Articles, activities for boomers & seniors
From Creation to Cross
I have a pretty neat job. I am the Peer-less Reviewer, or General Editor, for an online homeschool resource center. That means I review hundreds of lessons in every subject at every grade level. I get paid to do two of my favorite things: learn, and correct others’ mistakes. My penchant for critiquing prompted one pastor to jokingly say I had the “gift of discernment” (1 Corinthians 12:10). Next to theology, my favorite subject is astronomy. In reality, they are linked, as are all fields of study, because one’s understanding and application of any subject is governed by one’s view of God. I love that indescribable feeling of awe you get when you look at the moon and stars at night (unless that means you are an insomniac!). At work, I get to watch videos and read descriptions of the stars that were unimaginable decades ago.
Is It Dementia Or Just Old Age?
When we get older things change. We look different, and we feel different. In normal aging our bodies and our brains slow down. We maintain our intelligence, but our brains change. We are less physically and mentally flexible, and we take more time to process information. Our memory changes as well, and it’s more difficult to remember names, places and other things as we age. So what are specific examples of normal, old-age forgetfulness?
Free Outdoor Summer Concerts July 2016
Note: double check websites for schedule changes
Ambler Arts and Music Festval
June 18 & 19 in Downtown Ambler
The music and stage will be in the Cavalier Drive Parking Lot.
BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair), rain or shine. Amblerfest.org
Senior Volunteers “Paying it Forward”
What happens when a dozen ladies and gentlemen get together to “Sit N Sew?” About five dozen Fidget Quilts, two large trash bags of neck rolls and two plastic sleeping bag mats – that’s what!! Participants at the Easton Area Lifestyle Campus (EALC) in Forks Township, part of the Northampton County Area Agency on Aging’s network of Senior Centers, have been hand-crafting items for their community members since November 2015. It all started with an idea from Deb Mertz, Director of EALC. “I wanted to find a fun and meaningful activity for the participants and came across a pattern for Fidget Quilts and it just grew from there”, said Deb.
The Ghost Army of WWII
Everyone has heard of Generals Patton and Eisenhower, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Enola Gay, and Rosie the Riveter. But have you heard of the Twenty-Third Headquarters Special Troops? No? Don’t be surprised — up until about 20 years ago, almost no one had heard of the Ghost Army of World War II.
With a force of 1,100 brilliant, creative men, the Ghost Army’s mission was to defraud, disappoint, dupe, deceive, and decoy the enemy.
Ride The Rails
Today, many of our naton’s old rail beds sit unused and overgrown. A clever organizaton, known as Rails to Trails, has come up with a great plan to preserve history and utlize the space. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonproft organizaton working with communites to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into trails, enhancing the health of America’s environment, economy, neighborhoods and people. Their mission statement is “to create a natonwide network of trails from former rail lines and connectng corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.”