My Future Plans at approaching 90

Many of my friends and followers on social media have asked me about future plans approaching my 90th birthday on April 27th, 2022. For me this is a very hard question because I have experienced so much in my life. Some experiences have been blessings while others have been painful lessons. After careful thinking, these plans are in place for daily agenda: First of all I want to keep moving as long as my health will allow. Getting up, getting dressed and showing up is my biggest plan.I want to share each day with people face-to-face or on-line because isolation leads to loneliness and depression. Secondly, selfcare is important. If you feel good, you look good, if you look good you do good. Exercising the mind with jigsaw puzzles is both intertaining and keeps the brain sharp.Taking walks is the number one way to keep moving and not get all stoved up. Eating plans are included because it is important to keep the weight down, feed the body the things needed to keep the body in balance. But remind myself that a little chocolate or ice cream won't hurt once in a while.Older people tend to get dehydrated so drinking water and eating things like cucumbers, watermelon and yes, even popcyles will keep the organs from shutting down. Smile because it attracts positive people. Smile because it might be the only kind act a person might receive. It also lets people know you are home and doesn't cost anything. Reading books, tutorials, and watching television is a great way to keep up with the community, state, and world around us. Awareness is a way to never lose sight of what is going on around us. Last but not least, communicating, caring and sharing is my ultimate plan. I plan to use my computer skills to communicate my thoughts, share good thoughts, and art work. I plan to use my computer skills to volunteer and promote messages on social media. I will continue crochet and knit items for charity, and share my joy of painting with others.

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus Loves Me This I Know I learned in summer Bible Camp many years ago...82 to be exact. It has stuck with me through all those years. Now my church has had many sermons on "God's Love" This brought back memories of my experience in summer bible camp and the song, Jesus Loves Me. It also brings back the memory of a story from Atlanta, Georgia where a pastor was honoring a retired 92-year-old pastor.

The pastor welcomed the congregation as he usually does. Then he invited the 92-year-old retired pastor to

come up to the pulpit and say a few words to the congregation. The frail man slowly got up from his seat and made his way to the pulpit and paused. He stood there for at least a minute or two without saying a word.

Then he opened his mouth and started to sing: "Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong They are weak but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me, for the bible tells me so."

I have never forgotten the simple little song. We all need to be reminded in this troubling time.

Yes, " Jesus Loves me this I know for the bible tells me so."

Random Memories

Random Memories

Recently, I posted this quote:” I enjoy those random memories popping up at no particular time that makes me smile”. Immediately, I saw a picture in my mind of my best friend Dorothy and I learned to cook.

One day we decided to make donuts. We got the “Joy of Cooking” cookbook Out. That book was the best reference for anything to do with cooking. Carefully, we read the recipe, as a matter of fact, we read it twice. The big bowl of batter was ready to cook. We look at the directions again. The instructions said: drop the batter in a deep kettle-what? This is when it the happened-the minute we quit reading. We drop the batter into a tea kettle my mother had on the stove. We cooked that batter to the specified time and all that batter come spewing out of the spout. Lesson Learn ed. Read directions all the way through.

Another time we decided to make that old-fashioned southern flat skillet cornbread for my father. On Saturday’s our family always had fresh green beans and little red potatoes along with the cornbread. The recipe was on a Martha White bag of cornmeal. We got the recipe right and got it into a well-greased skillet. But alas, we let it cook too long. It tasted all right but was a little tough. My Dad’s comment was good because he needed to retread the tires on his old 38 Chevrolet. But now, as I smile, I know we both turned out to be good cooks.

Another smiling memory was all about Dorothy and I and poison ivy. Dorothy and I were with our friend Boots waiting for public transportation to go to the movies. We were standing by a tree that had a lot of vines hanging down from it. Dorothy said;” Don’t touch those leaves, I think that is poison ivy” Boots and I laughed and rub leaves on our arms. During the movie, we all began to itch and scratch. By the time we got home our eyes were swollen almost shut, our faces were swollen and we itched. We wound up in the same bed at my house and were cared for by my mother.

