I am finally learning to say NO

ASHLAND - I'm trying to fit writing in this week in between meetings, doctor visits, Senior trip to GlimmerGlass to see "Oklahoma", and a visit with my daughter, Sonja.  She has limited time with me as every time she visits, she also has social obligations to fulfill.  We never seem to have enough time.  I still hear from "youngsters" that they wish they could retire from their jobs and have more time to pursue their wishes.  It's not that easy.  Once people know that you are not working a paid job, they have volunteer jobs for you to do " in your free time,"  I am finally learning to say NO to some of the requests.   Next week there is the two day trip to Salem, MA, so I very much doubt that there will be any writing then.  

On Saturday Bill Mead celebrated his 94th birthday with Happy Hour on the porch.  When Bill was in the military in the '50's. He became best buds with a gentleman from Michigan.  Unfortunately, the buddy passed, but his son, Bill has remained close to Bill Mead.  This year he came to celebrate the 94th birthday with his wife, Lisa, their daughter, son in law and their son and daughter.  ?What a house full of joy|  Sandy came down from New Hampshire to join the party, along with Bill's local friends.  At one point there were more than 25 people on the porch.  How much fun is that?  

It seems that Christman's Windham House has become THE place to eat this year.  Shannon Garraghan was there with family and ran into Joan and Paul Mead, along with other locals.  

WAJPL had their executive meeting on Monday to make plans for the next couple of months.  The one big decision was the Holiday luncheon will be an Autumn Affair.  Since many have heard about the wonderful meals at Christman's this summer, it was decided that we would check them out for our lunch.  Unfortunately, they close the main dining room after Columbus day weekend, so a vote was taken and all agreed that we would ask for the last available date in October.   The confirmation came that we could book for October 1rst, members only, cutoff at 75 people.  Since our lunch is in October, that opens December for our Holiday Bazaar.  No date has been set as of now, but we will be looking for vendors.  

As with all good intentions, I got to this point last week, and that was all she wrote.  I HAVE to get this sent today, as there is another busy week ahead of me.  My daughter has been in NYS for over a week, but has been busy visiting friends, so I just get to see her on the fly.  Next visit...

Have you passed by the Mitchell Hollow Chapel lately?  A lot of repairs, painting , general upkeep.  Major work will be done by August 9th, just in time for the annual service at 2 PM.  Please come and be generous, as the other side of the building still needs to be done.  Hope to see you all there.

Don't forget the Jewett Fire Department Chicken BBQ is August 15th starting at 4 PM.  Make sure you stop by the bake sale table sponsored by the Ashland Community Church.  Bakers are still needed.  Call Shannon 518-929-5786.  

Two large turkeys attended the service at the North Settlement Church the other week and brought their 11 babies.  

Please remember to put your trash out for collection only on the morning of as the bears are everywhere.  If they'd clean up after themselves it wouldn't be so bad, but they eat and run leaving behind the wrappers, papers, boxes and trash bags.  What a mess to clean up!

Happy Anniversary to Ken and Charlene Mabey. 

AS I REMEMBER IT

Having macular degeneration, and being legally blind, I have found many limitations on what I can and cannot do.  The worse was when they took my driving license leaving me totally dependant on others to take me places.  I have always loved to read, and that is gone.  The National Association of the Blind has given me a wonderful machine that takes special book cartridges, and is made with different shaped buttons to make it very easy to operate, but that doesn't help when I want to read paperwork, bills, write a check, and other things I always took for granted.  I go to church, and sometimes they sing a song that I don't know the words to.  So, I just hum along.  When I go into a new building, it's hard to find the ladies' room, and forget about seating charts.  

I think back to my mother and grandmother who wore glasses, and wonder what they saw through them, especially as they got older.  Then I started to wonder where they got their glasses.  There was no optometrist on the Mountain Top.  To go to Catskill, Kingston , Hudson and Albany was an all day event, especially for my grandmother.  We did have more general practitioners in the area.  Did they have "one size fits all" glasses?  Most doctors gave some sort of an eye test during your yearly physical exam, but then what?  Did they order what they thought you needed and hope for the best?  

Most of the Senior Club members have had or will have cataract surgery .  Easy surgery, get in the chair, get numbing drops, I think it's around 50 drops that go in your eye, numbing, dilations, whatever.  Go into surgery, laser is used to cut out the old lens, a new lens inserted.  An hour later you're all set to go home.  The hardest part is the eye drop schedule.  Four weeks of decreasing drops and intervals.  When Bill Mead had his cataract surgery done, he was placed in a hospital bed with sandbags around his head so he couldn't move for 3 days.  The doctors were afraid that the slightest movement would cause the stitches to break and the lens would come out.  No  coughing!  Now you get to pick the kind of lens you want implanted.  Do you want the type that change in the sun so you don't need sunglasses?  Do you want to see near or far without glasses?  Maybe progressive so you can just look through a different part of your eye to read and then see in the distance.  Now, if they could only find a cure for macular degeneration.