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email: info@wllovillage.org
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Note: This is a long newsletter, click the link at the very top that says, 'View this email in your browser'. Enjoy reading what's new and newsworthy with WLLO!
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This month's articles
(click on the title link to jump directly to the article):
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A User's Guide to Aging, by Annie Lamont
Lessons for 70 and beyond
It's Good to Remember: We are all on borrowed time
Getting older is almost like changing species, from cute middle-aged, white-tailed deer, to yak. We are both grass eaters, but that’s about the only similarity. At the Safeway sushi bar during lunchtime, I look at the teenage girls in their crop tops with their stupid flat tummies and I feel bad about what lies beneath my big, forgiving shirts but — and this is one of the blessings of aging — not for long. Aging has brought a modicum of self-compassion, and acceptance of what my husband and I call “the Sitch”: the bodily and cognitive decline that we all face sooner or later. Still, at Safeway, I can’t help but avert my eyes. Why push my luck?
Twenty years ago, when I turned 50, I showed the dark age spots on my arms and the backs of my hands to my wonderful dermatologist.
“They used to call these liver spots,” I said, laughing.
There was silence. “They still call them liver spots,” he replied.
My mother died of Alzheimer’s disease when I was 50; my father had died of brain cancer 25 years before, so I have always been a bit more tense than the average bear about increasing holes in my memory, and more egregious moments of dither. I thought of my 50s as late middle age.
At 60, I tried to get this same dermatologist to authorize surgery to remove the pile of skin of my upper eyelid that gathered like a broken Roman shade at the eyelash line. “Look,” I said, “the eyelid has consumed my eyeball. I will not be able to see soon.”
I pulled out an inch of skin to demonstrate my infirmity.
He pulled out three inches of his own. “Ticktock,” he said. And he was right. All things skin had gone to hell, from the crepe of my forearms to lots of new precancerous lesions that he routinely froze off or biopsied, once making me use a horrible burning cream all over my face that turned me into Peeling Tomato Girl.
So many indignities are involved in aging, and yet so many graces, too. The perfectionism that had run me ragged and has kept me scared and wired my whole life has abated. The idea of perfectionism at 60 is comical when, like me, you’ve worn non-matching black flats out on stage. In my experience, most of us age away from brain and ambition toward heart and soul, and we bathe in relief that things are not worse. When I was younger, I was fixated on looking good and impressing people and being so big in the world. By 60, I didn’t care nearly as much what people thought of me, mostly.
And anyway, you know by 60 that people are rarely thinking of you. They are thinking about their own finances, family problems and upper arms.
I have no idea of the process that released some of that clench and self-consciousness, except that by a certain age some people beloved to me had died. And then you seriously get real about how short and precious life is. You have bigger fish to fry than your saggy butt. Also, what more can you lose, and what more can people do to you that age has not already done? You thought you could physically do this or that — i.e., lift the dog into the back seat — but two weeks later your back is still complaining. You thought that your mind was thrilling to others, but it turns out that not everyone noticed, and now they’re just worried because your shoes don’t match.
Anyway, as my dermatologist hinted, the tock did tick, and one day he was gone. He retired. Then last year, I heard he died.
Which brings us to death, deathly old death. At a few months shy of 70, with eyeballs squinting through the folds, I now face the possibility that I might die someday. My dad said after his cancer diagnosis that we are all on borrowed time, and it is good to be reminded of this now and again. It’s a great line, and the third-most-popular conversation we oldies have with each other, after the decline of our bodies and the latest senior moments: how many memorial services we go to these days.
Some weeks, it feels as though there is a sniper in the trees, picking off people we have loved for years. It breaks your heart, but as Carly Simon sang, there is more room in a broken heart. My heart is the roomiest it has ever been.
I do live in my heart more, which is hard in its own ways, but the blessing is that the yammer in my head is quieter, the endless questioning: What am I supposed to be doing? Is this the right thing? What do you think of that? What does he think of that?
My parents and the culture told me that I would be happier if I did a certain thing, or stopped doing that, or tried harder and did better. But as my great friend Father Terry Richey said, it’s not about trying harder; it’s about resisting less. This is right up aging’s alley. Some days are sweet, some are just too long.
