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Seniors March 8th, 2007
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Passing the time during inclement weather

Since it was a gray and rainy day, I decided it was time to rearrange my linen closet. Somehow the neat piles of sheets, pillowcases and towels seemed to have come unglued over time. The wrong cases that matched their sheets had somehow worked their way to the bottom of the pile.

As I gazed at the mess on the closet floor, I noticed a small, green chair holding an old sewing box from my art school days, and then I recalled the first time that little green chair, and another with matching table, appeared in my home.

It was winter, and both of my two older sons (four and six years old at the time) were at home under quarantine, laid up with the chicken pox. The dreaded "QUARANTINE!" sign on the front door of the house warned others not to enter. And oh, did I mention, the boys had kindly given their chicken pox to their father, who had never had any childhood diseases (according to his mother, anyway.) He was even sicker than they were, of course.

Lucky me, I had already had every childhood disease there was, so I got to take care of everyone, with no outside assistance.

Of course, my banished family felt sorry for me, and called me every day, and sent goodies to the door. My father-in-law decided to build a table and chair set for the boys that would be just the right size for them. He did, and the furniture inhabited their room for many years after they had outgrown it.

Now I only see this one little chair, and I wonder where the rest of the set has gone. So many moves, so many homes... well, I'm happy to be able to say that I know where the boys are! Grown up, married, with kids of their own who are grown up and married.

Hey, whatever happened to "Quarantine" signs? I guess now they have vaccinations for everything.

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Do you know that in the state of Florida, drivers 70 and over hold more than one and a half million licenses? Drivers over 80 have the highest accident rate of any age group. Seniors have very few alcohol-related accidents.

The "failure to yield" category is the primary cause of accidents among those drivers 70 and older. According to police records, intersections are the place where fifty percent of this demographic is involved in an accident.

Police records also show that older drivers more often ignore stop signs, make improper turns, and become confused by directional signs.

Ask yourself this unpopular question: is it time for you to turn in your driver's license?

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Are you looking forward to the Senior Follies of 2007? Mark your calendar early for March 29 and 30 at 7 PM, and March 31st and April 1st at 2 PM, at WSRETV Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio, located on the PJC main campus at College Blvd.and 12th Avenue in Pensacola.

Ten "Calendar Girls," and dozens of volunteer seniors over 50 who all still retain the talents of their younger years will dazzle everyone who sees them. Tickets, available at the door or through the Council on Aging are $10 and proceeds, as always, benefit local senior causes. You can also buy tickets from any Senior follies cast member, or at Bayview Senior Center in Pensacola.

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Fascinating Factoid: The first couple to be seen in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

See YOU next week!