Topic: Island Senior

Island Senior: Mullis Center Offers a New Venue For Crafts

Written on November 29, 2017 at 5:53 am, by

Island Senior is a regular column written for the SJ Update by Peggy Sue McRae… On the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving the Mullis Center held its first ever Holiday Craft Fair. Tables of crafts and goodies lined the large dining room, well lit by the surrounding windows. I spoke with Debbie Haagensen, the center’s  Continue Reading

Island Senior: What You Need To Know About Hospice

Written on November 17, 2017 at 5:47 am, by

Peggy Sue checks in with another Island Senior article from Mullis Center… We don’t like talking about death in our culture but if we are currently living there is no avoiding the eventual outcome. When the time comes, for our selves and for our loved ones, it is good to know that there is support  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Support for Family Caregivers

Written on November 1, 2017 at 5:48 am, by

November is National Family Caregivers month and a time to acknowledge those among us who, whether it is for an aging parent, injured spouse, or a sick child are caring for loved ones every day and around the clock. You probably do not have to think very hard to come up with someone you know  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Time to Vote At The Mullis Center

Written on October 18, 2017 at 5:50 am, by

It is time once again to vote on board members for the Mullis Center Operations Committee. These are the people who partner with Senior Services, plan events and fun activities, keep the lights on, and keep the building busy and beautiful. There are five positions open each for a three-year term. Ballots are included in  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Seahawks Sundays at the Mullis Center

Written on September 23, 2017 at 5:20 am, by

Yay! I saw the Seahawks first touchdown of the season last Sunday at the Mullis Center’s Seahawks Sunday. If you are looking for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and a nice big screen to watch the game… come on down to the Mullis Center on Sunday. This Sunday doors open at 12:30 to watch the Hawks play  Continue Reading

Island Senior: A Clear Message to Get Moving

Written on September 10, 2017 at 10:45 am, by

If like me, you work (and play) at a computer, if you spend even more sitting time driving (luckily we do not have long commutes here on the island), or watching television, you are being warned. Especially as we get older, we need to move more or be at risk for a host of diseases  Continue Reading

Island Senior: The Mullis Center Invites You to Get Involved

Written on August 31, 2017 at 5:50 am, by

With September comes a seasonal shift. The season of tourists, house-guests, and beach life, gives way to cozy evenings and deeper community involvement. At the Mullis Center, the Operations Committee, aka “the board” invites interested islanders to come to the center’s September meeting on Wednesday, September 6, at noon in the Mullis Center dining hall  Continue Reading

Island Senior: The Misses Ada and Ella Mullis, Friday Harbor Milliners

Written on August 15, 2017 at 5:51 am, by

San Juan Island has long been home to independent and resourceful women. There were the native women whose wisdom and generosity our early pioneers relied on. There have been stalwart farmwomen who side by side with their husbands or on their own managed to create livelihoods from crops and livestock. And then there were the  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Support for Parkinson’s Disease

Written on July 28, 2017 at 5:48 am, by

Chances are you know someone who has Parkinson’s disease. If not, you may be familiar with the actor Michael J. Fox, perhaps the most well-known person with Parkinson’s, a progressive, degenerative neurological disease. Suzie Lefever, MA, PT, ATC, of San Juan Physical Therapy says she is seeing more people with Parkinson’s all the time. About  Continue Reading

Island Senior: First Friday Swing Dancing

Written on July 15, 2017 at 6:05 am, by

On the first Friday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm people of all ages and abilities gather at the Mullis Center for a fun evening of swing dancing. Instructor Bill Gincig, who comes over from Orcas, has a wealth of knowledge and experience in dance. He explained to me that “swing” encompasses; rhumba,  Continue Reading

Island Senior: a Granddaughter’s Memories of Frank Mullis

Written on July 3, 2017 at 5:57 am, by

By Peggy Sue McRae… The smells of summer, Nootka roses, Ocean Spray, and seaweed often trigger memories for me of childhood summers spent at the beach in my grandparents cabin. Perched on a rocky point with water on three sides the cabin was affectionately named, “The Barnacle”. Decorated with garlands of fishing floats strung by  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Taking the Mullis Center Van

Written on June 19, 2017 at 6:45 am, by

A day trip to the mainland was never so easy. This week I got on the Mullis Center van for the Mt Vernon trip. Every month the van makes two mainland trips to facilitate members of the Mullis Center with medical appointments or shopping needs, one trip to Mt Vernon and one to Bellingham. The cost  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Music and Your Brain

Written on June 2, 2017 at 5:50 am, by

By Peggy Sue McRae – Music is good for your brain. Most of us have experienced hearing a piece of music and being transported in time. Play me the Rolling Stones, Jumping Jack Flash, and its summer, and I’m a teenager. That is because when we hear music, unlike other activities that are located in  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Who were the Mullises?

Written on May 15, 2017 at 5:57 am, by

Story by Peggy Sue McRae… There is a plaque on the outside of the Mullis Center that reads, This land is a gift to the seniors of San Juan Island to honor the memory of our grandparents George and Emma Mullis and our parents Frank and Belle Mullis – from Ina Mullis Gustin, James and  Continue Reading

Island Senior: The Memory Cafe

Written on May 1, 2017 at 10:43 am, by

Island Senior is written by Peggy Sue McRae… Last week I stopped by the Village at the Harbour to participate in a Memory Café. Memory Cafe programs originated in England about 15 years ago and have since become popular throughout Europe and the United States. The goal of the Memory Café is to provide a  Continue Reading

Island Senior: No Age Limit To Creative Expression

Written on April 19, 2017 at 5:48 am, by

By Peggy Sue McRae – If you are an athlete your career may end before you reach 40, other careers may offer retirement at 50 or 60, but if you are an artist, you may be hitting your stride at 80. Michelangelo, Monet, and Matisse created some of their greatest works when they were in their  Continue Reading

Island Senior: Seniors Celebrate the Sixties for Meals on Wheels and More

Written on March 31, 2017 at 5:23 am, by

By Peggy Sue McRae… It said on the poster “60’s attire encouraged” so I put on my love beads and pinned a peace sign to my jacket before attending the Mullis Center’s, March for Meals to a 60s Beat, a benefit for Meals on Wheels and More. This special lunch was well attended by tie-dye  Continue Reading

Island Senior: The Benefits of Becoming a Senior Citizen

Written on March 16, 2017 at 5:56 am, by

Having just celebrated my sixty-fifth birthday I am now a bonefide senior citizen. Some may set a lower bar, but at sixty-five there is no denying it. I have officially attained elder status. Before bemoaning getting older in our “youth culture” let me say, there are indeed some benefits to reaching this benchmark. For one  Continue Reading

The Mullis Center: San Juan Island Seniors Tradition of Volunteering

Written on September 19, 2016 at 5:51 am, by

Some of you may remember when island seniors used to gather at the old Grey Top Inn at the fairgrounds. With an active base of volunteer labor and local fundraising efforts, island seniors refurbished the old Home Economics building into what for a number of years provided a home for senior services and senior activities.  Continue Reading