A lot of us thought when we were younger that we might want to stretch ourselves into other areas, master new realms. Now, I know better. I’m happy with the little nesty areas that are mine. For some reason, I love my softer, welcoming tummy. I laugh gently more often at darling confused me’s spaced-outed ness, although I’m often glad no one was around to witness my lapses.
Especially my son, who frequently and jovially brings up APlaceForMom.com. He’ll say, “I found you a really nice place nearby, where they’ll let you have a little dog!” Recently, I was graciously driving him and his teenage son somewhere and made a tiny driving mistake hardly worth mentioning — I did not hit anyone, nor did I leave the filling station with the nozzle still in the gas tank — and he said to his boy just loud enough so that I could hear, “I’m glad we live so close to town, so it won’t be as hard for her when we have to take away her keys.”
I roared with laughter, and with love, and with an ache in my heart for something I can’t name.
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Meet Terri Kraemer: WLLO Membership Coordinator
 Meet native Oregonian and WLLO membership coordinator, Terri Kraemer.
Terri was born and raised in our very own Portland. She graduated from high school after only 3 years, and pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She became the youngest person to graduate from Portland Community College's School of Nursing.
After getting her degree, Terri worked as a nurse in Portland. But the constant rain made her long for warmer weather, so she found a job working as a full-time nurse in Phoenix, Arizona. However, after 5 years she decided the heat had become too much, and the cooler, rainy weather called her back to Portland.
Even though Terri had a great job as director of nurses at a skilled nursing home, it wasn't enough. She decided she would pursue a degree in law. Her brother was in law school at the time and suggested that she apply to Lewis and Clark College's School of Law. She got in, of course.
After 4 years of working full time during the day and studying nights and weekends, Terri had her law degree. At one point in her career, she worked at Deloitte, where she was able to use her nursing background to consult with clients on healthcare regulatory compliance.
Having been a student at Lewis and Clark and loving the area, Terri ended up moving to Lake Oswego. After living in several different places here, she found the perfect site in First Addition, where she designed and built her very own dream home.
Terri works hard as a volunteer for WLLO, and is involved with many other organizations. However, she says she will always find time to travel, which means that she is off to faraway places several times a year. If you are lucky, you might even see a slideshow of one of her many adventures during one of WLLO's Zoom events!
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Welcome New Members and Volunteers
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We welcome our new members and volunteers!
Welcome to new new member and former volunteer extraordinaire Suanne Jackson and new volunteers Linda Altemus, Elizabeth Hendricks and Julia Williams!
Return to Table of Contents
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WLLO VILLAGE ANNUAL MEETING AND SPRING PARTY
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WLLO VILLAGE ANNUAL MEETING AND SPRING PARTY
Wednesday APRIL 30
All WLLO Village members and volunteers are invited to our annual meeting and party on April 30! Please join us to meet newly-elected and returning officers and village council members, as well as a host of new members and volunteers. Refreshments and nibbles will be provided. Come enjoy visiting with old and new friends! Stay tuned for details in Week at a Glance or by contacting the WLLO Village office.
Return to Table of Contents
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 April is Volunteer Appreciation Month!
We look forward to honoring our volunteers at a Volunteer Appreciation luncheon on April 3. Thank you for everything you do for WLLO Village!
Return to Table of Contents
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NO GUILT BOOK CLUB’S NEXT MEETING IS
TUESDAY, April 8 AT 10:30 AM
Thank you to Cathryn Olson who hosted our March bookclub meeting at her home. We had an interesting discussion about the book 84 Charing Cross by Helen Hanff.
Join us in April! Sue Driggs will be hosting and we’ll be discussing How to Read a Book, the LO Reads selection for 2025.
Our upcoming reading list is:
Apr - How to Read a Book (The LO Reads program selection) by Monica Wood
May – The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
Jun – What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
July – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Remember to call or email the office if you need a ride.
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MEMBER AND VOLUNTEER RECOMMENDATIONS
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CAMASSIA NATURE PRESERVE in WEST LINN
Sculpted by prehistoric floods, this rocky plateau hosts an extraordinary floral diversity. And it is right in the middle of West Linn.
