The container we are given to live this life is an imperfect item. Face

it; our bodies break, leak and wear out. If it were a car, we would sell it.

Unfortunately we are a package deal — our soul and our body. Otherwise,

I would look like Pamela Anderson Lee and have her personality. Well, I

think I would keep mine. I can daydream all I like, but the reality is that the

older I get the more likely my plumbing will fail in one way or another.

We are lucky that when the poop hits the fan — or should I say

when the boobs hit the ground — we have access to a top-notch facility right

in our own backyard. I am talking about the Sno-Valley Senior Center. I

volunteer monthly and it is one of the best ways to spend my time.

The center, which is located in Carnation, serves Duvall,

Carnation and Fall City. It exists to serve the needs of all of us when time takes

its toll or when you just want some company. It has programs that improve

our quality of life. One great program is the Lifetime Fitness Program led

by Paulette Quiroga-Jacklin. The class combines weight training,

stretching and aerobics through a program specifically designed to improve

and maintain the “container” of today’s active seniors. But the body isn’t

the whole story.

Our mind and well-being can have as big, if not a bigger, effect on

our happiness than our body. The Senior Center provides assistance for our

intellect, too. There are support groups to help people deal with the

ravages of biology. No one is an expert on common diseases like diabetes

until it hits home. The Senior Center can provide information for managing

the disease so that you can cope with the disease.

You also need to manage your financial resources to effectively

manage your quality of life. The center has financial information so that

seniors can get first-class information on estate planning, Medicare and

health insurance questions, landlord-tenant issues and end-of-life decisions

including durable powers of attorney and guardianship. This is a safe

environment and you can be sure that the information is what is best for

your unique situation and not a sales pitch for life insurance. Once the

mind, body and bank are straightened out, it is time to eat.

Everyone knows a senior who is wasting away to nothing. We all

have a memory of our shrinking grandmas and grandpas. I doubt I would cook

at all if it weren’t for my family begging for food like baby birds in a

nest. Cooking for one person almost seems wasteful and eating at a table alone

is no treat. The hot lunch program serves a hot nutritious lunch and often

free entertainment for the unbelievably low price of $2.50 for seniors over 60.

Friends under 60 can join you for only $4.65. Plus you have company to

share the meal with. A simple pleasure for all of us.

Homebound? You can apply for the Meals on Wheels program,

which delivers prepared meals once a week. Even little Fluffy can qualify for

free pet food sponsored by the Humane Society of Bellevue. Or there is

free or low cost transportation to the center, pharmacy, grocery store or

other local destinations.

Probably the most meaningful service in my mind is the Adult

Day Health (ADH) Program headed by Perry EauClair. The program

provides care for severely disabled seniors. One of the hardest jobs in the world

is caring 24 hours a day, seven days a week for someone you love who

can no longer care for themselves. The ADH program provides a safe

environment for these, our most fragile neighbors, so that the caregivers

can have a break.

If you can get out and about how about a day trip? The center plans

day trips that cost next to nothing. The seniors toured Boeing’s jumbo jet

facility in Everett and in July there is a trip to the Muckleshoot Casino.

Transportation is provided and most trips cost around $5. Plus you get the

pleasure of visiting with friends instead of the headaches of dealing with local

traffic. These are just some of the programs and services offered by the

center.

How do they do it? All of this is made possible by a dedicated staff

and an army of volunteers. If you want a chance to see what kind of place

the Senior Center is, then join us for the spaghetti dinner on July 3 designed

to help all the Carnation Fourth of July runners load up on carbs for the

big race the next day. Cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children. Even better is

their famous strawberry shortcake feed held during the Fourth of July festival. It

is definitely worth the one-block walk down Stephens Street for the

best strawberry shortcake ever for only $3.

The Sno-Valley Senior Center is located at 4310 Stephens St. in

Carnation. If you have questions about any of the programs they offer,

call (425) 333-4152. Even better, send them a check. They are a

501(c)(3) (that is a fancy way of saying non-profit) organization. They are

also looking for donations of a color printer, a 35 mm camera with flash,

a small table-top fridge and most important to me, a copy machine with

sorting capability. Even $10 can go a long way to helping our community

help our neighbors.

Small towns are famous for taking care of our own so take care of

the Senior Center by volunteering your time and money.

Kate Russell lives between

Carnation and Duvall. You can reach her at Katemo1@msn.com.