I also look back at the things we did to amuse ourselves when we were youngsters. This was before TV. There was a big chinaberry tree in our backyard. The tree produced hard green berries. We pick the green round berries almost all morning. Then all the kids were divided into two teams. We had a chinaberry war, as we threw the berries at each other. It took all of about 5 minutes for we diminished our stockpiles.

Now that I’ve commented on a few of my flashback random memories I will record them for my daughter so it will put a smile on her face as well. as well.

Enjoy Traditions At Any Age

Enjoy Traditions at Any Age

Many traditions we enjoyed as youngsters can be fun in our adult years as well. I attended an Easter luncheon at my Senior Center and as I came in the door the receptionist told me to go find an Easter egg and bring it back to the desk for a prize. When I entered the main room I saw many senior members laughing and enjoying the hunt.  I found mine, in my favorite color, lavender in a lighted palm tree next to the Trips and Tours table.

Seniors love the games and traditions they did as youngsters. It is still a thrill to find the golden egg or guess how many jelly beans are in the jar even if you are a vintage soul. So many random memories are brought back by sharing a holiday meal with others, and listening to holiday music, performed by an “Over the Hill “choir.

There are so many family traditions to share with others. It is fun to play the board games that were played in our younger years, crochet and knit, quilting, choir, dancing, old-time country music, billiards, bible study, dulcimer, ukulele, and just plain sharing coffee and conversation.

This June 22, 2020, will be The Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center’s 42^th Anniversary. As I work to promote the 42^th Anniversary and reopening of the Senior Center,  I can’t forget the joy of participating in the programs at the Senior Center. Members are healthier and happier because they are not isolated and alone.

It takes a lot of volunteering to meet the operating costs and to work toward building a new building because MJSAC is a rare stand-alone Senior Center. All businesses and individuals can help by donating what they can toward keeping this vital part of the Mt Juliet communt

Thanksgiving A Rewarding Experience

Many times I have collected food, supplies, clothes, and toiletries for the homeless but never actually helped in delivering them. This year I was with the Knit and Crochet group from the Mt. Juliet Senior Center. It was rewarding to visit the Help Center in Mt. Juliet, Tn. to take warm gloves and hats. The organization operates with all volunteers. In the front, there is a large room where anyone can come in and get food and clothing. Another room at the Help Center houses shelves full of imperishable food bins of fresh produce and two large freezers of food products that are donated. Volunteers package all the boxes that are to be distributed to people who come in and for delivery to the distribution points. Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center is a distribution point every 2^ND Thursday of the month. It is called 2^ND Harvest.

On Thanksgiving Day my daughter, two friends and I joined the Gobble -Gobble Give program in downtown Nashville. A restaurant in the middle downtown closed down their restaurant and parking lot to provide space for the event to serve the homeless with a meal, clothing, shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, and hand warmers. One friend served on the line packing the Thanksgiving meals and another drove to deliver the meals and bags of items to the homeless out and about the city. Outside the restaurant, tables were set up for an assembly line to receive and sort the donations that came in. Bags of items were packed and carried to the volunteer drivers cars for delivery along with the food.

My daughter and I served at the table bagging toiletries, socks, and gloves. We also aided the people who walked in for help. Sections in the parking lot were set up for men’s clothing, and women’s clothing. A section for blankets and sleeping bags were set up. Another section was set up for children’s clothing and toys. The two sections inside for food and outside for needed items coordinated well to fill the volunteer drivers’ cars with packages to the homeless wherever they were found or they found us.

The most rewarding thing I found was how truly grateful the people we served were. They would not take anything they couldn’t use or try to hoard anything. All of the people my daughter and our friends served were polite and we did not encounter any rudeness. They smiled and said thank you.

How the Mt.Juliet Activity Center gives back to the community..."Let me count the ways."

How the Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center gives back to the community… “Let me count the ways.”

1.      It shares luncheons, games, contests, and music with other senior facilities to reach more seniors.

2.      It provides a place for Meals-on-meals to pack and deliver lunch to many shut-ins in the area.

The Center also serves those seniors who can come in for lunch for the program.

3.      It provides over 600 items; hats, scarfs,  hat & scarf sets, cancer hats, dishcloths, pot holders, Lap robes, and many other handcrafted items, made by the Senior center’s Knit and Crochet for charity group and the Quilt Club. They serve over 6 charity organizations and delivers in November each year.