Named for the common camas (Camassia quamash) which profusely blooms here in April and early May, this nature preserve hosts more than 300 plant species.
The preserve's rocky plateau (behind West Linn High School, overlooking the bridge to Oregon City) provides a glimpse into ancient history—when the Bretz Floods poured down the Columbia River Gorge and into the Willamette Valley 12,000 to 19,000 years ago. The floods swept soil and vegetation from parts of the valley and deposited granitic boulders (called "glacial erratics") from as far away as Canada. One of the larger glacial erratics found at the preserve is on display at the main signboard.
Camassia Natural Area is a 22.5 acre natural area owned and maintained by the Nature Conservancy. This nature area offers unique and rare plant species, wildlife viewing, and hiking trails. The trail is about .6 miles and takes an hour. Please be aware that trails are fairly level but narrow and rocky in places, and would not be accessible for someone unsteady or using a walker (sorry). You must stay on marked trails and leave your dog at home.
The main Loop Trail is a one-way trail. Please walk to the right at the main entrance sign accessed via Walnut St. and walk counterclockwise. Parking is limited – only 6 or so cars fit at the main entrance at the end of Walnut St in West Linn.
While the oak trees are magnificent year-round, the preserve bursts with wildflowers in April and is very crowded. Pay attention to when the camas bloom in your neighborhood, and go then. You can probably find reports online when the wildflowers peak at Camassia. The open field packed with purple and pink flowers is unlike anything you’ve seen. Try to go in the morning and avoid weekends.
Put in your GPS:
Camassia Nature Preserve
5000 Walnut Street
West Linn, OR 97068
See map: Google Maps
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Arbor Week
Celebrate Arbor Week, West Linn Oregon
Tree City USA
Native Plant Give Away
City Hall
April 7-9, 8am-5pm
An annual observance highlighted by a native tree give-a-way at City Hall.
There will be native plants available at the Parks and Recreation counter in City Hall, with limited supply please only take one per family.
The activities mark the 31 consecutive years West Linn has been a recipient of the Tree City USA award from the National Arbor Day Foundation. To qualify for the award, West Linn has tree ordinances governing removal and care of trees, a street tree program and observes Arbor Day.
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TRILLIUM FESTIVAL
Saturday, April 5
9:00am - 2:00pm
Friends of Tryon Creek Park
Welcome back Spring! The Annual Trillium Festival at Tryon Creek State Natural Area is an educational event for the whole community that celebrates the season of renewal in the forest and beyond. Starting with a special member appreciation social and plant sale on Friday, April 4th, followed by a public event and plant sale on Saturday. See the Friends of Tryon Creek website if you would like to become a member and get a 2 for 1 camas or trillium deal and support the park (https://www.tryonfriends.org)
For 45 years, Friends of Tryon Creek has celebrated the return of the Trillium, an early-season perennial native to our local forests. This beautiful white flower awakens each year in late February and early March, and slowly turns to a reddish-purple by the end of April or early May, making it a wonderful beginning to the spring wildflower season.
Note that there are miles of hiking trails in the park including a paved, accessible trail called the Trillium Trail, right off the parking lot, suitable for walkers and wheelchairs.
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Get Your Broken Items Fixed at the Repair Fair on April 5
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When: Saturday April 5, 2025 |10 am to 1 pm
Where: Lake Oswego Adult Community Center, 505 G Avenue, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
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Get your cherished items back in shape and reduce waste. Come with clothes that need mending, small appliances, electronics and toys. Expert volunteers will try to repair them for free!
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Return to Table of Contents
Be sure and click below ("view entire message") to see this months wrap up of our eco-friendly impact and recycling as well as upcoming activities!
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TERRY'S EARTH FRIENDLY TIPS
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Options are the bane of the American consumer. And the options even have local names to make us feel special. Automobile options carry names like Tucson, Sierra, Tahoe, and cookie options do likewise with Sausalito, Maui, Nantucket etc. And in almost all of our consumer experiences we are overwhelmed with options.
