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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2018)
April 20, 2018 T he C olumbia P ress Senior Moments This Week in Aboriginal History by Carl A. Ellis with Emma Edwards Why is everyone so tired? I’m so tired, my tired is tired. Ever feel that way? Or, “No one is going to ac- cuse me of being over the hill; I’m too tired to climb it.” Tiredness is something that plagues many of us. I imagine the average doctor hears that complaint umpteen times a day. And so, maybe we need to look at what’s behind these feelings. At senior lunch the other day, one lady told me she had missed the last lunch simply because she was too tired. What are we tired about? “Never, never, never give up,” Winston Churchill said in 1941. This can be applied to all walks of life, but I feel it’s very important for us senior citizens. As seniors, we often see folks who feel enslaved by the situation they find them- selves in at this time of their lives. Do you find yourself saying or thinking “I feel I’m already tired tomorrow. I already want to take a nap tomorrow.” Well, stop yawning and read on. Recently I asked one of my senior friends how she was doing. She sighed and said, “We all have crosses to bear, but some are heavier than others,” and then she sighed again. And then she added that all she wanted to do was sleep. With another sigh she said, “I am just so tired all the time. Is tiredness one of those crosses?” Personally, I find if I take a walk when I feel like that, it pass- es and I start humming again. About a week ago, I went to my first yard sale of the season. There was a beauti- ful iron for only $3. Those around me chorused the lack of need for even one iron. Put your thinking cap on and reminisce about all the time we used to spend at our ironing boards. Those days, we didn’t have time for tired- ness. To this day, I have a long ironing board as well as a short one. We solved many a prob- lem (not having the luxury of tiredness) while ironing. I was ironing when I heard on the radio that President Kennedy was dead. I broke out in tears but kept iron- ing. Now we would have the luxury of crawling up in a ball (bawl) and being so very tired. Choices of foods and de- termination are big consid- erations in combating tired- ness, along with purposeful activity or accomplishment. Recently, I was reminded of the high amount of pro- tein, carbohydrates and “gut- healthy” probiotics in yogurt, which can be a big help in fighting symptoms of fatigue. “In fact, the body process- es yogurt more quickly than any solid food, so it works as a great source for a quick energy boost when needed,” according to the ads. Or, get out that ironing board. Or, just plain get out of the house. Oh, and I also had a man- gle, or wringer, for flat iron- ing. Wonder how many re- member those clever space consumers? Remember, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing,” George Ber- nard Shaw. And with that, I am off to an afternoon of Pinochle. 9 De Soto gets royal commission to conquer East Coast April 20, 1537: Hernado de Soto receives royal permis- sion to “conquer, pacify and people” the land from Rio de las Palmas to Cape Fear, Fla., on the Atlantic. April 21, 1782: The Pre- sidio, which overlooks San Francisco, is erected by the Spanish to subdue Indians interfering with mail trans- missions along the El Camino Real. April 22, 1889: An esti- mated 50,000 land-hungry people gather at high noon to race across a starting line to lay claims on 2 million acres of “unassigned” land in Indi- an Territory in present-day Oklahoma. The land rush opened additional Indian lands to non-Indian settle- ment. April 23, 1637: Chief Se- quin of the Wongunk tribe, gives settlers land to establish the village of Wetherfield on the Connecticut River. The settlers, who promised to live there under his protec- tion, eventually order him to move. Sequin leads his forc- es and 200 Pequot warriors in an attack on Weatherfield, killing nine settlers and tak- ing two hostages. April 24, 1802: The state of Georgia cedes its western lands to the United States, with the proviso that the fed- eral government obtain title to Indian lands as soon as “can be peaceably obtained on reasonable terms.” April 25, 1645: Settlers in New Amsterdam gained peace with the Indians after talks with the Mohawks. April 26, 1906: Difficulty in completing tribal rolls and resistance to the allotment process prevent the anticipat- ed demise of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes in Okla- homa, so Congress passes an act that extends indefinitely the existence and govern- ments of the five tribes. A law is passed granting the U.S. president power to pick the Cherokee chief. Senior lunch menu Monday, April 23: Hamburger stroganoff, noodles, carrots, broccoli soup, bread pudding. Thursday, April 26: Roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing and gravy, green bean casserole, coleslaw, pumpkin cake. The Warrenton senior lunch program is at noon (doors open at 10:30 a.m.) Mondays and Thursdays at Warrenton Community Center, 170 SW Third St. Suggested donation is $5 for ages 55 and older; $7 for those younger. For more information, call 503-861-3502.
