All Posts in "Everything Else"

Good eye health doesn’t just happen. Good eyesight is an important part of well-being and a significant factor in retaining independence and quality of life.  Vision loss does not need to be an accepted part of life.  Vision can deteriorate for many reasons.  Even when loss is associated with the aging process, many interventions are available.
Pierce County Aging & Disability Resource Center and Pacific Northwest Eye are sponsoring “Can You See What I See,” a free informational workshop for all ages.  Find out what can be done when vision does change, what options are available, and how consumers can evaluate those choices. Topics include cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes, diabetes, glaucoma and eye surgeries.  No RSVP is required.  It will be repeated four times:
· June 4 –12:10-12:50 p.m.
County-City Building, 7th Floor Rainier Conference Rm., 930 Tacoma Ave S., Tacoma
· June 12 – 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Merrill Gardens at Tacoma,7290 Rosemount Circle, Tacoma
· June 18 – 12:10-12:50 p.m.
Pierce County Annex, Main Conference Room, 2401 35th Street, Tacoma
Dr. Victor W. Chiu, M.D. will be speaking about a variety of eye conditions that people of any age must consider: cataracts, macular degeneration, blurry or double vision, diabetes, glaucoma, LASIK, surgeries and more.  Dr. Chiu is on the staff of Pacific Northwest Eye.  He is board certified in ophthalmology.  His memberships include the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
All three presentations of the workshop are free and open to the public.  No RSVPs are necessary.  For more information contact the Pierce County Aging & disability Resource Center at (253) 798-4600 or (800) 562-0332.

Press Release by — May 23, 2012 in Everything Else
These students keep coming back for more

There’s a white board and teacher, students and a computer.  There are cookies and coffee and homemade chocolate candy.  What differentiates this classroom from most other college classes is that the candy sparked a conversation about coconut oil and Alzheimer’s disease.  Welcome to the 50+ classes at Clover Park Technical College.  The course listings mostly involve art classes but Stephen Rousseau, with the school’s Continuing Education program, said that the intention is to increase the number of personal enrichment classes offered to complement current “basic path leads to success classes.” Gretchen Alden’s oil painting class gets together every Monday for three hours of “therapy” as long-time student, Joyce Eyres sees it.  That therapy sometimes sounds like the conversation around the dinner table as students chide each other, interrupt conversations, offer encouragement and worry about missing classmates.
Personal enrichment classes differ from other college classes in that students often repeat classes for the fun of it.  Many of the students in Alden’s class have been showing up long enough to have lifetime memberships.  Harriet Stockridge laughed when she tried to recall how long she’s been showing up to apply paint to canvas.  “A long time,” she admits.  “I think about 15 years.  I was with Penny (when the courses were taught at the old Lakewood Senior Center).  I just started going,” she stopped then added, “I just do it because I like to get out of the house.  I feel productive.  Everybody’s so nice.  Fortunately my kids sort of like them (her paintings).  I just finished a farm scene for my granddaughter.  I’m not an artist.”  A statement which brings a quick disagreement from Emiko Hammand at the other end of the table.  “Don’t quote me,” she protested.  “I’m the worst one in the class.  They’re patient with me and help me.”
Hammond, who has been attending classes “a long, long time…maybe 20 years,” said she “was kind of a home body.  I had to come out.  I think everybody should come out of the house and do something.  Ahh,” she quietly said in frustration.  The class was working on a still life and Hammond was becoming frustrated trying to paint a green opaque vase.
Lyla Adey said she started taking classes after she’d “gotten a Bob Ross starter kit.”  She likes doing the different projects with people her own age and learning new things.  The added benefit is that the output from the classes means “you can change your walls out” although she claimed it was Eyers that owns a gallery in her home from the number of pictures on her wall.  “I paint for my own enjoyment.  I used to sit for hours painting at home.  I took a class from Jerry Yarnell and he was saying how many thoughts are required to paint.  You can exercise your brain (by painting).”
Eyers claimed she was going to be a stay at home mom so she took classes over the year but “didn’t get involved like I have here.”
One of the newbies, Carrie Dira has only been coming for the past two years.  “I spent 37 years on the east coast and while I was there I took classes at Michaels (Arts and Crafts store) and Michaels quit giving classes.  “This is fun.  It’s social too.  I prefer a smaller group.  If you want attention you ask for it and you get it.  If you don’t, they leave you alone.”
At a recent 50+ fair, the class showed their work.  An opportunity Dira said was fun as it moved them into the arena of “artistes” she said with a smile.
The only male member of the class is Robert Daniel.  He went to the 50+ fair and met Gretchen Alden who was answering questions about the class and talking to people about the art exhibit.  Daniels attended the event because he had just been laid off and the event included a job fair and seminars on finding work for individuals over 50.  “My major job now is looking for a job.”  He’d painted as a teenager.  “I used to go to the Boys Club and I just put it aside and always wondered about doing it again.”  While attending the fair, Daniel’s won a drawing for a free class.  He said he went right back to Alden and waved his prize at her and said he was taking her class.

