View From The Bridge 4/24/13

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
4/24/13

MAY FLOWERS
The next edition of the River Press will be dated May 1st.  By the first week in May we usually have buds and leaves on the trees.  The grass is quite green and most sprinkling systems will have been turned on.  The evenings are de-light-ful as it is 8:30 pm before darkness. 

I realize that some of you do not like daylight savings time but unfortunately, it is here to stay and seems to get longer each year.  I have often wondered how an hour can make a difference in one’s life.  My view is that I like that extra hour in the evenings before darkness comes.  I asked a friend why she did not like daylight savings time.  She said because when she gets up in the morning, it is dark.

Of course, everything has its pros and cons.  I would like to know how a person, who has a job and has to get up early, feels about d.s.t.  I would like to get a farmer or ranchers opinion.  If you meet me around town, let’s discuss it.  In the meanwhile, we have two months for the days to get longer and then the reverse begins.  However you feel, I wonder if your days are flying by as quickly as mine are.

JIMMY BUFFET DAY
What a great party Chris and his family arranged for us.  The roast pulled pig sandwiches, the salads, the mocktails, and the entertainment were awesome.  The final count was well over 300.  We arrived on the scene about 1:00 pm and the Chris Halko Family Buffett Fans, had served 270 hungry people.  What a fun time although I did not win a prize for the best dressed.  Oh well, maybe next year.
Chris arranged for another charm to be added to our collections.  It is a sandal, (you know as they wear in Margaritaville, Florida.)  My “other charms” necklace has 47 charms on it.  My Sweetheart tells me not to go near the Missouri, (with my necklace on,) because if I fell in I would go straight to the bottom  

I also have a “historical charms” necklace with 33 charms.  I seldom wear them at the same time because they are so heavy; it is hard on my neck.  I do not tell you about the charms to brag, but to promote.  It was a fun time for me to collect the charms as most were “on the trail.”  Oh, I just remembered that I have a Christmas bracelet too.  I only wear that once a year unless someone has a Christmas in July party.  Get out and have fun on the Charm Trail.   

SENIOR APPRECIATION
Tomorrow, Thursday the 25th, is the yearly Senior Appreciation Luncheon at the Elementary School.  Did you R.S.V.P.?  We look forward to this luncheon because we enjoy visiting with, being waited on, the entertainment, and just the general feeling of the excitement that the Kids project.  If you have never been to one of these luncheons, you have a great treat in store for you.

I mention this event because I want the Kids to know that we really appreciate their thoughtfulness, their preparations (as in each class learning and singing songs,) and the overall show of their appreciation of us seniors.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

MACULAR DEGENERATION
I managed to get onto the internet to check out Macular Degeneration and would like to pass it on.  Last week I mentioned that there was not a good turnout at the Friends of the Library’s program on Talking Books.  I said that you never know when you or a loved one may need the service.  I printed out 16 pages of information and pinpointed some of the interesting information.

Macular Degeneration causes deterioration of the macula, the central area of the retina.  It usually affects individuals older than 50 years of age.  As many at 11 million Americans have some form of M.D.  This number is expected to double to nearly 22 million by 2050.  (I will not be around to witness that.)  Genes may play a role in the development of nearly three out of four cases of this devastating eye disease.

There are two kinds of M.D. and they are the dry and the wet.  Most individuals have dry but it can develop into wet that is much more serious.  That is why screening and diagnosis are imperative.
I hope that these figures impress on you the importance of your eyesight checkups and reading. Talking Books can furnish you with, (in addition to every manner of books, magazines, and newspapers.)  The possibilities are endless.  I also hope that this disease never happens to you; however, if it does you can still have the wonderful world of listening to books.  Keep these thoughts in your memory bank and if you need Talking Books, they will be waiting to hear from you.

HEAVENS TO BETSY
“To Turn a New Leaf” is a phrase we hear often.  To amend one’s conduct, begin a new life; go straight; or reform is the object.  The leaf that one turns is not that of a tree, but of a book of lessons or precepts.  This phrase has been used for over four hundred years.  It is believed to have started in an English author’s book.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER
Some time back I was told that this magazine had an article about the 20 places in the world to visit.  The Missouri River Breaks was one of those locations and it began in Fort Benton, MT.  I finally was able to locate a copy of the magazine and next week I will tell you more about it.  I want to read the whole article before I tell you about it, as I am sure there are not too many of you who have seen it.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, and OUR TROOPS.  WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.