COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL SEPTEMBER 27, 2017
7A
A reminder on manners as the season changes
Chatterbox
By Betty Kaiser
For The Sentinel
bettykaiser.com
Summer is gone. Fall is
here. And that means it’s time
to clean up the garden and my
email inbox. Both are over-
fl owing. Readers often send me
thought provoking and fun stuff
that I keep until I fi nd time to
pass them on. Lately, my inbox
has been full of reminders of the
practice of old fashioned man-
ners. Lucky you! Here are some
to ponder…
“First impressions make last-
ing impressions” was drilled
into me as a child. I was taught
that a fi rst face-to-face intro-
duction spoke volumes. Today,
impressions are also made by
what you say online in emails or
Facebook. Yes, it’s still import-
ant to dress well and be polite...
but how far will that get you
when people only know you by
what you say on the Internet?
That’s a whole different set of
manners that we’ll talk about
another time.
Those of us of a certain age
often wonder what happened
to the “Yes, Sir” and “No
Ma’am,” environment that we
were raised in. Using those ti-
tles (without sarcasm!) is still
a sign of respect and that hasn’t
changed. It is always best to ad-
dress others respectfully at that
fi rst introduction. Military per-
sonnel set a good example for
us all. I must admit that some of
my friends think it is too formal
and old-fashioned thereby be-
traying their ages. That doesn’t
bother me.
“Thank you” or “You’re Wel-
come” are never out of style. We
were raised in the same genera-
tion if you have ever been an-
noyed by a sales clerk’s attitude
who hands you your change
from a transaction and says,
“Here you go!” At some point
in the last few years, the phras-
es “Yep,” or “No Problem” also
started. Where did they come
from? They suggest that your
business was no big deal. The
phrases thank you and you’re
welcome allow customers to
feel like their business is appre-
ciated.
“Here’s what’s happening.”
I like this form of communica-
tion. It can be used not only at
work but within families, friends
and neighbors. It is a meaning-
ful exchange of information. It
means you’re not being left out
of the loop or having to rely on
rumors to guess what is going
on. It is true communication. It
shows respect and consideration
without being condescending.
“How can I help?” Again, this
is a respectful form of commu-
nication. People don’t like to
ask for help. But if we see that
someone has a need, we can be
proactive and suggest that we
are ready, willing and able to
help them through a rough patch
without dictating what we think
they need.
“I’ll fi nd out.” Sometimes we
have questions that we cannot
answer alone. Knowing that
someone is going to go out of
his or her way to team up with
us, relieves tension and warms
our hearts.
But enough of manners. On
the lighter side, a number of
people send me interesting
questionnaires that I can never
answer. The questions usually
begin with “WHY?” Here are
some for you to ponder. The an-
swers follow.
Questions:
1.
Why do ships and air-
craft use 'mayday' as their call
for help?
2.
Why is someone who
is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?
3.
Why is shifting re-
sponsibility to someone else
called passing the buck?
4.
Why are people in
the public eye said to be 'in the
limelight'?
1.
Why are many coin
collection jar banks shaped like
pigs?
Answers:
1. This comes from the
French word m'aidez (meaning
'help me’) and is pronounced,
approximately, 'mayday.'
2. Types of clouds are num-
bered according to the altitudes
they attain, with nine being the
highest cloud. If someone is
said to be on cloud nine, that
person is fl oating well above
worldly cares.
3. In card games, it was once
customary to pass an item,
called a buck, from player to
player to indicate whose turn it
was to deal. If a player did not
wish to assume the responsibili-
ty of dealing, he would 'pass the
buck' to the next player.
4. Invented in 1825, limelight
was used in lighthouses and the-
aters by burning a cylinder of
lime which produced a brilliant
light. In the theatre, a performer
'in the limelight' was the Centre
of attention.
5.
Long ago, dishes and
cookware in Europe were made
of dense orange clay called
‘pygg.’ When people saved
coins in jars made of this clay,
the jars became known as 'pygg
banks.' An English potter mis-
understood the word. He made
a container that resembled a pig.
Thanks to all who contribut-
ed to today’s column. Now we
all have been reminded of our
manners and why we have pig-
gy banks! Oink. Oink.
Contact Betty Kaiser’s Chat-
terbox at 541-942-1317.
Garden Club looks to sustainability
Many of us are concerned about the impact
humans have on the environment. We wonder
how we can personally do something about over-
whelming events such as climate change, bee de-
cline. and pollution of our water and soil. Fortu-
nately, we can be can be part of the solution by
implementing a continuum of sustainable garden-
ing practices when developing or renovating our
yards and gardens.
