Out and About – Week of March 30th

I enjoy working crossword puzzles, especially puzzles found in this newspaper. There are some that I find challenging, and, luckily for me, there are some that are not that much of a challenge. I feel that by doing crossword puzzles, my mind gets some exercise. Like my father and my sister, I use a pen when working a puzzle. I print small enough so that if my entry is wrong, I can easily correct it. Besides, you never have to sharpen a pen.
I find the best time to work on crosswords is in the morning over a nice cup of coffee. My mind seems to be sharper in the morning than late at night. I enjoy visiting the coffee shop downstairs from my little office. The atmosphere is perfect for thinking of puzzle answers. Feel free to interrupt me, if you happen to visit the coffee shop; my brain can always use a break.
The reason I mention the brain exercise above is because, as we all get older, our brains aren’t required to work as hard as they do while we are working at a job. When a brain is not required to work as hard, it becomes lazy and, as a result, things like dementia set in, and it’s downhill from there. The same can be said for other parts of our body. That’s why I try to visit Health TRAC several times a week. It’s a real pain in the neck growing older. I’m going to change the subject, because I’m beginning to become depressed talking about getting old, and we all know what happens when depression sets in.
We recently attended one of the productions of The Addams Family. It was a Three Rivers High School production featuring students from the high school. Directed by Marcy Bennett, the production was very entertaining. With all the negative things you hear about today’s teenagers, it’s refreshing to witness them having fun entertaining others. I’ve worked with Mrs. Bennett in the past. Her shows are the best you can find, especially when they involve today’s young people. She has a way of making sure the show is a success and everyone has fun making it happen. Kudos to the entire cast and crew of The Addams Family. Your actions give us all much hope for the future.
I’ve received a lot of feedback from some of you in regards to a column I wrote recently concerning “Being more responsible for our actions”. The feeling seems to be that too many parents just don’t care about raising their children. There are “some” parents who are just too busy with their own lives and too lazy to control their children. They would rather be their buddy than their parent. They tend to blame the teacher when a student misbehaves. I guess modern technology can be to blame in some cases. The next time you visit a restaurant, check out the families in attendance. It is easier to let your child play a video game while you eat than it is to have them participate in a family conversation. The child never has a chance to learn table manners or the proper way to hold a fork. Perhaps these things just aren’t important anymore. I apologize to those of you who think I’m in the wrong.
I’ve had several readers ask how I’m feeling after my recent gall bladder surgery. I thank you for your concern and my reply is that I’m feeling better every day. During my post-surgery visit with my surgeon, I was told that they had removed ten gallstones from my gall bladder. They were the size of marbles, so it was a good idea to have the surgery. If I had neglected to have the surgery done, the gall bladder would have eventually swollen, gangrene might have set in, and emergency surgery might have been called for, so I’m glad I followed my family doctor’s and surgeon’s advice. I can only imagine how this would have been handled seventy years ago.
For that spring party, use the bottom portion of an empty two-liter pop bottle to make flavored ice for your punch bowl. It will look like a spring flower.
See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman

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