View From The Bridge 1/16/19

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
1/16/19

WEATHER
I know that I promised not to talk about the weather again, but who can help not doing it?       
We have been so fortunate to have beautiful weather this winter. Great Falls and other locations have had snow and Fort Benton was not in the pattern.

I am wondering what is in forecast for the next few weeks until spring? Is Mother Nature being kind to us after what happened last winter? Only time will tell but talk about it is a safe subject to discuss these days.

SUNRISE BLUFFS
Do you have any plans for next Saturday afternoon? Well there is a nice party planned for you at the Sunrise Bluffs. The Salvation Nation Band will be entertaining at 2:00 p.m. Put on your singing voice and your dancing shoes ad come to Sunrise Bluffs for some entertainment and socializing to pass these dreary days winter days. I hope to see you there.

AFTER HOURS
I had several conversations this past week with Senior Citizens. The conversation was about attending functions or events in the evening hours. They do not participate because they do not like to go when it is dark.

A solution might be for you readers who can drive at night to offer those family, friends, and neighbors a ride. For instance to the Chouteau County Performing Arts programs. There are not a lot of parking areas around the Elementary School so that eliminates the problem of parking. You can let your passengers off at the door. There is a space by the sidewalk that parking is not allowed.

Please see what you can manage about giving rides to those who do not want to go out at night. I am not asking this for myself. I am fortunate to always have a ride. (There are Angels among us.)   

SO LONG JOYCE
At the Senior Center Sunday dinners I used to sit close to Joyce Cassutt.  She ate slowly as I did and we were usually the last ones left at the table. That was the only way I knew her as a friend. We talked about not wanting to cook and having to give up driving. They were subjects that both of us had a lot of interest in.

Finally it got to the point that she stopped coming to dinners because she had no way to get there. I called her and asked if she would come if she had a ride. I found a completely kind and selfless member of the Senior Center who lived near Joyce who from then on picked her up the few Sundays she had left. I miss her very much.

I attended her Memorial Service and met her family. What a lovely family they are and several of them sat with me at a table after the service while we had coffee and dessert.

The service was at the Methodist Church and they have wonderful bakers in their congregation.

I was told by one of Joyce’s sons that a grandson’s wife worked for a newspaper in Jackson Hole, WY. Melissa Cassutt joined the table. She has title of Deputy Editor and doesn’t actually write. She oversees the Art section of the paper but has a degree in journalism.

I was so happy that I was able to attend the service that gave me closure for my loss of this Senior Center friend. I hope we meet again some sunny day.

HOSPITAL
Since I spent 17 days in the Nursing Home when I had my knee replacement almost 5 years ago, I know how lonely it gets to be. I go to the MRMC often to visit. I wish more of you would do this. Please do not wait until you have to go to visit a loved one or are there yourself. Just do it!

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUT TROOPS, POLICE OFFICERS, VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMT’s. (So often these days, in fact almost every day, police officers are being killed. They are just doing their job going to work and not thinking they might not be going home to their families that day.)