Senior Daze

by Katie Bourg

About Katie: Having arrived in time for the Great (?) Depression, WWII, and all other 20th century problems, I am endowed with long and varied memories. Writing classes have long been my home away from home. Other people's stories are fascinating, and sharing is growth at its best. Hope you seniors will join me with your stories. Try it. You'll like it.

Our local strawberries are late this year. My taste buds were ready at least two weeks ago. I missed my yearly treat because I didn't get to the Strawberry Festival. I have had strawberries; just not our strawberries. And I've never been more aware of the difference than I am this year.

Many years ago, a friend from California complained of all the juice that could be seen dripping out of trucks carrying their berries north to us. She said it was a shame to see all the wonderful sweet juice lost going down the highway. Wonder what she'd say these days. 'Cause somebody has been messing with nature. When did strawberries get so tough they are actually hard to bite into?

It's not just strawberries. From early childhood I took great pleasure in sneaking out to the garden, plucking a bright red tomato and sinking my teeth into it. The juice would run down my front, leaving evidence of my actions. I'd get another scolding for messing up my dresses. But, oh, the taste was worth it.

I didn't need a chainsaw to get in trouble. The skin was firm but soft enough to welcome my intrusive teeth. Try that today, and it's like pushing on an inflated balloon on one side, until the other side bursts. Only it isn't just air that finally flies through the air. When the break finally happens, plan on cleaning up the kitchen. And what's lost on the countertop I never get to enjoy.

I spent the better part of a recent Saturday at the Arlington street fair. My TOPS group combined with another group to show people what we do to help each other. We meet at the Faith Lutheran Church on 172nd, every Wednesday to help each other reach our goals. Another group meets at the Arlington Boys and Girls club on Friday mornings. Both groups concentrate on weight loss, but work to make it fun along the way. That's what all TOPS groups are about. It works.

After spending half a day in our booth, my friend Jo and I wandered up and down the four blocks to see what everybody else had to offer. There was some of everything, and we had a great time picking up ideas and coupons and signing up for prizes. I never plan on winning, but have fun trying. Ate a great lunch at the Bluebird Café, and came home with a little more sun than I'd planned on. Sat down in my chair and took a nap. I do that frequently. Makes it awfully hard to ever finish a book.

We lost another Stilly singer recently. Annette was a fun person who did the hula, which we always enjoyed. She will be missed. So will my friend Margaret Kime. We celebrated her 100th birthday in January. She said she was going to make it to 120. She gave it a good try, and we will miss her.

We lost a great first lady a couple of weeks ago, too. A very outspoken one when she was in the White House. It wasn't the best of times for our country then. She frequently gave us something else to think about. And nobody could ever say she wasn't honest. She didn't ever hesitate to speak her mind. Looking back it was rather refreshing, and if startling at times, gave us food for thought. I was having a bad time with a young daughter at the time. Her blunt but honest opinion on how she would handle things was welcome advice I've never forgotten. I didn't vote for her husband, but I might have voted for Betty.

Daughter Karen and I strolled through my favorite 'everything' store the other day, and stopped to admire two short, sturdy and very black Scotties. I'm old enough to remember the First Dog, Fala, during the Roosevelt administration, and have always had a soft spot in my heart for them. Turns out these two are service dogs. The humans at the other end of their leashes were very pleasant and gave us a bit of their history. The lady suffers from seizures; a service-connected condition. This little bit of dog has abilities a lot of us could wish for. The gentleman explained that five minutes before a problem starts, the dog is aware of it. She will jump into the lady's lap, and make enough noise to bring help. We should all be so smart.

The Veterans Administration found the first dog for them. They were so grateful, they found a husband for their lady dog. They raise the pups and turn them over to the VA so others can have the same help. Karen and I were very impressed. Not everyone would do this. If I were younger I might like to try it. I have known about service dogs for years, but tend to think of bigger dogs for other problems, such as loss of sight. But the body language of these little fellows leave you with no doubt about their ability, as they walked away, tails up, backs straight. An air about them that said "We can handle anything." Fala would be very proud.

Something is bothering me. I'm not comfortable with the Monroe city fathers. I have little opinion at all about the traffic cameras being considered. But enough people did to get up a successful petition, demanding a vote of the people on the issue. The local leaders OKd the cameras anyway. Now, they are going to use the peoples' money to sue the people for getting up the petition.

I've always understood the 'Right to Petition' to be among our most sacred rights. Somehow this doesn't sound right to me. How about you? Huh!