Recycling is no different. Many years ago, I took the Master Recycler course. But that only awakened me to the ever-changing recycling options. Not only of the types of materials that can be recycled, but also, where can these materials be taken and by whom?
Now, recycling options abound, and, as in many aspects of life, it becomes important to know where one can find the information. More and expanded services are popping up, and that’s why we put together these articles. To keep reminding ourselves of the current palette of options.
To that end, let’s take a look at some general recycling options, both free and fee.
WLLO RECYCLING TEAM
Many of you are familiar with this motley crew of recycling fanatics. We swoop down every other month to collect those things you can’t put in the curbside bin. You can review those items at the end of this article, so we won’t repeat them here. But it’s worth stating that we would like to work ourselves out of a job. And with the help of a variety of recycling options, we may be getting closer to that point.
So read on to see what some of those other recycling options are.
CURBSIDE PICKUP
This service is provided by your garbage hauling company. West Linn is served by the West Linn Refuse & Recycling Co., and Republic Services scoops up Lake Oswego’s refuse. You’re probably aware of what you pay each month for garbage services, but you may not be aware that you can choose to pay for once-a-month pickup. If you find that after utilizing a combination of recycling options, you have much less garbage, you may want to ask your hauler for once-a-month garbage pickup. West Linn Refuse charges $18.07 for monthly pickup of a 35-gallon container, whereas Republic charges $23.05 for once-a-month pickup.
Please note that if you schedule monthly garbage collection you can still put out the recycling, glass and yard debris bins every week.
Recycle+ is a new service provided by waste haulers in Clackamas County. Keep in mind that not all haulers have adopted this service yet. It is an added service that provides regular pickups of items that cannot be placed in your curbside recycle bin. See the chart below. If you sign up for this service you receive a purple bin and plastic bags for all items. There is a set monthly fee of $2.50, and $9.25 for each every-other-week pickup. So, if you schedule pickups every two weeks, it will cost you $21 per month, in addition to the regular garbage pickup fee you already pay.
RIDWELL
This specialized recyclable collection service is in addition to your regular waste hauler service. The items Ridwell collects are similar to those picked up by Recycle+, but they also collect a variety of items that the waste haulers do not accept. Their most popular plan is called Plastic Plus, and it satisfies the needs of most customers.
This plan costs $18 per month. As part of the plan you’ll get a large orange plastic bag for Styrofoam. Should you choose to use this, it costs $10 per bag. But you may not fill up a bag for months.
 Ridwell also collects flat plastic lids and multi-layer plastic bags as part of the monthly fee. See the images to the right, or take a look at more detailed descriptions on the Ridwell website.
Additionally, a “Featured Category” of the month is included in your plan. If one of the featured items doesn’t work, you can substitute other items such as corks, plastic bread tags, loose plastic bottle caps, etc.
The Ridwell website provides detailed information about all of their services, what items they collect and how the materials they collect are transformed into useable products.
JAMES RECYCLING
James Recycling is deep into plastics, and also committed to “…empowering adults with developmental differences to find independence and purpose through meaningful employment.”
They maintain a recycling depot at 5541 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, Portland, OR 97221, and also conduct regular events and pop-ups around the Portland Metro area. James specializes in finding new homes for a wide variety of plastics, electronics and small appliances. Check out the two images here for a visual list of the plastics they accept, or click here to check out their website.
You pay only $3 per grocery bag of materials. In that bag can be separate bags of any of the plastics they accept. Just be sure that all materials are sorted, clean and dry. A 45-gallon bag of Styrofoam will cost you $10, same as Ridwell. No charge for electronics. The only drawback with James is that you have to take your recyclables to them since they do not have a pickup service. Check out this video to see how to sort items to take to a James collection event.
To their credit, James accepts a wider variety of plastic items than does Ridwell. See images above. Both James and Ridwell work with local companies, which process the materials and sell to other companies for remanufacture.
AND SO…
In review, it looks like using either the Recycle+ program with your current garbage hauler or Ridwell, are going to be the two best bets for disposing of as much stuff as possible, based on cost. Living in West Linn I can pay $18.07 per month for once-a-month garbage pickup, then spend another $11.75 for recycling pickups if I opt for once-a-month Recycle+ pickup. For a total of $29.82. Add another $9.25 for two pickups a month, and you pay $39.07.
