2011 Senior Expo

By Roberta Goodwin Published May 16, 2011 02:27 pm Updated Jun 3, 2014 04:55 pm

Welcome to the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging blog: it’s our ongoing effort to bring information to help and inform seniors in our county. Stay tuned for more information on matters of interest to county seniors! And please feel free to let us know YOUR ideas for events or forums that you want to see. We actively solicit your comments. You can contact the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging by email aging2010@gmail.com.

Exciting News: The 2011 Senior Expo will be held May 25 from 9AM to 2PM at the MOTHER LODE FAIRGROUNDS, John Muir Building. Features include blood draw (nominal fee), Senior Idol contest, Legal and Financial help, Insurance, Caregivers, etc. Both for-profit and non-profit groups will present their senior-oriented services and wares. Many booths will be informational. This is a FREE event open to anyone, in particular seniors, family, caregivers. For more information, please view the Senior Expo website at: http://www.seniorfair.com/

Volunteering in Tuolumne County – “Coffee, Coyotes, and Cocodrilos”

Coffee, coyotes, and cocodrilos? What’s that got to do with volunteering, you say? A little tale to illustrate: In San Felipe, Baja California, México, I have this little place. Myself, I usually avoid the noise and activity of the resort my property is linked to a few miles down México’s Highway 5 (my guests, of course, go to the pools, beach, golf course, cantina, tennis courts and such).

At my little house I can hear the silence of the desert, and at dawn the sun rises in the east on the Sea of Cortez. Oh, what peace the desert holds. What’s the phrase? “It restoreth my soul”. So true. Every spring the ocotillo plants are in their glory, bursting forth with beautiful orange and red blossoms. It is here I ponder the state of the world, and in particular my own life.

In the mornings, I’m usually on my back porch drinking my coffee. It is my belief that coffee is one of the basic food groups. At dawn, sometimes I catch a glimpse of a lonely coyote making its way through the greenbelt. The coyote is far and few between since we gringos took over their habitat, another topic to ponder. Then, one morning, I saw my wee doggie streak past. Like most dogs, he’s territorial and was obviously chasing something. I investigated, and found a cocodrilo hiding under the outside water heater being poked by a playful canine nose. For those of you who’ve never heard of one, “cocodrilo” is Spanish for crocodile, but in San Felipe they’re more like a cross between small iguanas and snakes. It seems that my caretaker, Joaquin, had been feeding this one pieces of tortilla from his lunch while working. So of course the thing hung about; what a shock it must have been this day to find a gringo terrier in his face instead of Joaquin’s tortilla bits! I chased the dog inside and the cocodrilo went off to find Joaquin.

After the exciting cocodrilo rescue, I spent time pondering my volunteer activities, as I was feeling stretched and overwhelmed. Was I doing what I wanted to do? Was it satisfying and productive? Was I helping people or… myself? I checked my list, made adjustments and gave the result a firm nod. NOW I will be.

And so I ask you: Do YOU need someone to find you a service or volunteer group in which to volunteer? Or perhaps, do you need help yourself? Do YOU need a service? If so, please let us know. Email us: aging2010@gmail.com.

2011 Senior Volunteer of the Year Ceremony
The Tuolumne County Commission on Aging will be hosting a recognition and award event for senior volunteers serving in Tuolumne County, on June 22, 2011, 11AM, Board of Supervisors Chambers, Sonora. Anyone wishing to nominate a senior should complete a Senior Volunteer of the Year nomination form and submit it by June 10th. Nominees must be residents of Tuolumne County; at least 60 years of age. Members of the Commission on Aging are not eligible.

Nomination forms may be obtained from: Senior Center on Greenley; Area 12 Agency on Aging; Senior Lounge, Sonora; The Little House, Groveland; UpCountry Senior Center, Sugar Pine. All nominations must include a follow up telephone number. To request applications mailed to you, or for more info, contact Cathie Peacock 586-4802.
Our next GENERAL MEETING date: at The Little House in Groveland, June 13, 1:30PM. All our meetings are open to the public. Come join us!

To view our blog, go to: http://tuolumnecountycommissiononaging.blogspot.com/