Desert Messenger

26 www.DesertMessenger.com March 4, 2015 QUARTZSITE COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE 177 W. Main St. (end of Showplace Lane) Behind Silly Al's Pizza SUMMER HOURS April thru October Thurs. Fri. Sat. 9am-1pm Call us and schedule a donation pickup 928-927-6039 or 928-916-7338. 100% of our proceeds remain here in Quartzsite! WINTER HOURS November thru March Mon- Sat 9am-1pm QUARTZSITE COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE I was sitting at the bar in the Quartzsite Yacht Club a few years back, your typi- cal, small-town, smoky tavern (at that time when smoking was still allowed.) I don't smoke or drink, but Donnie, Joe, and Leon play great, danceable music every Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. So I got plenty of exercise while at the same time dying of lung cancer from the second-hand smoke. But, I gotta dance at least once a week or see a psy- chiatrist, and dancing is much cheaper. AND, if I dance, I can skip my daily workout. As I looked around the bar, every guy there was either smoking or drinking or both. I said to Brett (an unlikely name for a bartender), "If you ever see a guy who loves to dance and doesn't smoke, let me know." He glanced up and down the bar and shook his head. Then he asked, "What about teeth?" I must have looked puzzled because he said, "You know, teeth or no teeth?" I doubled over with laughter but managed to stay on the bar stool. A couple of days later, my good friends Sue and Joe and I stopped by to see our mutual friends Sherry and Marshall. I told the "teeth or no teeth" story, and I thought they would fall out of their chairs laughing. But the story doesn't end here. Sue stopped by my home a couple of days later and said Traveling with Gypsy Jane Sherry wanted to know if I was busy on Thursday. She said Sherry invited me to come to dinner and meet her boss who "didn't smoke and loved to dance." I was tickled. It's been a few years since I'd had a blind date, and I wondered if it was even legal at my age. Never one to pass up an opportunity, I went over to Sherry's to accept. When she came to the gate, I said, "Is this the Sherry Dating Service?" We had a good laugh. Later when a woman walked up and asked if Sherry could cut her hair, Sherry said, "Well, I'm running a dat- ing service right now." More laughter all around... The day of the dinner, I ran into Marshall who told me that their min- ister would be coming to dinner too. I thought he was serious and felt relieved that there would be another person there. He said, "Yes, if necessary, Sher- ry and I will stand up for you." I got that part of the joke, but I still thought the minister would be there -- until the minister didn't show up. My "blind date" was nice enough, and I was impressed by his environmen- tal T-shirt, but it turned out he hadn't danced in years. It brought to mind the saying: It's not years that makes us old; it's giving up the things we love to do. I used to play cards with two women in their 90s who radiated great energy. They were active, interesting, and fun to be around. And though some peo- ple might consider me old in years, I DON'T FEEL OLD! I am determined to live LIFE fully right up until the day I die -- which will more than likely be on the dance fl oor! ~*~*~*~*~*~ When you think you're too old to do something, DO IT!...unknown ~*~*~*~*~*~ Jane's book is WANDERINGS: Living the Ordinary Extraordinarily (Stories from the Road). This column con- sists of stories from her book (email: janefi nley@yahoo.com, website: jane- fi nley.com). by Jane Finley writer * artist * teacher (stretching, exercise, relaxation, meditation) TEETH OR NO TEETH Quartzsite, AZ Across from McDonald's • Quartzsite NEED CASH? Jim Buys GOLD! Broken Jewelry, Old Teeth, Coins, Nuggets, etc. 1240 W. Main Street bees would be ready for the spring har- vest of the mild and delicious nectar that comes from the tiny delicate fl owers that carpet the desert fl oor in the spring. Then once again, come summer when the Palo Verde, mesquite, catsclaw aca- cia, and ironwood trees fi nish blooming along the Tyson Wash, George Hut- son, his burros, and bees would make the trek back up to the coolness of the New Waters for a second crop of honey and more photographs of his animals friends. George S. Hutson, private and veteran of the Spanish American War of 1898, we salute you and the wonderful, productive life you led. GEORGE FROM PAGE 16 RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER thank you! 585 N. Central Quartzsite Open Mon-Fri 8-5 928-927-8787 Johnny DelPino, Owner BEST AUTO RV & TRUCK REPAIR SERVICE YOU CAN DEPEND ON! We sell U-HAUL BOXES READER'S OASIS BOOKS 690 E. Main - Quartzsite (one block east of Family Dollar) 928-927-6551

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