Steak
Tuesday (4) Boneless Chicken Breast

I can’t tell whether time slows down during these snow covered days before Christmas or whether it speeds up as we race to the finish line – preparing for family gatherings and last minute shopping. But whether you are relaxing by the fireplace or braving the shopping skirmishes, this is a time to celebrate our religious traditions and appreciate the generosity of our friends and neighbors. And for this season of peace and understanding, I would like to share a favorite quote of mine from Eleanor Roosevelt.

“A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all-knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.”

The Center and Meals-on-Wheels will be closed the last two Fridays of the year: Christmas and New Year’s Eve. And many of the Center’s classes will be cancelled during the week between Christmas and New Years, so you may want to call if you aren’t sure whether your class is scheduled or not.

As you may have heard, the organizers of the free Christmas Eve dinner are looking for more volunteers. The dinner is from 3:00 – 6:00 PM at the St. Mary’s gym. If you can help out or if you would like a home-delivered meal, call 541-296-3067.

Tonight’s Tuesday Night Music will feature the country sounds of John Martin and Friends. And next Tuesday the Dufur Boys from Dufur will be playing all your favorites starting at 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome and donations are appreciated. And on the Sunday in-between, music from the Pie and Jam Social will be echoing off the Center’s rafters from 2:00 – 5:00 PM.

Thanks again to Mill Creek Point for sponsoring the December Saturday Breakfast. Even though the weather wasn’t the most agreeable, there was a nice turn out of over 65 hardy souls. Mill Creek Point provided nice holiday gifts; carolers to get folks into the holiday spirit and Santa whose lap every woman wanted to sit on – it must be that red uniform and beard! With the help of all the volunteers and Boy Scout Troop #395, everyone enjoyed a delicious breakfast on a snowy Saturday before Christmas.

I have to admit an error in my ways. I don’t want to give the impression I am smarter than I look. (My wife can certainly correct any misperceptions if you ask her. But please don’t ask.) Some of the quotes I use are anonymous – part of the public domain, but one I shared last week about “Some people try to turn back their odometers …” was not a quote of mine, but is attributed to Will Rogers. As Will Rogers once said, “It isn’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble, it’s what we know that ain’t so”.

Even though we had only a few entries for last week’s “Remember When” question, I hope it brought back memories of Christmas’s past. And the winner was Sandy Goforth who remembered the special bicycle her father bought her for Christmas. But how about one last Christmas question from the file cabinets of America’s popular Christmas traditions. In 1957 Ted Geisel wrote a children’s story about a green cat-like creature that detested Christmas and stole the neighbors’ gifts and decorations – which in 1966 was made into an animated TV special. What is the name of this green creature that has become synonymous with a “greedy and un-sympathetic” attitude? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a letter postmarked from “Whoville”.

Well that’s another day – spinning my tires on the icy road of life. Until we meet again, let the sleigh bells ring; the treetops glisten; and your heart be light – as we wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas.

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” John Wooden – UCLA Basketball Coach

This is another one of those weeks when my mind is only firing blanks. It happens. And wasn’t my advice last week “Not to Panic!” So I will just take a deep breath, enjoy this long and sometimes winding ride and hopefully by next week something useful will creep into the crevices of my mind. Until then, I will share some of the ins and outs at the Center with a few quotes about life to keep it half way interesting.

“Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me! I want people to know ‘why’ I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.” Will Rogers

Don’t forget this Saturday the 18^th is the Center’s Saturday Breakfast sponsored by Mill Creek Point Bonnie and Edna will make sure the food is good, and the fine folks from Mill Creek Point have guaranteed there will be joyful singing, simple gifts and a hefty “ho-ho” Santa Claus. The food and frivolity begins at 8 AM and will continue through 10:00 with the raffle drawing for the Quilt at 9:00. And – for one last time this year – as Jack always said “Food tastes better when someone else cooks it”.

“When you are dissatisfied, and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.”

The Next Chapter Lecture Series will take a short hiatus over the holidays and will return January 10th which happens to be the day after the BCS Football Championship game. That first lecture just may be a play-by-play analysis of how Oregon slipped by Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers. Or it could be a group grief counseling session for all those wearing green and yellow. We shall see.

“Dancing is the art of getting your feet out of the way faster than your partner can step on them.”

