Life Long Learning - A Case Study

A few weeks ago, I stayed with my mom for two nights. She is in her early 80s, but no one believes her age due to her incredible genetics and determination to continue doing all the things she loves.

My mom is passionate about nature, flowers, and decorating. Though I don't think she would call herself an artist, she has an artistic eye and adores a good aesthetic. During my visit, she spent hours turning a small open lean-to into a beautifully decorated "she-shed" next to her outdoor patio and small water tank swimming pool - where she can hang a curtain for privacy and use it as a changing room to get out of her wet swimsuit. (Oh, yes, she also loves water.) Her yard is a haven for birds and small critters, with a small pond that my brother built long ago. Mom has birdhouses scattered around her yard - occupied by young bird families. She delights in watching their antics.

She recently bought an electric riding lawn mower with a small wagon attached to the back that she uses to do all her own yard work. She had a clear vision of her shed and knew she had all the necessary pieces around the property. While I was working on my weekly blog post at the patio table under the umbrella, she brought out the mower, attached the wagon, gathered all the components onto it, and drove them to the patio.

She wanted a piece of lattice (leftover from a long-ago project) hiding behind the barn, attached to the back wall. Before she loaded it on her wagon and brought it over, she measured the space and then the lattice. She thought it was exact. But when she got it in the shed, she struggled to make it fit - it was a tad too long. Between the two of us, we bent it and forced it to fit into the space - perfectly.

Indeed, I know where my natural perseverance and "can do" attitude come from. My mom is a natural problem solver. If something isn't quite right - she will experiment and find the best solution with what she has.

She then spent a few hours painting half of the lattice (reluctantly saving the rest for another day) after discovering that she had a quart of paint left from another project and a small roller. I have not seen the finished product yet, but I can only imagine it is set up exactly as she had envisioned.

As mentioned, she loves nature and water. She goes camping and kayaking in the mountains all through the summer - sometimes alone and other times with friends or my siblings. (I don't like camping because - BUGS!)

A few years ago, she learned about Hornbeck canoes. They are ultra-lightweight, locally made (in the Adirondacks), and perfect for one person to load onto a car for transport. Before she purchased one, she had been putting her kayak inside her Prius - it fit from back to front diagonally with zero room to spare. (She only cracked her windshield once when she put it in on the wrong angle and pushed it a little too hard. And then there is the hilarious story of her picking up my six-foot-tall son to go camping together forgetting that with the kayak in the car, Ian would have to scooch under it in the back with the seat down - all the way to the camp.) Now, she can put her Hornbeck on top of her Prius - by herself (and have passengers).

My Mom in her Hornbeck, from a couple of years ago, I believe on Lake Ozonia at her friends' camp - her sanctuary since she was young.

In recent years, she (hesitantly and cautiously) has forged (dipped her toes) into the land of technology. She has had success, which has allowed her to Facetime with my siblings almost every day and talk to her grandchildren (who all live out of State). She also knows how to "Google" to seek information and scroll through FaceBook and Instagram. Although she sometimes struggles with her phone and iPad and comes up against things that frustrate her -  she sticks with it and figures things out (or waits until one of us can come and fix or explain it to her) -  I am proud of her for not giving up.  

Staying active through her interests and being curious and open to learning new things has kept her young at heart. Yes, she moves a bit slower, has to take breaks, and has learned (mostly) when to put things away to be picked up another day - so she doesn't exhaust herself (something we should all learn to do) - nonetheless, she is excited about exploring all the possibilities that every day presents. I can only hope that in 20-odd years, folks will be able to say the same about me.

DRC News

The sewer line debacle continues. I am waiting to hear how much of the total we are responsible for and about the grants I wrote.

Thank you!

Thank you to the American Legion in Massena for the $1000 donation to be used for operations and programs.

Our fundraising thermometer for this year is sitting at $22,500. We have two weeks to the end of this fiscal year - won't you help us reach our goal of $25,000?

Any individual or business - who donates $1000.00+ will have their names/logos added to our "Thank You Tree Mural."

You can contribute to our plumbing fund here or our general donation page here.  Thank You!