GENERATION GAP

Seeing our generations through each other’s eyes

Check below daily for fun at home activities during this crisis.

PLANT A STORY GARDEN

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THIS IS AN ESPECIALLY GOOD PROJECT FOR EASTER –

MY children really enjoyed planting story gardens at Easter and at Christmas. They are very easy and fun for any time of the year.  Start with potting soil, an 8X13 or larger sheet cake pan, and fast growing seeds. If you provide the correct environmental conditions, marigold, cosmos, zinnia and dianthus seed will all sprout within one week.

Now if you have little kids, a cake pan, and planting soil, the chances of your providing the correct conditions are  not great. Not great at all. Never mind. Show faith.  Plant the seeds.  Water them. Believe.

I imagine you don’t have seeds on hand, either, but you can order them online (Burpees.com) or at Bartells, the seed rack is right by the door, so you can buy them without getting close to anyone.

Then the children – and you too – should draw and create figures of the characters in the story, and put them in the dish garden.  As the garden begins to grow they can move the figures around.  This works especially well with continuing sagas like The Easter Story, or Little House on the Prairie – or Peter Rabbit.

An easy way to make the figures is to draw them on cardboard and fasten them to popsicle sticks.  But nothing is easy these days. You’ll think of something.

It’s fun to see the little first sprouts come  up – and something is sure to grow.  Usually.

Send pictures.

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FAMILY SUN CATCHER

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FAMILY SUN CATCHER

By Dorothy!

In these days when we can’t be together, this is an activity that reminds us all that we are family even when we aren’t together.

This is a fun project that can be spread over several days.

MATERIALS NEEDED

  • Tissue paper, different colors
  • Gloss Medium (for art projects)
  • Elmer’s Glue will work
  • Sturdy paint brushes
  • Paper for patterns,
  • Saran wrap – this is your work ground so tape down securely or everyone will whine.

Let the children tell the story – How many of us live together in this house?

Parents, Siblings, Pets? Draw patterns if you want. Everyone can make a tissue paper figure of themselves or some other member of the family who lives in our house. Cut out the figures and, using big brush and medium or Elmers generously to glue them together and give them translucence.

Add family members who don’t live with us but are still dear – grandparents, friends. Don’t be fussy about the shapes. Bumpy is fine. Add animal friends, if you want.

Finally,– who is in our family who doesn’t live on earth anymore? We invented this activity for my daughter Gina who was six when her Daddy died. These dear people can be represented in different ways – either as people of angels or flowers, or kites. Anything at all that reminds they’re not lost to us..

These figures are added to the sun catcher with a final layer of Gloss Medium. When it’s dry, Peel it off the saran. Easiest way is to loosen the suncatcher as you add layers, leaving at least enogh space to get a table knife between the sun catcher and the saran wrap. Loosen and lift until it’s free though if your creation is very stubborn, just cut down to figures and leave it. Hang it in the window to catch the sun and remind us of what a wonderful family we have.

This technique can be used to make all sorts of designs. The important thing is to periodically check to see that you have an open place between sun catcher and saran wrap so that you can lift it off without ruining your creative effort.

For more information:

Dorothy Wilhelm

Dorothy@itsnevertoolate.com

253-582-4565

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Swimming Upstream July 2019 Program List

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A note from  William Mc Clelland

 

 I hate to be the bearer of sad news, but the director emeritus and mentor of the Lakewood Senior Players, Lynn Geyer, passed away on Monday morning.  She had been in the ICU at Allenmore for a couple of weeks before her passing.  We are all deeply saddened but she will be remembered!

Swimming Upstream
July 2019 Program List

Generation Gap | Dorothy Wilhelm | Ray Miller StillHere are the Program notes Bill McClelland supplied us with for this show.
1. Introduction
Dorothy Wilhelm
2. Interview with Bill
Bill/Dorothy

Bill: Well, Dorothy, the troupe is all warmed up and ready to go. Since it is summer, a lot of kids have gone off to camp. A tradition there is the scary story around the campfire. Let’s see how this one works. The sketch is called “It’s Coming”. It stars Judy Ashley as the narrator, and Bill McClelland as the storytelling camp counselor.

3. It’s Coming
Narrator: Judy Counselor: Bill Campers: All

Bill: Ok, maybe not the most scary story. Now we want to back up in time a bit and have a little girl tell us what she learned in school. This sketch is called “Get the Whole Story”. Lilyiann Caswell-Isley is little Mary, Joyce Moody is her mother, Loren Donahue is Mr. Graham, the principal, and Judy Ashley is her teacher, Mrs. Johnson. Pat Foran narrates our tale.

