Hilltowns Senior News for Friday, March 25, 2016

I love crocuses; they have no respect for authority. Other flowers wait patiently for Mother Nature to warm the ground, melt the snow, and tell them it’s safe to come out.

Not crocuses! They are the bad boys, the Dead End Kids of the flower world. They stick their little heads up through the snow saying, “I’m here! Deal with it!”

Crocuses practically stick out their tongues at the rest of the world, and I admire them for it. Sure, sometimes they get slapped down by a late storm, but they have the guts to try, and that’s what counts.

Roses are pretty, although too many of them are pink. And I have no use at all for the ones that have no scent. It’s like non-alcoholic beer; why bother

I suppose they might make a good perimeter defense, but in that case I vote for raspberries. If you’re going to get scratched, it should be worth it.

I expect plants to pay their own way, like anything else on the farm.  Give me vegetables, or fruit, or nuts, or be gone

I buy the books with titles like “Edible Landscaping,” that give one great ideas about decorating with kale. (It better be good for decorations, because I’m not going to eat the stuff, no matter what those healthy cooking magazines say.) It may make good rabbit or lizard food, for all I know.  Goldfish won’t touch it either.  

But back to the flowers. I do have some of them around, just in case. In case of what, you ask? Well, purple coneflowers are the source of echinacea, which is an immune system booster. Foxglove has digitalis, but do not try it at home. Melissa is lemon balm, and makes lovely tea.  Lambs quarters and young dandelions are great as greens.

Grandma was right; we already have everything we need.

Free smoke alarms

The Berne, East Berne, and Knox fire companies have free smoke alarms for seniors. The alarms have 10-year batteries, and will be installed by members of the fire company in your area

Close counts for this program, so don’t worry if your mailing address is not completely or specifically in town.  You can sign up at the Helderberg Senior Lunch program, or you can tell a member of the fire company, or you can call me at 872-9370 to register.

A fire company member will call you back in the near future to schedule the installation.

Elder tech

Pre-register at the Berne Town Library for the new technology-for-seniors workshops, so the instructor from MicroKnowledge computer training company can bring enough materials for everyone.  You may attend any one, or all of the classes for free, as long as you are 60 or over.

We had a full house for the smart phone session, and a lot of fun.  All classes are held at the library, and are provided through a grant from the Albany County Department for Aging.

Session 2 will be about tablets.  Bring your own if you have one; the instructor will bring a couple of extras in case they are needed.  If you don’t have one of these gizmos, this would be a good way to see whether you want one or not. Class is Monday, May 28, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Session 3 is Laptop Computers.  Bring your own, or use one provided. All you have to do is show up at the library on Thursday, March 31, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Menu

We also have the lunchtime menu for next week at the Hilltown Senior Center.  Swap tales with friends, and enjoy a lunch that you don’t have to cook.  Doors open at 11 a.m., and lunch is served promptly at noon.  There are games and cards on Mondays and Tuesdays, and we will be entertained by Nancy Frueh on Friday.

— Monday, March 28: Baked ziti, tossed salad with Romaine, whole-wheat bread, milk, and applesauce;

— Tuesday, March 29: Open-faced turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, whole-wheat stuffing, milk, and vanilla pudding;

— Friday, April 1: Barbecued alligator* or chicken Florentine, brown rice, California blend vegetables, pineapple juice, whole-wheat bread, milk, and an oatmeal cookie. (I recommend the chicken. BBQ alligator tastes like muddy lizard – I’ve tried it!)

Please call 24 hours in advance at 872-9400 to reserve lunch.  Email , or sign up when you come in. Tell us how many are coming, your name, and your telephone number.  If you’d just like to come and help out, give Mary Moller a call at 861-6253, or email her at , and put “volunteer” in the subject line.

Lunches are provided by Helderberg Senior Services, the Albany County Department of Aging, and Senior Services of Albany. The Hilltown Senior Center is located at 1360 Helderberg Trail (Route 443) in Berne.

*April fool!