Too, my extended family and I had decided to celebrate Christmas on the second Saturday of the month to allow newly wed and out-of-state members to celebrate both with our family and with their mates’ families. So shopping days were cut short and became crowded. But all in all this was a great season.
I started this year off with chest congestion that sent me straight to the doctor and had me at house-bound for some 15 days. Except to go to the Doctor, I never left the house. I did not want to share misery with my good friends. Visiting daughters took my trash to the street and brought my mail to the house. I have never been fond of January and I can tell you this January will be on my list of most forgettable months.
When finally I felt better and the weather improved, I found that several of my friends had not made it through the season. My sympathy goes out to the families of the following H2U members and former members. I will miss Frances LaViola. When I joined Senior Friends some 20 years ago, her husband Larry LaViola was president. As you probably know, H2U was once named Senior Friends. He was a pleasant active man with a great sense of humor. He was a good leader and a talented band member. During former Christmas seasons, he and Frances donned costumes as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and made the rounds of children’s nurseries and the hospital spreading cheer as they went. Larry has been gone some eight or ten years and now we lost Frances.
Sympathy goes to the family of Bob Miller. He and Patricia were very active members of our organization. They sang in the HI-LO chorus, assisted with mailing out the monthly bulletins, and helped with picnics and luncheons. I remember Bob as the Maitre’D in the play I wrote and produced twice for the Senior Friends. Finally, sympathy goes to the family of Merrill Coker. She had been the librarian at the school where I taught. She and her husband participated in many of the day trips H2U had scheduled.
I’d like to suggest that you sign up for the new AARP Smart Driver Course. This is a revised course that replaces the old Drive-Alive Course. Learn defensive driving techniques, adjusting to age-related changes in vision, hearing, medications and other health-related issues affecting driving and reaction time. This course is designed for seniors, but anyone with a valid driver’s license in welcome. For insurance discount, contact provider. Cost is $15 for AARP members with membership card and $40 for non-members. Call (770) 982-2358 to register. You do not have to be an H2U member to take the course.
Don’t forget the Seniors on the Go Travel Meeting on February 13 at 9:30 at Bathesda Senior Center. Cathy will have lots of fun trips to tell you about then. If you would like to attend the February 27 trip to the Chick-fil-A headquarters, you had better get your registration in now. Happy Birthday to Shirley Alexander, Elizabeth Anderson, Edna Sanderson, and Faye Panos, and Bill Thorneton. May you have many more.
