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Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters. ~ Amy Leigh Mercree

 

 

Warm afternoons encourage porch rearranging— it’s akin to getting a new outfit or something that lifts spirits up as Easter comes. When hard rain and wind come, I’ll be hustling out there to haul cushions in and batten hatches down. For now, though, it looks like spring and bloom-time around the porch! 

Early mornings still find me going for those ‘hot dates,’ now even slower thanks to the dark-30 of daylight savings that scrambles sleep and remaining brain cells–but the end of those hot dates truly is getting closer in sight. The radiation oncologist (who must be the age of a 5th-grader…well, he LOOKS like he could be!) reminds me that I have two extra days, instead of what I thought. No getting out of doing time, shucks.  

Later at the physical therapy joint, one of the PA assistants is probably the age of a 3rd-grader. The older I get, the younger everyone else gets: she indeed is green behind the ears, but she must have done some studying to learn body parts and movement, at least. I quiz her on music while she’s exacting torture on me—has she heard of Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Elvis, BB King? NO? She shakes her head, at first I think she’s pulling my leg, but as we talk, I realize she has no idea who these obscure musicians might be. 

Astounded, I keep trying: how about Pink Floyd, James Brown, Little Richard, Ella Fitzgerald, Beethoven, Elton John? NO?? Wait, she has heard about Elvis–she thinks, yes to Pink, maybe to Billie Eilish. No to Billie Holiday, Mavis Staples, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, Merle Haggard? Johnny Cash? No, she says. Nina Simone? Leonard Cohen? Tony Bennett? Tina Turner, Journey, Moody Blues, Elvis Costello? NO??? 

She admits that music wasn’t high on her parents’ priorities around the house when she was growing up. That’s when I handed out listening suggestions to jump-start her education: Joni Mitchell was first on the list. My young friend earnestly takes notes on my recommendations—there may be hope yet. If any month is music, it is March, with her highs, lows, swings and moods—life sings. 

 

• Dan Wells, a local gardening expert, will give a free workshop on “How To Be Successful Growing Vegetables in Saluda” at Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street, on March 16 from 10 to 1. Dan will discuss soil prep, planting dates, seed, disease/critter control, local garden resources, and more. 
• SCLT news: “Walks in the Woods” is March 17 at the Adawehi Stewardship forest in Columbus.  Meet at Saluda Library’s parking lot at 2 p.m. to carpool. Visit saludaclt.org or call 828-749-1560 for information. 
• On March 20, at 10 a.m., Saluda Center, Saluda Living in Place (SLIP) will have Judy Edwards speak about anticipating bumps in the road along the aging journey and how to prepare for changing needs. Judy is a geriatric social worker and aging life care professional from Four Seasons in Hendersonville. 
• Saluda Community Table is March 26, 5:30-7 p.m. at Saluda Center. Meals are complimentary, and donations are gladly accepted. If you can, bring your own plate, utensils, and cup/glass. 

Happy March Birthday to Genell Jespersen, Valerie Mintz, Sheldon Mintz, Curtis Pace, Anita Moore, Dorrie McKinley, Catherine Ross, Monica Pace, Ken Justus, Elizabeth Justus, Arlene Klippel, Rachel Bradley, Chris Bradley, Dawn Ward, Dori Ray, Martin Anderson, Lucy Holman, Craig Bass, Laura Bass, Patty Martin, Tangie Morgan, Melanie Keener, Tuula Veil, Erica Shanks, and Paul Rhodes. 

 

Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, (828) 817-6765, P.O. Box 331, Saluda, NC 28773, Facebook, or visit bonniebardos.com