Please join Cottage Grove Garden Club on
Tuesday, October 3rd as we welcome Master Gar-
dener Carol Salami-Goswick. Carol will intro-
duce us to the basic concepts of sustainable gar-
dening in her talk Moving Toward Sustainability.
She will also share some easy steps to help you
get started.
The Garden Club's informational meeting be-
gins at 6pm and Carol's talk will begin at 7pm. We
meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South
3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams). All vis-
itors and guests welcome.
Next Month
November 7: Pesticides and Alternatives with
Ashley Chesser of NW Center for Alternatives to
Pesticides.
Senior companions needed at LCC
SOUTH LANE COUNTY
FIRE & RESCUE
The Only Emergency Medical
Transport Service
in South Lane County
Community Public Education:
• CPR/AED
• Heart Attack Recognition
• Fall Prevention • Stroke Prevention
• Fire Prevention • Fire Extinguishers
• Fire-Med Membership
Call 541-942-4493 for info.
FOR EMERGENCY DIAL 911
Serving South Lane County.
www.southlanefi re.org
Family & General
Dentistry
Douglas
uglas G.
G Maddess,
M ad
d d ess DMD
DM
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The Senior Companion Pro-
gram at Lane Community Col-
lege is trying to reduce social
isolation and maintain senior
independence. But it needs help.
The program has put out a
call for volunteers to take part in
the program, which is federally
funded and operates through
Lane Community College as a
local sponsor. The institute has
sponsored the companion pro-
gram for 40 years.
“What we found as people
age and their worlds get small-
er, it’s almost as if society for-
gets about them,” Beth Brooks,
director of the program said.
“What we do is recruit low-in-
come seniors, 55 years or old-
er to visit with frail elders and
those with disabilities so they
541-942-1559
www.douglasgmaddessdmd.com
A piece of good news for those
hoping to volunteer in Cottage
Grove and Creswell.
The
program
operates
throughout Lane County and
has two options for volunteer-
ing. One sees volunteers work-
ing in home care facilities while
the other has volunteers driving
to individual homes to visit with
their clients.
“Anyone who volunteers
in Cottage Grove or Creswell
would be driving,” Brooks said.
The program contracts with
different facilities but does not
currently have an agreement
with home care institutions in
Cottage Grove and Creswell.
“All of the assignments
in those areas are individual
homes,” Brooks said.
For more information on be-
coming a volunteer, please con-
tact Brooks at (541) 463-6263.
To sign-up to receive visitors
through the volunteer program,
please contact the Aging and
Disability Resource Center at
(541) 682-3353.
LORANE NEWS
This Saturday, September 30, Lorane
Rebekah Lodge is hosting a Hunter's
Breakfast from 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. in their
kitchen. The Lorane Community Asso-
ciation will have a Sunday meeting this
weekend, October 1, 1:30 p.m. at Lorane
Grange. Grange Canning and Preservation
Clinic scheduled for October 20 through
October 22. CAL School Board will meet
at Lorane Grange on October 19 at 7 p.m.
Executive session will be held prior to
open session. October 2-6 is Homecoming
Week at CrowM/H School with the Dane
on Friday 9-11 p.m.
Mesothelioma
Lung Cancer
Laryngeal Cancer
“Brightening Lives One Smile at a Time”
914 S. 4th Street
Cottage Grove
can stay as independent as pos-
sible in their own homes.”
To volunteer, residents must
qualify as low-income ($24,120
a year for a household of one),
be willing to work 15 hours a
week for a year and pass a back-
ground check.
“We ask for a good faith com-
mitment of a year because this
program is based on relation-
ships,” Brooks said.
Volunteers build relationships
with seniors and individuals
with disabilities by visiting with
them, Brooks said. Volunteers
can take their client out for cof-
fee, read the newspaper, play
board games or just sit and talk.
“It’s about the relationship so
this program is doing the same
things you would do with and
for a friend,” she said.
While it is a volunteer pro-
gram, those who participate are
given a daily stipend to counter
any costs they may occur and
the Senior Companion Program
currently reimburses approxi-
mately 40 cents per mile for gas.
We are a local Oregon law firm
helping people with asbestos
related cancer claims.
Booster Club Auction and Carnival
fundraiser is October 14 from 3-5 p.m. in
the Crow HS gym.
Lorane Grange meets this Thursday,
October 5 at 7 p.m. Their bingo evening
will be a Potato Bar and Bingo on Friday,
October 27. Everything starts at 5:30 p.m.
Cottage Grove
Sentinel
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you are eligible for compensation.
1-877-928-9147
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