The Center’s Tuesday night music will continue through the holidays because you can’t keep the musicians silent when there is an audience to entertain and dancers wanting to dance. Tonight the Sugar Daddies – (and when are the Sugar Mommas going to play?) – will be performing for your listening and dancing pleasure. And next Tuesday on the 21st John Martin and Friends will be back. The screaming and hollering starts at 7:00 and everyone is welcome and donations are appreciated.

“Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” Douglas Adams

Over the years, I have had several inquires about storing and editing digital photographs on a computer. So I have invited Josh Price to finish this year’s “Tech Talk” series with a presentation on Picasa which is free photo editing software from Google that helps you organize, edit and share your digital photographs. The presentation will be at 1:00 on Wednesday the 15^th at the Center.

“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”
Will Rogers

Many folks shared their fond memories and family traditions about the movie “The Christmas Story” including what kind of BB gun Ralphie wanted for Christmas. But only Ben Neumeyer and Julie Mann submitted the exact description. And only Ben was the envy of the boys in his neighborhood because he actually owned an official “Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock”. That must have been pretty cool. But the winner was not Ben – although I am sure if he brought his Red Ryder to the breakfast he would still be the envy of the boys and would surely receive a free breakfast. The winner of a free breakfast was (d-r-u-m r-o-l-l) Sandy Haechrel – but only if she brings Bob.

My wife and I were reminiscing about the Christmas gifts we received as kids and she was a little perturbed when she realized the only gifts she remembered were the ones her older brother received. But when you remember back to your Christmas pasts was there a particular “Red Ryder” type of gift that caused you to lose sleep the weeks before Christmas. E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a vintage 1958 Erector Set.

“The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.”

Well that’s another quarter in the parking meter of life – and enough quotes for a day. Until we meet again, keep a smile on your lips, a bounce in your step and a little laughter in your voice.

“As you journey through life take a minute every now and then to give a thought for the other fellow. He could be plotting something.” – Hagar the Horrible

Change – not that jingle jangle left in your pants pockets or at the bottom of your purse – is one of the constant expressions of life that we depend on, but often a curse as we get older. But adapting to change – the pleasant surprises and the unwanted and unexpected challenges – is a key to aging well. If you haven’t yet encountered any of those curve balls thrown your way, you are fortunate. But I am sure (as I am that Oregon will win the national football championship) you will encounter an event or time that will test you during this next chapter of your life.

But change should not to be feared. In Connie Goldman’s book “The Ageless Spirit” she shares with the reader her conversations with celebrities and friends on the challenges and rewards of aging. One conversation was with Art Linkletter who passed away last May at the age of ninety-seven and who wrote the book “Old Age is Not for Sissies”. He addresses the need to embrace change and its opportunities. “I like to think that every day some experience or some new acquaintance or some new challenge is going to change my life. There’s always one hill higher with a better view, something waiting to be learned I never knew. So till my days are over my prayer is, ‘Never fill my cup, let me go on growing up.” Change can be difficult. It can illuminate our losses and our fears. But change can also be a gift of new beginnings and new opportunities – if we can adapt. As W.R. Inge, English author and Anglican priest, wrote “We must cut our coat according to our cloth, and adapt ourselves to changing circumstances”.

On the weekend of the 18^th and 19^th, we have two culinary treats seasoned with good friends and buttered with some good fun for your pre Christmas enjoyment. On Saturday the 18th from 8:00 – 10:00 AM, Mill Creek Point is sponsoring the Center’s Saturday Breakfast. They have always added a good helping of holiday flair to the breakfast with carolers, gifts – and I believe Roxie had enough pull to persuade old St. Nick to take time off and join everyone for breakfast.

And then on Sunday the 19th, Home at Last is having a Bone Soup Feed and Silent Auction from noon till 4:00 PM at the Center. Meals-on-Wheels is offering their kitchen and assistance to help with this worthy event. Home at Last has partnered with Meals-on-Wheels by providing food for the pets of the folks who have their meals delivered so they don’t have to choose between feeding themselves or their four legged companion.

And who’s playing at the Center you ask? Andre and the Strawberry Mountain Band will be playing tonight. And next week the “Sugar Daddies” will raise the heat on the 14th. The fire starts at 7:00 and lasts until the last flame disappears at 9:00. Everybody is welcome and it’s free, although donations are always gladly accepted.

Only one answer, that I know of, came across my desk – from Ron Sutherland whose favorite Christmas song was “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus” by the singing Hoosier, John Cougar Mellencamp. The original recording by Jimmy Boyd reached #1 on the Billboard Charts in 1952.

