By Sharon Toth
The Bulletin
January brought an Arctic front to Texas that stretched across the state and much of the South.
We covered some basic cold- weather safety information in last month’s column, but we didn’t expect a storm that would bring low temperatures for two to three days of below- freezing temperatures with a few days dropping into the 20s and even high teens in some spots overnight.
Hopefully, temperatures won’t drop so low in February as we go through the last remnants of winter, and that Arctic blast will be the last.
Friday, Feb. 14, will be Valentine’s Day, a day that often lifts our spirits out of the winter doldrums as we share it with family, friends or maybe just our special someone.
Monday, Feb. 17, will be President’s Day, so expect at least government offices and some others to be closed. Some senior centers may be closed or have reduced hours.
Here’s the outlook for senior fun in February.
ANGLETON
Become better informed by attending the monthly Lunch & Learn, which in February will feature the city’s communications team on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 11 a.m. at the Angleton Recreation (ARC). Call or drop by to reserve a seat for this presentation. A pizza lunch will be offered, which will be free for those registered and age 55 plus.
Valentine’s Bingo will be played at ARC on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. Please register for this free event.
For those seniors who went to Smitty’s General Store & Pottery in Jan. to create an original piece, there will be a return trip at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13, to wrap up work on your item. The potters will drop by a West Columbia restaurant and shop, Carta Valley Market, by lunch before returning mid-afternoon to Angleton. The fee will be $10 plus the cost of lunch.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, be ready to play Bunco at 9:30 a.m. at ARC, and registration is requested for this free event to make sure there are enough players coming. Bingo will follow at 11 a.m., and no reservation or fee is required for it.
Seniors will eat out locally on Friday, Feb. 21, as they make a short trip to Don Jose’s, a Mexican restaurant off of Hwy. 35 for the monthly Lunch Bunch. Please register, but there’s no fee for transportation, just payment for lunch.
Bagels with Vicki will be at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, with the recreation specialist for senior programming in Angleton, Vicki Chelette. It is free, and no registration is required.
A potluck lunch will be held on Friday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. Registration is requested for this free event, for which those attending are asked to bring a dish to share with others.
Angleton also has many exercise and physical activities planned throughout the business week.
For more information or questions, please all (979) 549-0410 and press No. 5 to reach ARC. There won’t be any classes on President’s Day on Feb. 17, and the recreation center’s hours will be reduced to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CLUTE
Clute’s February senior program will be centered around Valentine’s Day with its Golden Oldies theme being “Party Heart-y”.
The festivities, planned by Michelle Parrish, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the B.R. Hester Event Center. Lunch will include sandwiches, pasta and chips. Games, including bingo, are usually played.
Seniors 60-plus attending are encouraged to wear apparel with hearts or Valentine colors.
Please register by or before Friday, Feb. 14, at the B.R. Hester Event Center, 100 Parkview Dr. or call (979) 265-8392.
Master of Balance classes will continue at the center through February on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
LAKE JACKSON
The Lake Jackson Fun-Timers’ group for ages 55-plus just hosted its annual Senior Fest at the Doris Williams Civic Center, and there’s more fun coming up.
Some of the regular activities include Games Day every Wednesday at 2 p.m. and a 42 domino tournament on Monday, Feb. 10, from 5-8 p.m. The next day, Feb. 11, join the card-making group at 6 p.m. On Thursday, Feb. 13, there’s open play bingo at 1 p.m. All of these activities take place at the civic center, located at 333 Hwy. 332.
Another Feb. 13 option is a trip to see the “painted churches” in the unincorporated communities of High Hill, Dubin, Ammannsville and Praha in the Schulenburg area.
The churches, dating to the 1800s and early 1900s, were built by Czech and German immigrants who settled in the Texas Hill Country. They built their churches to resemble the churches of their homelands, often simple on the outside and grand on the inside.
Fun-Timers will take this mini-trip for only a $20 transportation fee via van plus the cost of lunch. Register by calling or going by the civic center. Space is limited.
To register, or for information about the Fun-Timers’ schedule, yoga and more, call Brenda McGough at (979) 415-2600.
The next Senior Focus will be in the March 4 issue of The Bulletin.
Daylight saving time will resume at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9, so sunlight will linger a little longer at the end of the day as we move our clocks up an hour. Spring is just around the corner!
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