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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2019)
December 6, 2019 T he C olumbia P ress Senior Moments Marine debris topic of Nature Matters talk with Emma Edwards Age shouldn’t slow us down My latest fortune cookie read, “No one grows old by living, only by losing interest in living.” The saying is tailor-made for me and the rest of us. We seniors glean wisdom from so many places. Life is good! Many of you know that I’m active in the Warrenton Se- nior Citizens Inc. meal site held at noon on Mondays and Thursdays at Warrenton Community Center. There is a regular patron by the name of Betty Kelly who recently celebrated her 90th birthday and so is now referred to as a nonagenari- an. Recently she gave me this nugget: “Age may slow me down, but it hasn’t closed my mouth.” (She is the one who shares her holiday walnuts recipe with us every year.) I will see if there is room for it next week. I’m not sure who assigned these designations, but it’s fun to know what we are referred to age-wise. In our 50s, we are quinquagenar- ians, sexagenarian in our 60s, septuagenarians in our 70s, and octogenarians (that’s me) in our 80s. Once we turn 100, we are cente- narians and past 110, super- centenarians. Time for Christmas is wind- ing down for the year as is ev- eryone else around us. As seniors, we don’t seem to experience the pressures of the younger crowd. Maybe, that’s because we have “been there, done that”? Every year I used to say that the “next year” I was going to have everything done way ahead of time and just sit back and enjoy the Christmas season. Did it ever happen? Well, not really. But, I must say, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Most of us older folk even remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. We like to tell the story about the little baby born in a manager over 2,000 years ago. We don’t mind when the little ones ask us to share it with them, either. And, of course, they lis- ten because most little ones think it is fun when a grand- ma or grandpa tells a “once upon a time” story, especial- ly when we tell them it’s a true story. My favorite times of the Christmas season are listen- ing to a group of little ones sing songs such as “Away in a Manger” and “Silent Night.” Oh, yes, and “Twinkle, Twin- kle Little Star” and “Jingle Bells.” Another favorite is “I’m a Little Snowman, Short and Stout” (that’s me after all I ate on Thanksgiving). There are so many reasons to be thankful, especially at this time of our lives when our lives are no longer clut- tered with pressures of ex- pectations. Remember when we used to type on a typewriter that we called it “typing”? What is it called on a com- puter? I got the answer on my first Google search asking about it. It’s called “keyboarding.” I like that. So, when the kids say they are going snowboarding I can just tell them I think I will go keyboarding. It sounds more exciting somehow. At least we don’t end up with a broken ankle for the endeavor. 7 Horn cleaning marine debris from a local beach. The problems of ma- investigating the im- rine debris, how it im- pacts of microplastics pacts watersheds and on invertebrates in how to deal with it is Oregon, and some of the topic of the next the ways residents can Nature Matters talk. make changes. Dorothy Horn, a Doors open at 6 p.m. Portland State Uni- for dinner service, al- Horn versity doctoral can- though no purchase is didate, will lead the necessary. discussion at 7 p.m. Thurs- Nature Matters is spon- day, Dec. 12, in the Lovell sored by Lewis and Clark Showroom at Fort George National Historical Park, Brewery, 1483 Duane St., North Coast Watershed As- Astoria. sociation and Fort George. Horn will present research Horn grew up in South- ern California and holds a bachelor’s degree in Envi- ronmental Science and Bi- teer-operated radio agency ology. serving a diverse listening au- She has worked as a ranger dience from Raymond, Wash., for the National Park Service to Pacific City on three stations and U.S. Fish and Wildlife KMUN, KTCB and KCPB. Service. KMUN receives grant to upgrade Coast Community Radio, the nonprofit radio station in the Columbia-Pacific region, has received a $19,401 grant from Oregon Cultural Trust. Station Manager Graham Nystrom wrote the grant re- quest for money toward the Radio For Good campaign. The trust awarded CCR $19,401 toward phase two of the campaign, a three-year plan to repair, replace, and Nystrom update all of the broadcast equipment from microphone to transmit- ter. “We are incredibly grate- ful that the Oregon Cultural Trust sees the importance of our services, and that they ac- knowledged the need for our equipment to be updated and reinforced,” Nystrom said. “I hope the Northwest Coast never sees another storm like we did in 2007, but with the help of community members and grant-making founda- tions like the Oregon Cultural Trust, Coast Community Ra- dio is doing its part to be pre- pared.” Coast Community Radio is a member-supported, volun- Senior lunch menu Monday, Dec. 9: Mexican lasagna with chicken, Spanish rice, carrots, black bean soup, fruice pie. Thursday, Dec. 12: Pulled pork, roasted potatoes, red cab- bage, split pea soup, key lime pie. 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 $6 for ages 55 and older; $7 for those younger. For more information, call 503-861-3502.
