Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 23, 2021

9

Mountain View News Saturday, October 23, 2021 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …October Birthdays*

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, Dick Anderson, 
Eva Poet, Mary Jane Baker, Dixie Coutant, Jill Franks, Cathleen 
Cremins, Adie Marshall, Darlene Crook, Susan Gallagher, Maggie 
Ellis, Gloria Giersbach, Elva Johnson, Ellen O’Leary, Jenny 
Piangenti, Gail Ann Skiles, Anita Thompson, Linda Boehm and Angela Stella 
* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required


SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA MADRE

THE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER IS OPEN!!!!

IN HOUSE LUNCH DINING SERVICE WILL NOT RESUME AT THIS TIME. 
ACCESS TO THE COMPUTER/CLASSROOM IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE. 

All Classes and programs will maintain a distance of 6 ft between participants. All equipment 
used will be sanitized after each use before it is stored. Each participant is responsible 
for provid-ing their own water, masks and additionally needed supplies for each class. 

Please call the Community Services Department at 355-7394 with any questions or 
concerns.

SENIOR CINEMA – 2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH


FRANKENSTEIN (1931) – Wednesday, 10/13 at 2:00 pm 
In James Whale's timeless adaptation of Mary Shelley's 
masterpiece novel, Boris Karloff stars as the screen's most 
tragic and memorable horror giant, when Dr. Frankenstein 
dares to tamper with life and death by piecing together salvaged 
body parts to create a human monster.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES – Wednesday, 
10/27 at 2:00 pm Can two young boys overcome 
the worst the devil himself can deal out? Wishes are 
granted, but twisted as only the esteemed Mr. Dark can 
make them. Based on the Ray Bradbury novel.

CHAIR YOGA – Monday and Wednesday each week, 10-10:45 am

Please join us for some gentle stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation with 
Paul. Classes are ongoing and held in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion. 

TEA AND TALK, SENIOR BOOK CLUB 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 9:00 am

Staff has launched a new book club series, Tea and Talk, which meets twice a month to 
discuss the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and so much more that each selection will have 
in store! 

FIBER FRIENDS – Tuesday, 10/12 & 10/26 AT 10:00 AM

If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, embroidery, needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or cross 
stitch then we have a group for you! Bring your current project, sit and chat with like-
minded fiber friends. We meet in the Hart Park House.

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE – Friday, 10-10:45 am

Bring a lei, your flower skirt or just your desire to dance! Hula in the Park is back and waiting 
for you to join in on all the fun! Memorial Park Pavilion.

TEA AT THREE WITH CHIEF BARTLETT AND THE SMFD Friday, October 8th, 
3:00-5:00 pm Stop by for some bingo, tea and conversations with Sierra Madre Fire Chief 
Bartlett and crew. Reserve your spot with Lawren. 

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME AT 11:00 AM ON 10/6

The object of the game is for a player to play all the tiles from their hand onto one or more 
trains, emanating from a central hub or “station”. Call Lawren with questions that you 
may have.

BINGO - Tuesday, 10/12, 1:00 pm Hart Park House

Hart Park House Senior Bingo is back by popular demand! Come on down to enjoy this 
time hon-ored game with some old and new friends. We are trying a new spin on your 
BINGO fun so please bring your good luck charms and BINGO markers! 

SKELETON WREATH – Tuesday, 10/19, 10:00 am

What would Halloween be without a skeleton or a wreath? I invite you to join me in combining 
the two for a whimsical and fun door greeting. Space is limited to six participants 
so please call Lawren to reserve your spot.

METRO MICRO— TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

Micro is Metro’s new on-demand rideshare service, offering trips within several zones in 
LA County. The new service is for short local trips and uses small vehicles (seating up to 
10 passengers). Micro is part of Metro’s family of services and has been designed hand-in-
hand with Metro’s NextGen Bus Plan. The service is meant to be a fast, safe and convenient 
option for quick trips around town, Mon-day-Sunday, 5:30 am-9:30 pm. At this time, a 
promotional fare of $1 will run six months from the date of service launch. The $1 will not 
include a transfer to Metro bus and rail. Customers can pay us-ing their TAP Card/account 
(stored value only) or with a credit card (no cash). Metro staff will return to the Board at 
the end of the six-moth introductory period to consider potential fare adjustments. 

Service hours of operation are: Monday—Sunday between 5:30 am-9:30 pm. 
Download the Metro Micro App: visit: book.metro-micro.netor 
Call 323-GO-METRO (323) 446-3876

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


I DIDN’T DO IT MY WAY

I don’t think I’ve learned very much during my life. I just bounce from day to day 
and take what comes.The one thing I did learn as I look back is, for the most part, I 
didn’t do it my way.

Remember Frank Sinatra and his song, “I Did It My Way?” I would have liked to ask him, how’s 
that been working for you? Whenever we do everything our way, there is a consequence.

You know what they say that for every action, there is a consequence. By the time the consequence 
hits you in the face, it’s too late to make any changes. When I ever did something “my 
way,” it never really worked out.

The other day as I was meditating on this, I thought of how smart I was when I was a teenager. 
I knew everything; all you had to do was ask me. Sometimes you didn’t even have to ask. I 
was ready to give my opinion at any time. If only I were a smart as I thought I was when I was a 
teenager, everything would be gloriously wonderful. The problem is, I’m not.

I have learned that I don’t have to have everything my way. That was the first thing I learned as a 
husband. If I get everything my way, somebody in the house is not happy.

