Desert Messenger

September 21, 2016 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 T��� ����� ������� �� D����� M�������� We have great lunch menus, serving at 12 noon sharp! Suggested donation is only $3.50. There's cards, books, games, puzzles, pool table, Wi-Fi available. Community Services, Volunteers Needed! Come join the fun at Quartzsite SENIOR Center 40 Moon Mountain Ave. For more information call 928-927-6496 Senior Center open all year! Monday - Friday, 9am – 3pm Traveling with Gypsy Jane I'm as guilty as the next person: deciding too quickly, thinking there's nothing for me here and moving on. I'm talking about cities now, but as I write this, it occurs to me that I'm often the same way with people, although I hate to admit it. I'm single, and I'm not proud to tell you the times I've walked into a room and thought the same thing about the men there. Hopefully, I've improved with age. It's the "do unto oth- ers" thing; if I'm doing it to them; they're doing it to me. But this story is about cities. Take Yuma (where I am now) for example. One of the first bill- boards I saw coming into town was "McDonald's: three locations in Yuma," not a good sign (excuse the pun). That meant that Yuma was a pretty big city, and I'd just come off a month in the quiet desert. As I approached Yuma, it seemed to me to be just a big, sprawling city. But like most of my experience with cities, the longer I stay, the longer I like it. Yuma is growing on me, and what was first a dental stop has turned into a visit of four Sundays. Is that possible? Have I been here for a month already? So what has kept me in Yuma this long? I arrived on a Saturday and looked forward to attending the Unitarian Fellowship here. Almost as important is the YMCA here with classes and workout equipment and showers where, as a member, I can go every day. The weather is in the 70s but much cooler at night for sleeping. The biking/walking trails are fantastic; the bike trail along the canal is the best I've ever seen (although Seattle has a pretty great one, too). I get a real feeling of open space here -- what I call breathing room -- and the air is clean and fresh. I've discovered several excellent restaurants, not to mention three movie theaters. The town plaza often has celebrations, and there's a wonderful farmers' market there on Tuesdays with live music, food, and inexpensive produce. There's a library here where I can write as long as I want on the computer if no one is waiting. The surround- ing area is not as beautiful as Quartzsite, but it has the same spectacular sunsets that only open spaces can provide. So, Yuma has changed for me. It's still a big, spread out, sprawling city, but I really like it here -- for all the above reasons. PLUS, I've been out to eat, bike riding, and to the movies with fellows I've met here. I mentioned to someone that I had just spent a month in Quartzsite and how much I loved it there. She looked shocked and said something like, "You LOVED Quartzsite?" "It's one of the most beautiful places in the world," I replied and asked her, "How long were you there?" She said she had just driven through; it was obvi- ous she couldn't wait to get out of town. She drove the main route, full of traffic and lined with swap- meet-type stores. She didn't take the time to visit the open desert or by Jane Finley writer * artist * teacher (stretching, exercise, relaxation, meditation) Giving cities a chance! Yuma, AZ VOTE for your favorite volunteer The nominations are in! The Quartzsite Health & Develop- ment Board wants to honor our local residents who work endless hours to make our town a great community. Outstanding Volun- teer Awards honor individuals for their commitment to outstanding volunteerism and making a dif- ference in the lives of residents in Quartzsite. There are two age groups- 18 or younger and 19 or older. You can vote for up to 3 in the adult category and 1 in the youth cat- egory. To Vote, fill out the Nomination Form on PAGE 14 of this edition and return it to Town Hall, the Senior Center, or give to Transit Drivers. by Oct. 14th. OR... You can also vote online at www.QuartzsiteSurvey.com. The winners will be honored at the October 25th Quartzsite Town Council Meeting. Let's have fun honoring our year-round helpers! to view the surrounding mountains at sunrise and sunset, to breathe the fresh air, to enjoy the quiet, to appreciate the open space, to celebrate the abundant white-tailed bunnies and quail, to visit Celia's Garden, and to cherish the coo of the doves and the howl of the coyote. Quartzsite is truly one of my favorite places on this earth. A month there is hardly enough! So one of the things I've learned from my travels is to reserve judg- ment about cities -- to give cities a chance, which is the title of this story. ~*~*~*~*~*~ "Although there may be nothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us and so rich and astonish- ing that we never tire of it. If we do tire of it, if we lose our curiosity, we have lost something of infinite value, because to a high degree it is curiosity that gives meaning and savor to life." ~Robertson Davies ~*~*~*~*~*~ Jane's book is WANDERINGS: Liv- ing the Ordinary Extraordinarily (Stories from the Road). For an update on Jane's travels and writ- ing, visit her website (janefinley. com) and/or read "Traveling with Gypsy Jane" and "Poems from the Road" in The Desert Mes- senger (desertmessenger.com) beginning March 5, 2014 (contact: janefinley@yahoo.com).

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