Bonnie Dickson by — May 22, 2012 in Everything Else

Spring is here and so are uninvited guests—lurking under the leaves, dining at night, and sleeping during the day: SLUGS. What to do about the pesky mollusk is a topic of discussion at many garden clubs, especially for gardeners who want to go green. So here are a few ideas.

  1. Grind eggshells in a blender with some water and spread the slurry on the tops of the soil to create a scratchy barrier.
  2. Take apart copper Brillo pads (Yes, you can still find them) and put the pieces around the plants. Contact gives slugs a shock.
  3. Mix one part old coffee and 10 parts water and spray it on plant leaves and surrounding soil. It gives the slimy invader a heart attack on contact.
  4. Spraying with a mixture of two cups water and two teaspoons dish washing detergent will not only dry them up, it will also help eliminate aphids, lace bugs, bronze orange bugs, whitefly and scale.
  5. Send slugs to their maker with a smile by putting the dregs of beer in pans short enough for them to ooze into.
  6. Human hair on the soil’s surface tangles them up.
  7. Slugs are attracted to lemon, orange and grapefruit rinds. Put them out at night and pick them up in the morning.
  8. Slugs will also hide under old boards if you have the fortitude to scrape them off the wood every morning.
  9. Buy a duck!

 Karla Stover belongs to the Root & Bloom Garden Club and the Hill and Dale District of Garden Clubs.

Karla Stover by — May 22, 2012 in Everything Else

If you’re looking for something beyond barbecue and parades for the Memorial Day weekend, Mountain View Funeral Home, Memorial Park and Crematory is hoping you’ll consider honoring our fallen military men and women by participating in one or more of the tributes being held at their location at 4100 Steilacoom Blvd SW in Lakewood.

There will be events throughout the weekend beginning with a dove release and music from a bagpiper at noon on Saturday, May 26, in the Veterans, Military, New Veteran and Responders Gardens.  At 2 p.m., a Tribute to Veterans Service will feature a keynote by Tommy Carson, a 21-year Army veteran of two wars.  A patriotic concert by saxophonist Darren Motamedy and ice cream social follow the service.

On Sunday, May 27, highlights will include a 7 p.m. concert by Denver’s Queen City Jazz Band, followed by refreshments and a rousing fireworks display.  A bagpipe and dove release will precede the concert in the Veterans, Military, New Veteran and Responders Gardens from 5 – 6 p.m.

On Monday, May 28, a flyover by McChord Air Force Base will lead the 2 p.m. Veterans Memorial Day Service. Major Reynold T. Muranaka, will keynote the service, which includes a special tribute to Gen. Shalikashvili and MSGT Llwellyn Chilson.  A bagpiper and dove release concludes the day.

Flowers will be onsite for purchase and free flags and grave location services will be available all weekend.  All events are free and open to the community. For more information, call 253-584-0252, or visit www.mountainviewtacoma.com.

Press Release by — May 22, 2012 in Everything Else