Hilltowns Senior News for Friday, June 17, 2016

Knowing I’m going to die has made a big difference in my life. (No, I’m not going all morbid on you, although I am awfully fond of Morticia Addams.) You see, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time being “prepared.”

As a teen, my interpretation of circumstances was that you couldn’t trust anyone or anything; as soon as you depended on something, it would get yanked away. If I didn’t take care of myself, nobody else would.

So I became a personal disaster planner. If I analyzed the negative possibilities of any possible future occurrence, then, when the worst happened, I would be ready for it. As you can imagine, this took a fair amount of effort, and I have more canned goods stored than most families of six.  If civilization as we know it comes to a sudden screeching halt, I’m ready. (Okay, I’m not very good with hand-to-hand combat, but I’ll figure out some sneaky way around it; booby traps, perhaps.)

The result of all this is that I’ve spent a lot of time in the future, and less in the present, except for trying to make the present useful in preparing for the future.  This is all well and good, up to a point, but I’ve never been much good at moderation. I joke that I only have two speeds: Damn the torpedoes, and full stop.

So what happens when one discovers that there is a finite amount of future left to prepare for? It could be one day, or 15 years, but one has to acknowledge that the end point is at least vaguely visible from here. So what good are all those chickpeas and paper towels?

I’ve also discovered that there actually is a limit to how long you can save stuff; I pay no attention to expiration dates, but after 10 years or so, the brownie mix develops an unpleasant “off” taste. So what good is all this prep work if it’s going to end up wasting money? That’s another cardinal sin, almost as bad as not being prepared.  It makes no sense to keep stocking things for the next 20 years if I’m not likely to be around to use them.

Now what? The future is shorter than it used to be, so I’d better start paying a bit more attention to the present.

What’s on the “bucket list,” and how badly do I want it?  The trees are very green, and the breeze smells wonderful. I don’t want to waste my remaining years organizing defenses against something that I may not be around for.

This absolves me of an awful lot of work and worry. I’ve never felt that kind of freedom before. It means my life is mine to enjoy, and, since there is a finite amount of it left, I have a perfectly good justification for appreciating today (I’m big on justifications, too).

I bought a couple of lovely long dresses recently (OK, they were on sale). I bought them because I like long dresses; I like the swooshy sound they make around my ankles, and how graceful they make me feel. Long dresses are not in fashion right now. So what? I’m beginning to understand those old ladies you see wearing red hats and purple gloves; they are pleasing themselves, not the rest of us.

I believe in kindness and gratitude, because that’s where I want to spend my mental time. The world will do what it does, but I can choose how I want to look at it and react to it.

So, I find that being able to wave at the Grim Reaper on a distant but visible hill has been a big benefit. I have no desire to be able to see what color his eyes are, or the make of the scythe he’s carrying, but knowing he’s there isn’t such a bad thing, for me.

Coming up

Now, enough of the philosophy! We have plenty of interesting events and flavors to sample in the here and now. Did you know: June is Great Outdoors Month, National Bathroom Reading Month, National Soul Food Month, National Pet Preparedness Month, and National Zoo and Aquarium Month?

June 19 through  25 is Carpenter Ant Awareness Week, Lightning Safety Awareness Week, and Old Time Fiddlers Week.

American Eagle Day is on  June 20, as is Flitch of Bacon Day (ceremony was first noted on June 20, 1751. It is held every four years on Leap Year).  Tall Girl Appreciation Day is the 21st; World Humanist Day and Baby Boomer's Recognition Day are the 22nd. The 23rd is Pink Flamingo Day, followed by Take Your Dog to Work Day on the 24th.

The Altamont Seniors have a Hudson River cruise coming up on July 20. It includes lunch, a cruise, a coffee break, and transportation. The cost is $45 for Altamont residents and $55 for everyone else. Call Kathy Adams (no relation to Morticia) at 861-6258, and be sure to tell her whether you want chicken parm, prime rib, or broiled Tilapia for lunch.

Cruises are popular this season; the Hilltown Seniors will be having a steam train and riverboat lunch excursion on July 12. The trip includes a three-course lunch in a 1920s Pullman railroad car, followed by a cruise up the Connecticut River on the riverboat the “Becky Thatcher.” The bus leaves Berne at 7 a.m., and the cost is $60 for members, and $85 for others. Call Shirley Slingerland at 797-3467 if you want to go, and your lunch choice (beef tips or chicken parm).

The Senior Meals program will be having a speaker from the Albany County Weatherization Program after lunch on June 28. Come find out about the requirements for the service, and all the things they can do.

The Statewide Senior Action Council’s telephone teach-in on comparing nursing homes is coming up on June 21. Learn the new five-star rating system, and how to evaluate services, quality, and safety. Call Senior Action at 1-800-333-4374 to reserve your place.

Albany Guardian Society is presenting a community forum entitled Aging and the Meaningful Life on Wednesday, July 13, at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Speakers from several different perspectives will focus on opportunities for spiritual growth and community engagement. Call 269-3976 to register, or e-mail: . St. Sophia’s is at 440 Whitehall Road in Albany.      

We also have the lunch menu for next week at the senior center. Stay afterward for cards and games, and hear our own Nancy Frueh and her flute on Fridays.

— Monday, June 20: Barbecue chicken, spinach, mashed sweet potato, wheat bread, and chocolate pudding;

— Tuesday, June 21: Roast pork with gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, stuffing, and fresh pear; and

— Friday, June 24: Ham and bean casserole, spinach, corn bread and pineapple.

Please call Linda Hodges 24 hours in advance at 872-0940 to reserve lunch, or e-mail her at: , 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 e-mail 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.