4.      The “Over the Hill Choir” travels to nursing facilities within Wilson County to share their music and provide music for members of the Center.

5.      At Christmas Time the Choir provides a Christmas card, signed by each member to each senior in the nursing facilities visited. The cards are designed and printed by a member and donated.

6.      All groups in the center provide programs, items, and services to offset operating costs.

7.      The Senior Center provides a place where Senior Members can pick up a box packed with groceries from the Help Center. The program is called Second Harvest and operates every 2^nd Thursday of the month.

8.      The Center provides a place where businesses can sponsor and bring their messages to the membership and events open to the public.

9.      The Mt. Juliet Senior Center provides daily communications with the community on social media… Facebook. Twitter, Next-door network, all surrounding Hip-networks. It promotes senior programs and schedules.

10.   Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center serves as the pulse of the senior residents of the Mt. Juliet area.

There are many other ways the Center shares with the community but most importantly it provides a place for our seniors to go and stay active for a healthier and happier life.Social Media has created a faster way to communicate but it hasn't taken the place and value of the face-to-face meeting. In the fast-paced world, it is hard to get away, drive through heavy traffic to meet in what was supposed to be a " new networking" event. You know the one, a handshake, a business card, and a plate full of calories. Then you go back to the office or home and you wind up with a drawer full of cards. Something has happened to the sit-down, have a cup of coffee and get to know you face-to-face times. Some organizations have started to change by a member sharing business a business card with another and later on calling and meeting over lunch or coffee. And, in the meantime, we continue our Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Google.

So how can we better communicate with this new communication wonder? It can start with you.
All the sites have a place for you to upload your picture called an avatar. This too can be a problem.
I like to see who I am talking to, but then I see something that looks like an egghead. It is hard to communicate by looking at an egghead. Then there are avatars of babies, animals and all sorts of things.
This is fine on Facebook for families sharing pictures and honoring members of their families. The avatar should be you and you can upload pictures as well. Besides, if you keep changing your avatar how do you expect people to recognize you? But if you are in business it would be nice to see who you are communicating with. It is acceptable to show a logo of a company like AT& T or other large corporations that have built a respectable business and have many employees.

The Avatar sets the tone of your message. Remember, when the telephone was the newest way to communicate your business? You were taught to give the conversation your undivided attention and put a smile in your voice. Social media calls for putting a smile on your message. So how do you do that? You put a smiling avatar up. Let people see a genuine smile.

The egghead avatar has caused me to encourage a change by creating a "Grandma Grin Award" I try to publish each week, Put a smiling avatar with your message.

    

Do You Know Where Your Parents Are ?

                                                 Do We Know Where Our Parents Are?

Yes, we know where our parents are. They are home where they want to be, but is that enough? Some cannot drive; some are afraid to travel alone, and some have no transportation. Many do not realize that society is isolating their seniors.

I am just one member of the Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center who knows and shares the benefits of living in their own home and enjoying sharing fun, games, coffee, exercise, and many beneficial programs with friends of my own age.  Mark Hinesley, Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce President said: “If you want to check the pulse of a city, check the schools, churches, organizations, and the senior centers. Growth brings new businesses, new people, and with those new people are their families and parents.”

This is so true with the city of Mt. Juliet …it is growing. New schools and churches have been built; parks and playground facilities are being updated and, yes even a new beautiful Chamber of Commerce Building. So why can’t Mt. Juliet build a new facility for its seniors? Why is it not under the umbrella of the City? Why it is still a stand-alone…only funded through grants and the fundraisers by member volunteers?

Seniors are a part of the make-up of the Mt. Juliet community. Residents of Mt. Juliet, Tn. Help build a safe place for them now and a future place for you as you reach their age. Everyone in the community can help: Investors, Developers, Builders, Companies, Organizations, Churches, and Residents. Search in your hearts. Land, building materials, roofing, windows, doors, furnishings are all a part of fundraising for a new Senior Center to replace the now old and over-crowded facility.

Contact the Executive Director, Sharon Howard for your contributions. 615-758-9114