May 15, 2020
T he C olumbia P ress
7
Off the Shelf
Senior
Moments
by Kelly Knudsen
with Emma Edwards
Virtual doctor visits and more
Summer Reading Program includes innovation
A friend of mine threatens
to let her dog’s groomer cut
her hair if the groomer opens
before her hair dresser.
I’m thinking of going with
her. I love seeing moms and
dads in the backyard cutting
the kids’ hair, just like when I
was a child. In my large fam-
ily, none of us ever went to a
professional to get our hair
cut. That was mother’s job!
Ah, more time for memo-
ries these days, for sure.
I had an appointment for
a virtual (using the Facetime
application)
appointment
with my doctor last week.
It was my Medicare annual
checkup.
I really enjoyed my 25-min-
ute one-on-one visit with my
doctor. And the best thing
about it (ladies), was that I
did not have to be weighed.
Times have changed.
Recently, I came across a
recipe you may wish to enjoy
with that extra stay-at-home
time: Chocolate-Covered
Peanut Butter Ritz Sand-
wiches. You will love them.
They are absolutely amazing,
to say the least.
Melt 2 cups of milk-choc-
olate chips in your double
boiler. In the meantime, mix
a half cup of creamy peanut
butter with a quarter cup of
sifted powdered sugar.
Spread the peanut butter
mixture on 16 Ritz crackers
and take 16 more to put on
top of the first 16.
Here’s the trick: Put the
filled crackers in the freezer
for about 30 minutes. Then,
using a small pair of tongs,
dip the chilled peanut butter
sandwiches into the choco-
late until completely covered.
Cool on parchment paper for
COVID-19 will not stop
summer reading fun!
The State Library of Oregon
has been hosting a weekly se-
ries of virtual meet-ups for li-
brarians across the state and
the meetings have proven to
be a valuable tool for decid-
ing what services the library
can provide.
Input and ideas from the
virtual meet-ups, along with
collaboration with Seaside
and Astoria public library
staff, have helped shape a
new, innovative Summer
Reading Program for Clatsop
County families.
Starting June 1, Warren-
ton Community Library will
be giving away new books
and “Take & Make” bags with
project ideas and supplies
for families, as part of the
new Summer Reading Pro-
gram. Take a bag, and you are
signed up!
We also are working with
Clatsop Community Ac-
tion and dispersing “Take
& Make” bags and books at
the food bank in Warrenton
starting in June. Watch for
more info on our Facebook
page and website.
If you would like to donate
craft supplies or books for
our Summer Reading Pro-
gram, please call the library.
Another way we plan to
stay safe and have fun this
summer is with a Story-
Walk® —an innovative and
delightful way for children
about an hour. It’s a real gift
to us chocoholics.
By the way, recently I found
a piece of paper stating that
“all restrictions have been
lifted” and my heart skipped
a beat as joy flooded my very
soul. I continued and the
next portion read, “It’s kind
of old though; it’s dated July
4, 1776.” Oh, well. Someday,
it will happen!
Now for a tricky question.
Recently, I was asked who
would be president if the vice
president died? Of course the
answer is “the president.”
But, for some reason, most
people (like me) want to jump
to the Secretary of State.
So much has become po-
litical these days. However,
as many know, I simply love
election years. I don’t under-
stand all the issues, but the
ones that matter and involve
life and death, I take serious-
ly. Yes, I do think my vote
counts and I weigh my deci-
sions carefully.
Well, I hope you’ve started
or are well into your garden-
ing. I think I’ll plant some iris
bulbs this year as I so admire
them in other people’s gar-
dens.
That reminds me of a cute
knock-knock joke: Knock,
Knock - Who’s there? Iris!
Iris who? Iris you were here!
It will happen. One day,
this pandemic will be over.
Always remember, God has a
plan.
Special columns in The Columbia Press
Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards
Week 1: History in the Making
Week 2: Financial Focus with Adam Miller
Week 3: Off the Shelf by Kelly Knudsen
Week 4: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer III
— and adults! — to enjoy
reading and the outdoors at
the same time.
Laminated pages from a
children’s book are attached
to wooden stakes, which are
installed along an outdoor
path. As you stroll down the
trail, you’re directed to the
next page in the story. We’ll
create
one
StoryWalk®
a month this summer at
three different locations in
Warrenton. Keep an eye out
for info on our website and
signs around the community.
I want parents and care-
givers to know, you are not
alone.
Your community library is
here to help support you how-
ever we can, just ask! Now is
the time to make strong fam-
ily relationships a priority.
For families concerned that
their children are missing
out on academic content, re-
member that, at a time like
this, less is more.
I encourage you to broad-
en your definition of learning
and focus on playtime, down-
time, and family time. Rather
than trying to recreate school
content, think about how to
help your kids continue to
develop skills such as read-
ing, problem-solving, and
communication. Take care of
each other and read on.
“One of the greatest gifts
adults can give — to their
offspring and to their society
— is to read to children.” —
Carl Sagan
Kelly Knudsen is director
of Warrenton Community
Library. She has a master’s
degree in library and infor-
mation science and a bache-
lor’s degree in English.