At 73, Sara Hart is not ready to retire. The Los Altos resident is too busy for that.
Hart is president of her own company, recently completed the AIDS bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and wrote a book, “The Upside of Downsizing: Getting to Enough.”
When talking to loved ones who may live hundreds or thousands of miles away, an audio-only call is often not enough. Several modern apps enable users to make video calls via a computer or mobile device, including FaceTime, Skype and WhatsApp.
“‘Poetry is like standing on the edge of a lake on a moonlit night and the light of the moon is always pointing straight at you,’” Fidel Soria-Gaytan read, quoting poet Billy Collins. “Does anybody relate to that?”
Anita Holzberg said that if you’re inspired, the light of the moon is always pointing straight at you. Soria-Gaytan related it to the experience of writing a poem: “When I start writing, it’s a moment just for me and what I’m thinking. Like he said, there’s a light pointing straight at you. That’s how I feel when I’m writing poetry.”
The Los Altos Senior Program is located at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.
The Grant Park Senior Program is located at 1575 Holt Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.
Twenty years ago, sculptor R.J. Truman created the “The Cradle of Liberty,” the statue in Shoup Park. As it took shape in a Berkeley foundry, a co-chairman of the statue’s sponsoring veterans group, Bill Henderson, asked me to write a poem about its meaning.
I like to think that the resulting poem – like the statue itself – has stood the test of time. Both have been polished over the years; the poem was once modified at the behest of a retired U.S. Marine Corps major general, who wanted to see a greater Marine Corps presence in its lines.
Hot weather is a major concern for older adults, especially those living with chronic medical conditions. Factors that directly affect the risks are lack of fluids, lack of air conditioning and physical activity.
To help avoid the risks of heat and humidity, seniors should wear lightweight clothing, put on a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors, take frequent water breaks and apply sunscreen. It’s best to remain indoors where it’s cool during the peak heat, usually from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