4. Get the Whole Story
Narrator: Pat Mary: Lilyian Mother: Joyce
Mr. Graham: Loren Mrs. Johnson: Judy

Bill: It seems that sometimes a few simple questions can stave off bigger problems, take a hint moms and dads.
Over the summer vacation, children can certainly get into some big trouble. Let’s see what this child is up to with a parent’s cell phone. It’s called “Where Are You?” and stars Lilyian Caswell-Isley as the narrator, Pat Foran as our telemarketer and Bill McClelland as the child taking the call.

5. Where Are You?
Narrator: Lilyiann Telemarketer: Pat Child: Bill

Bill: Ok, enough with the children stealing the spotlight. We go from kids at the beginning of life to a couple dealing with the end of life. Aunt Edna and Uncle Jack discuss “The Doilies”, our final sketch today. Our narrator is: Joyce Moody, Uncle Jack is played by Loren Donahue, with Lilyian Caswell-Isley as Aunt Edna. Let’s see who gets a surprise.

6. The Doilies
Narrator: Joyce Uncle Jack: Loren
Aunt Edna: Lilyian

Bill: That was great! A big thanks to all our players. So as we close, our players will introduce themselves and give a very brief overview of their summers.

7. Finale Judy/Pat/Lilyian/Joyce/Loren/Bill 8. Close Dorothy Wilhelm
The podcast itself is not unusual. There are, according to Burberry research, roughly 540,000 podcast titles today and the number rises by about 2,000 every week. However, most of those podcasts don’t make it past the 6th episode. Swimming Upstream is in its 5th year. We’ve been recording at the Lakewood Senior Activity Center for nearly four years.

Over the years, regular shows have develop, like the Lakewood Senior Radio Players who do old fashioned radio skits every other month. They’ll record next in September amd they do welcome an audience. Another regular spot belongs to Generation Gap where co-host Raymond Still (age 27) joins me for a session, as Rays says, of seeing the different generations through each other’s eyes.

Another favorite has been Lincoln and the Judge which features Lincoln impersonator Michael Krebs and Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Guy, Retired. These two have conversations about how President Lincoln would see today’s events.

A recent guest was Ronald Frederick who is the son of the last of the famous ‘60’s Octopus Wrestlers. He joined us on Swimming Upstream to tell about his experiences while diving with his father and afterward sent this note to me, “During our recent  conversations . . .you have inspired me to keep active and moving during my retirement because as you said, ‘if you stop moving, They will throw dirt on you’  As such, I have been persuaded to run for Mayor of DuPont.” At this writing, Ron is indeed running for Mayor. We never know how far our reach will be or who we’ll touch. It’s pretty fun.

Internet radio is very different from conventional broadcasting, as it was when I started as the Creative Living expert on KIRO radio and TV in 1989. Now the magic is all done with the computer, and the production expertise of the long suffering Producer/engineer/guru Joe Dobzynski in Sarasota, FL. Who then handles post-production and distribution. It’s magic. We’re a good working team – but we’ve never met in person.

Amanatee Radio Ear handles more than 300 shows including ours, according to Producer Joe Dobzynski, and you can hear them at any time, on any device, including your grandson’s X-box.

Amanatee Group LLC has been designing niche radio stations since 2005 and has grown its audience in over 148+ countries as well as local niche markets.

Available on Aha Radio, Radio Ear Network, Tune-In,  ITunes, Bose Sound Systems radios, 2013 or newer car radios, Apple Car Play, 148 countries, National and Local Internets, all mobile devices, and we keep adding.  There are over 450 directories where shows can be heard.

And all of that is available right here at the Lakewood Senior Activity Center on the Fourth Friday of every month from 9:00 to 12:00. Stop in. Ask questions. If there’s someone you’d like to hear from, just let me know: 1800 548-9264 or Dorothy@itsnevertoolate.com.

So join us any time. You’re welcome to be part of the show when we record or listen anytime. Right this minute. Just turn on your laptop, or your mobile phone, or whatever you have laying around. Go to Itsnevertoolate.com and you’ll see all of the shows since the world began at the lower right of the page. Or go to SOBradionetwosrk.com/ Remember SOB stands for “spunky old broads” and all the hosts are women over 50.