As long as I have been with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, she is the only one I know 
that gets things done her way. Not in a bullying manner, she just seems to know the right thing 
to do at the right time. I, on the other hand, cannot even tell time.

Thinking along this line, a memory flashed back. I remember rushing my wife to the hospital 
to deliver our first baby. I’m not sure who was more nervous, the mother or the expected father.

We got there, and she was escorted back to the delivery room where they would deliver the 
baby. I paced the lobby, not knowing exactly what I should be doing.

Several hours went by, and I heard nothing concerning the birth of our baby. If I only had my 
way, I would go back there and see for myself.

Just then, the nurse that took my wife back into the delivery room came out, and I approached 
her and said, “Can I go and see my wife and baby now?” After all, I was the father, and I 
was paying the bill for this baby.

The nurse, who looked like she had just gone through World War II, glared at me and, with a 
very rough voice, said, “No, you’re not going back there. After all, you’re the one that’s responsible 
for all of this.” I did not know what she meant or what she was talking about?

There was not anything I could do but continue waiting. As I sat in the waiting room, I thought, 
she ought to be very, very, very glad that I was not doing it my way. My way would have been 
very nasty and ugly for her.

I let that nurse do it her way because she was not significant in my life. For me to let her have it 
her way did not in any way harm me. I just had to wait a little longer.

Finally, I had the opportunity to go back and see my wife and our first baby. That took away all 
my memories, at the time, of that nasty nurse who wanted to do everything her way.

I was glad I didn’t do it my way.

On many occasions, I have wanted to give people a piece of my mind to do it my way. Unfortunately, 
I have run out of pieces of mind. For all things considered, it has turned out to be a 
good thing. Many times through life, I allowed the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to have 
it her way. Most of the time, her way was the right way. If I would’ve stepped in to do it my way, 
we would be in a lot of trouble today.

There have been some very wonderful times when her way did not work, and if I would have had 
my way, things might not have turned out better. But I chose the high road and let her have her way.

Only a few times in my life have I been right, and she has been wrong. I choose not to 
identify those times for various reasons. Every once in a while, I sit back and think about a 
few times when I have been right but did not step up to interfere in the situation. That always 
causes me to chuckle.

The other night I was chuckling as I was thinking of one in particular, which I cannot disclose, 
when my wife said, “What are you chuckling about?” “Oh,” I said, “I was just thinking about a 
joke.” "And, what joke was that,” she asked? “Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9.”

As I sat back in my chair, a verse of Scripture came to mind. “Submitting yourselves one to another 
in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:21).

Some of my happiest times in life are when I’m not doing anything my way. Giving someone else 
the privilege of doing it their way is a very satisfying thing.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, Ocala, FL 34472, where he lives 
with his wife. 

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST ABDOMINAL 
AORTIC ANEURYSMS

Dear Savvy Senior:

Can you tell me about stomach aneurysms? 
My father died from one about 10 years ago 
and I’m wondering if that can increase my risk 
of developing one myself.

Almost 60

Dear Almost:

While you don’t hear much about them, stomach aneurysms, also known as abdominal 
aortic aneurysms, are very dangerous and the 10th leading cause of death in men over 55. 
They also tend to run in families, so having had a parent with this condition makes you much 
more vulnerable yourself.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (or AAA) is a weak area in the lower portion of the aorta, 
which is the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As blood 
flows through the aorta, the weak area bulges like a balloon and can burst if it gets too big, 
causing life-threatening internal bleeding. In fact, nearly 80 percent of AAAs that rupture are 
fatal, but the good news is that more than nine out of 10 detected early are treatable.

Risk Factors

Around 200,000 people are diagnosed with AAAs each year, but estimates suggest that another 
2 million people may have it but not realize it. The factors that can put you at increased 
risk are: 

Smoking: Ninety percent of people with an AAA smoke or have smoked.

Age: Your risk of getting an AAA increases significantly after age 65 in men, and after age 
70 in women.

Family history: Having a parent or sibling who has had an AAA can increase your risk to 
around one in four.

Gender: AAAs are five times more likely in men than in women.

Race: White people develop AAA more commonly than people of other ethnicities.

Health factors: Atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure 
and high cholesterol levels also increase your risk.

Detection and Treatment

Because AAAs usually start small and enlarge slowly, they rarely show any symptoms, making 
them difficult to detect. However, large AAAs can sometimes cause a throbbing or pulsation 
in the abdomen or cause a deep pain in your lower back or side.

The best way to detect an AAA is to get a simple, painless, 10-minute ultrasound screening 
test. All men over age 65 that have ever smoked, and anyone over 60 with a first-degree relative 
(father, mother or sibling) who has had an AAA should talk to their doctor about getting 
screened.

You should also know that most health insurance plans cover AAA screenings, as does 
Medicare to beneficiaries with a family history of AAAs, and to men between the ages of 65 
and 75 who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their life.

If an AAA is detected during screening, how it’s treated will depend on its size, rate of 
growth and your general health. If caught in the early stages when the aneurysm is small, it 
can be monitored and treated with medication. But if it is large or enlarging rapidly, you’ll 
probably need surgery.

AAA Protection

While some risk factors like your age, gender, race and family history are uncontrollable, 
there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from AAA. For starters, if you 
smoke, you need to quit – see SmokeFree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for help.

You also need to keep tabs on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and if they are 
high you need to take steps to lower them through diet, exercise and if necessary, medication.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy 
Senior” book.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com