The Willow Springs Tuesday Study Club met at Club 60 in Mtn. Grove on Dec. 5 for its annual Christmas Party. Pauline Cape, Kathleen Carel and Claudia Marvin were the hostesses. Pauline and Claudia beautifully decorated the meeting room at Club 60 with decorations provided by Claudia and Pauline.
The party began with a lovely thought for the day given by Claudia: Kindness is like snow, it beautifies everything it covers.
Following a traditional Christmas meal of turkey and the usual trimmings à la Jim, as well a tasty blackberry cobbler with (or without) ice cream à la Angel, Kathleen gave a presentation titled “Hilarious and Sad (But True) Signs You’re Getting Old””
You were a whiz on the electric typewriter. College papers were a breeze. Today, you can still type at quite a clip — but you sometimes need an assist when it comes to downloading music, buying an app, or other tasks that seem to come naturally to younger generations.
Your street isn’t the Autobahn. You’re out in your front yard, and a car filled with teens flies past. Remember how your dad used to shout, “Slow down?” Yep, that was you doing the exact same thing.
So, your spouse suggests skipping this week’s trip to a local restaurant. You don’t think twice, because that means not only some extra pocket money but also no dressing up and no circling around looking for a parking spot.
The time to be quiet is long gone. As they say, filters fade with age. The people pleaser has left the building. You know your own mind — and you’re not afraid to ruffle a few feathers by saying exactly what you feel.
Getting up from the couch — or, heaven help you, the floor where you were leaning on a pillow — is a bit of a production. It might be funny to watch, but it’s not fun when you’re in the middle of it.
How many times can you hear about the importance of exercise and still ignore that you have to take care of yourself? With the onset of a few random pains and strains, you’ve actually started a regime to try to avoid any serious issues.
From the mall during the holiday season to the supermarket before a snowstorm, places where there are tons of people — pushy, annoying people — are not for you. You have lost your patience for this and would rather run your errands when you have the time and the places are less crowded. It’s all enough to make you a fan of social distancing.
It used to drive you crazy when your elders compared what you were up to with what they did at your age ... and now, you’re doing the same thing. So much of aging is about revelations — and one is that we’re all part of a big cycle that repeats itself every generation, right?
For how many years did you hate your stick-straight hair, your beauty mark, or your chicken legs? Then one day you realized each one of us is special, and this is who you are. It’s a much easier way to go through this life.
Grandma used to have entire conversations with herself. You’d hear her from the other room when you knew she was alone. More and more, you’re doing the same, from “Where did I put those keys?” to “Now, that was a good cup of coffee.” As long as you don’t answer yourself, we say you’re okay.
The daily paper is a bit of a blur — not because you gloss over the news but because you can’t see the words without your reading glasses. You combat the issue with a pair for every room of your house, plus a spare for work.
Nothing like settling in and cueing up a movie on the ol’ VCR or DVD player. Sure, there’s that thing called streaming — but do those services have a personal library like yours, developed over decades? Just pray these devices never break down.
So you make up lists. Lots of them, ‘cause you forget things. ... What was I just saying?
How often did your dad say, “I can’t believe it’s already Christmas again?” Um, yes, days turn to months, but wow, time does fly. You yourself have zipped along from a 20-something know-it-all to a 50-something — who actually does know a thing or two. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Study Club’s next meeting will be on Jan. 16, 2024 with Geneva Moody as hostess.
