SENIOR SCAPE: Favourite Teen Music

April 16, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Sylvia Dickens

While my peers were chanting, “Elvis Presley, what a goon. All we want is dear Pat Boone,” I was listening to Andy Williams singing “Blue Bayou” and “Moon River”. My brother and sister, meanwhile, were enjoying country singers like Hank Snow.
Later in my teens, I discovered Hawaiian music. Ah, the magic sound of the islands! My favorite albums were instrumental. They gave me tremendous peace, especially useful when I cruised into the more difficult portions of my life.
In my thirties, I found a Latin album that was both lively and romantic. It was the music of preference while I dined by candlelight, alone or with my companion.
Do you have select music for specific activities? Maybe you liked Jane Fonda’s workouts from the 70s/80s. Or is it “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” with that curly-headed sprite Richard Simmons.
Over the past 10-plus years, my albums have sat idle. Why? Because three summers ago, I finally bit the bullet and tossed out my radio/record player/8-track stereo I purchased in 1975. Immediately after, I was kicking myself. I could have fixed the record player. It only needed a needle.
It finally became evident that it’s time to catch up with the rest of society and move to CDs (or would it be a DVD?). About 20 years ago, I saw my first CD player. Last month, I finally bought one so I don’t have to sit in my car to listen to the few CDs I do have.
Today I’m looking at my stack of albums (vinyl, they call it now). It’s a well-rounded collection: the Platters, Neil Diamond, Elvis, rock era collections, Hawaiian, Latin, Bing Crosby, Herb Alpert, Bert Kaempfert, a group called The String-a-Longs who sang a popular song “Wheels” in the ’60s, and many more I’d love to listen to again.
Last week, I was at the Centre talking with Bob Hedenberg, the computer guy. They have a record player now that enables us to transfer our records to CD through the computer. It’s real time so you can imagine how long it’ll take to play and record 60 or more albums. Still, you can do one at a time over an hour which isn’t bad. You could buy a system yourself for around $300 but why, when you can use the Centre’s facilities?
If you have records you’d like to copy onto a more useful CD, drop by the computer room during a Tuesday afternoon drop-in and he’ll gladly show you how it works.
Imagine, once again being able to enjoy those old musical memories, scratches and all.

Fall avoidance tip
Last week, Jim mentioned the York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 where you can get information on how to prevent falls. Here’s a tip from me.
If you have a small front stoop with one or two steps down as I do, consider putting a railing around it if it doesn’t already have one. We removed our rusted metal one when we moved the steps to the front from the side years ago.
Last year, after collecting the flyers distributors had dropped on my stoop, I turned to go down the steps, but I was too close. One foot landed right on the edge of the concrete and the other missed. I fell. For about five minutes I lay there in agony, wondering if the pain in my ankles meant I’d broken them. Fortunately, I hadn’t, and when I cracked my forehead on the concrete, I didn’t do any damage there either. Ok. Maybe I have a hard head, but the resulting bump was quite impressive.
It could have been disastrous. A railing would have prevented this. Until this happened, I had not foreseen such a potential hazard. It’s been like that for 35 years without incident.
Don’t be like me. Check your house carefully, including cracks in sidewalks (I have some of them, too) and make adjustments now.

Aurora Anti-Litter Day
It is scheduled for Saturday, April 20 from 9 a.m. to noon followed by a thank you BBQ from noon to 2 p.m. in Town Park for all those who have signed up and participated. To register, call 905-727-8214 or e-mail infoaurora@aurora.ca. Register in advance to be provided with garbage bags and gloves. Seniors are encouraged to create small groups and submit your names to Karie, our Seniors Coordinator. For more details see the notice on our bulletin board or the e-flash sent to you.

More on the Games
The York Region Games scheduled for May 3 to June 20 includes lawn and carpet bowling, bid euchre, cribbage, Bocce, 5-pin bowling, shuffleboard, darts, progressive euchre, 8-ball pool, 9-ball pool, horseshoes, pickle ball (we won this recently), prediction and Nordic walk, golf and cart, contract bridge, snooker, and lawn bowling.
Get registration forms at the Centre, the Legions and York Region municipal offices. Or download a form from www.ontarioseniorgames.ca (District 14). For more information, call Don Waldie at 905-722-4541

For more information on the Aurora Seniors’ Centre and all it has to offer, drop by 90 John West Way, visit the web site www.auroraseniors.ca, email auroraseniors@rogers.com or call 905-726-4767 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.