This week’s “Remember When” question is about the movie “A Christmas Story” based on the short stories of the American humorist Jean Shepherd. And even though it was first released in 1983, this Christmas classic takes place in Hammond, Indiana (Shepherd’s home town) in the 1940’s. Most of you know the plot: Ralphie wants a BB gun for Christmas, but the question is – what kind of BB gun did Ralphie want? E-mail mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the inside cover of Jean Shepherd’s 1966 book “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.”

And before I forget – which would be ironic – I promised I would mention the other three components of Brain Health that Roger Anunsen described in his Brain Health presentations. Besides physical exercise, mental exercise and socialization, the other three are good nutrition, sufficient sleep and stress reduction.

So until me meet again, don’t forget to eat well, sleep tight (don’t let the bedbugs bite), and above all else “Don’t Panic!”

“If you feel you are doing as much at seventy as you did when you were twenty, you must have not been doing much at twenty.”

The brain works in incredible ways and we are just beginning to understand it. Ninety five percent of what is known about the brain has been learned in the last thirty years. But we only wish we knew more. Because as Dave Barry pointed out in his “Book of Bad Songs” we still don’t know why we can forget the important stuff: our ATM number, location of our car keys and the name of people we have known for years – but permanently stuck in the inner reaches of our brain are songs that we really, really don’t like. If you are of the boomer generation you can probably still hum the tune to “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I got love in my tummy”. Or can recite the lyrics to MacArthur Park – “Someone left the cake out in the rain/ I don’t think I can take it!/ ‘cause it took so long to bake it/ And I’ll never have that recipe again/ Oh no!” What in the heck did that mean? And why do I still remember it?

Roger Annunsen, a self described translator of the latest brain research, spoke at the Center two weeks ago and shared the six components – that by working together – promote good brain health.

The first is physical exercise – aerobic exercise is the best, but at the very least just keep moving. And what exercise is the best? Whatever you will do!. The second is mental exercise – besides the word puzzles and games, surprise yourself, take the wrong turn, get lost (as long as you find your way back home). Third, be socially active – meet with friends, share stories, ask someone out on a date or eat dinner provided by Meals-on-Wheels at the Center.

And there are three more components of brain health, but I want to “work you brain” by asking you to identify the other behaviors that help promote brain health. Think about it. I will include them in next week’s column or if you can’t wait, you can find all six components on the Center’s web site at midcolumbiaseniorcenter.com.

If you are fortunate to be covered by Medicare you have until December 31st to change your Prescription Drug plan or your Medicare Advantage insurance carrier. If you have questions and need assistance, you can call the Area Agency on Aging at 541-298-4101 and ask for Jean Hockman.

But there are three general rules SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance) recommends when making Medicare decisions. First, ask your doctor’s office if they accept the insurance plan you want to use. Second, do a drug benefits check-up every year to determine which plan is best for you. If you are Internet comfortable, you can use the Drug Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov. And third, save all your correspondence (letters, statements and envelopes) and document any phone calls. SHIBA’s excellent user friendly guide to the Medicare system is now available and you can pick one up at the Center or at the Area Agency on Aging on the corner of 11th and Kelly.

If the weather holds, tonight’s Tuesday Night music at the Center will be provided by John Martin and Friends singing good old country western music. The music starts at 7:00 and everybody is welcome. And you don’t have to spend a cent – but donations are appreciated.

Last week, I couldn’t mention it, but I wanted to thank Myrna Kinner for helping me think of the “Remember When’ question when she told me she was named after Myrna Loy – the actress who played Nora Charles in the Thin Man movie series. (And the winner of a free Saturday Breakfast was Sandy Goforth.)

And now that we are officially in the Christmas season with the sounds of carols and Christmas standards coaxing us into the Christmas spirit, we will certainly hear our favorite Christmas songs. Mine is “White Christmas” first sung by Bing Crosby in the 1942 movie “Holiday Inn”. But what is your favorite Christmas song? “Silent Night”, “I’ll be Home for Christmas” or the “Chipmunk Song”? E-mail it to me at mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or write it on the back of a $100 Fred Meyer gift card and leave it on my desk.

The Center is back in action after a week in a winter wonderland. And whose idea was it to have snow this early? It certainly wasn’t mine! So until we meet again, I am beginning to realize I am getting to that age when I no longer need studs for my car – because if the weather is that bad, I’m better off staying home.

“Men’s minds are raised to the level of the women with whom they associate” – Alexandre Dumas Père