MPR: Aging Gracefully - An Individual Perspective

June 17: The Importance of Friends
What a nice relaxing day. I get into routines and there is nothing like the Sunday paper with a good cup of coffee, going to church with the pew sixers, going on a hike with a good friend, and just kicking back.

My hiking friend moved here from the cities shortly after I did. Her husband was my boss and she and I enjoyed hiking and getting out of doors. She has taught me everything I know about wild flowers—and when I am able to name them off, I always think of her. When we first did trips in our younger years, we used to go to Isle Royal every June about this time with other women friends. We did this for about five years. We weren't the backpacking and dried-food kind—so we would take the boat to different stops each year, and then take day hikes from there. Our coolers were always filled with good food, and wine for those evening hours.

The wild flowers on the island are incredible this time of year—we saw many yellow lady slippers and tons of other flowers. Even met up with a few moose. Now we mainly take day hikes—some short and some long. You know, maybe next year we should think of a reunion of some type on the island—after all, one of the ladies who went with us then was in her 70s.

As I journal I continue to be reminded of the importance of friends in my life. As I work with seniors more senior than I, I realize many of them have lost many of their friends to death or infirmities. I need to remember that and be more understanding of them. I know that many of them are old enough to have been my parents, and lots of times I think they would like to parent me a little—not that I don't need it!

I have been around the senior center so little last week—and I miss it and the people. When I was in Sedona this past winter, I visited an adult day care center—my intent was to stay for a couple of hours but I ended up staying most of the day. I was having fun, and realized I missed the seniors in Grand Marais. I do believe when I am there this winter I need to find a place to volunteer a few hours a week. The question for me will always be: Who benefits more—me or them?

I had great fun on the MPR Web site this early evening. Maybe "Aging Gracefully" is a good term. I still have to decide if I am or not. I had talked with one of the other journaling ladies at church today—it was fun to read her work. I always knew she was a great lady, and now after reading her work—think even more highly of her.

It was fun to read all of the items—of course I am prejudiced. I wonder how it is for people in the metropolitan areas? I know I am glad I left, even though I had spent most of my first 40 years in the Twin Cities. I continue to love to go there to visit family and friends—but a few days of a "Cities' Fix" is enough for me. Even in Arizona I prefer to hang around Sedona—though it is considerably larger than Grand Marais.

I thought my wandering daughter was coming after she dropped off a group of hikers—but I guess she is not. I really would have liked to have seen her, as I have not seen her since Thanksgiving—she is only in Ely so she will be here sometime this summer.

Enough rambling—must get rested so I can do my real job for SAIL tomorrow—need to write an article for the local paper—I'll include MPR in it so others can enjoy too.

June 18: Youthful Thinking
So I guess I shouldn't read the journaling of others--now Ralph has made me feel guilty--"Those knee-high flowers with white heads, on the lake side are supposed to be cut?" "What will the snowshoe hares do?" Maybe I will be lucky and the good fairy will come with a weedeater--the yard is too high for a mower!

So much for chores--I did say I was going to get organized when I retired--so it has only been two years--I'll get started one of these days! I truly have failed retirement.

Nice to be back with the seniors and my co-workers. Lots of pleasant interruptions today with people who want to volunteer, and a foster parent I had not seen for several years. The worst thing is trying to remember names. This has always been a problem for me and now as I age it is worse--I wonder if that Ginkgo Biloba really works? My daughter gave me a book The Age-Free Zone--maybe if I find the time to read it I can find more answers--that is if I remember where I put it.

Last night as I was going off to sleep I remembered it was Father's Day. My sons who are fathers are doing such a good job with their children. My father was always so busy working that I envy the fathering my sons are doing. The best memories I have of my father is the times we as a family spent in Grand Marais--sometimes I think that I might have been conceived here. Well, no one is around to check that idea out! My children's father was also a busy person and they are successful even though they have not had the greatest of role models. We need to applaud all parents who take an interest in their children.

One of the women who came into the office today is a new teacher in town. She will teach English this fall in our high school. I was so impressed that she came in to see if we had any volunteer jobs she could do this summer and on weekends when school starts. She also has some excellent ideas about tapping the seniors to come in and work side by side with her students. Hey, this younger generation has some great members!

Over the noon hour today I volunteered at the local soda fountain--hey they know I am a soft touch! The young women there are doing such great jobs--they were new last year and this year have come back more mature and ready to make all those malts, etc. They are all good students, too. I don't know why I am thinking of the youth so much today--just that I always think they get lousy press and deserve more. Or maybe I envy their bodies and energy.

Say this Web site is really great fun, and I hope that all I told about it will go to it! If we can't get MPR yet [on the radio] at least we can get it on the Web. Maybe the tower will be up this fall?

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