For an expanded line of items collected, I can Pay $18.07 a month for garbage and $18.00 a month for Ridwell’s service, and spend $36.07. With Ridwell I also have the benefit of additional items not collected by my garbage hauler. Saves three bucks from my hauler’s rates. Almost enough to purchase a cup of coffee.
Those of you in Lake Oswego are served by Republic Services, but as of now, they are not involved in the Clackamas County Recycle+ program. But they do offer once-a-month garbage pickup, or on-call pickup service. Monthly service costs $23.05, and your garbage is picked up once a month, but recyclables, yard debris and glass are picked up every week. On-call garbage pickup is $14.84 per collection, with a minimum of once very two months. Check out their collection rates here and scroll down to Exhibit A for rates tables.
The table below shows a comparison of the principal recycling options available to you. And if you’re in for a road trip with friends, it might be nice to drop off some stuff at James Recycling on Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. Afterwards you could enjoy a lunch and beverage at McMenamins or Salvador Molly’s in Hillsdale, or McMenamins or the Dublin Pub in Raleigh Hills.
I apologize for all the options. Hope it hasn’t disturbed the refuse pile too much. Thanks again for reading this, and thanks especially to our members who do what they can to take care of our home.
RECYCLING OPTIONS
NOTE
And on a recycling note, please check out the revised pickup schedule below. Our next pickup is May 13, and every other month afterwards.
ITEMS FOR OUR NEXT RECYCLING COLLECTION
May 13 is our next pickup day, and we’ll collect all those things that help make a house a home. See below for details.
WLLO RECYCLING COLLECTION SCHEDULE
Remember, we pick up plastic film, (no crinkly plastic film), and all clean clear #1 PET and PETE plastics. Please, no black or colored #1 plastic. Thanks.
PLEASE REMEMBER: We can no longer accept #6 PS or Styrofoam plastics.
May 13: Furniture, linens, dishes (no chips or cracks or alcohol-themed items), kitchen utensils, mattresses/box springs, small appliances (in working condition), decorative items and artwork, rugs etc. Items are donated to the Community Warehouse. https://www.communitywarehouse.org/give-furniture/
July 8: Building materials, tools, plumbing and lighting fixtures, fasteners etc. The Rebuilding Center breathes new life into these items. https://www.rebuildingcenter.org/donations
September 9: Cleaners, pesticides, chemicals, light bulbs, smoke alarms, paint, batteries and other hazardous materials. Metro South Hazardous Waste site reclaims and recycles.
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/garbage-and-recycling/garbage-recycling-hazardous-waste-disposal-oregon-city
November 11: Electronics and everything with a power cord. PLEASE: NO LIGHT BULBS OR SMOKE DETECTORS! But LED light bulbs are ok! Free Geek rehabilitates and recycles this stuff. Please wrap up cords and cables and secure with a twist tie or rubber band.
https://www.freegeek.org/take-action/donate-technology
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WLLO & Villages Events
Check out our calendar on our website homepage. It's easier to read, you can change how information is displayed and the calendar is also printable.
- Also be sure to check your Week-At-A-Glance email. Members and Volunteers receive Week-At-A-Glance emails every Sunday with detailed information for the upcoming week.
- Summary of Regularly Scheduled Events:
- Ted Talk Discussion Group - Monday 11:00 AM
- Book Club 2nd Tuesday at 10:30
- Brisk Walk Wednesdays at 9:00 AM
- Chat and Stroll Wednesdays at 10:00 AM
- Chat and Craft 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 10:30
- 2nd Thursday of the month - Happy Hour in person at 4 PM
- 1st Thursday of the month - Happy Hour on Zoom at 5 PM
- The 3rd and Last Friday - Coffee in person at 10:00 AM or 2:00 PM
- All Fridays except the 3rd and last Friday of each month Coffee Hour on Zoom at 9:00 AM.
- For registration, calendar questions, or log-in help, contact the WLLO office (503-308-8223). To get log in details to specific events, email info@WLLOvillage.org. (Many events are for members and volunteers only.)
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