With fall definitely upon us things here have definitely slowed down. Meota has returned to its off-season mode and thus things are quieter with less traffic than usual - just a lazier pace.
Even so the crews working on the Do Drop In have continued to renovate the inside of the building. The need for this was brought on during the construction of the addition this summer when a downpour of rain at the most inopportune time caused ceiling insulation to get saturated and thus require replacement. While this is taking place they are taking the time to bring a few things up to today's standards. These renos are going to also give the place a little bit of a facelift that will match the updated outside look.
The addition is primarily for storage of items that, in the past, were stowed here and there around the perimeter of the building and were often in the way of proper use of the space.
This improved storage is a great boon to the Meota Hobby Band. We had to stow our growing mass of sound equipment in nooks and crannies where we could find space, including the space under the pool table. This meant someone had to spend time on their knees before and after our practices, carefully organizing things so everything would fit. What a great relief to have well-placed shelves that are easy to access. In this I speak from my own experience and thus can imagine that others will have the same feeling.
For the last two weeks the community center has been in good use Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings for any who wished to take part in a health improvement program. It is, at the moment, an extension of the Strides program run in many larger centres.
The hall is opened each day at 9 a.m. for participants to spend some time walking. After the first day the participants decided 10 a.m. be the best time for the stretch and tone exercise segment of the program. This is a time when a sequence of strengthening exercises are led, as a group, along with a group of exercises geared to help us stretch out to keep our muscles in good tone. These exercises are designed for those of us who are aging and are not high impact, so they fit well with those of us who have some health issues as well as those who do not. Afterwards, the hall is left available for anyone who wants to spend more time walking.
Attendance has varied but we are happy with the numbers.
As mentioned before, the first health education program will be taking place Oct. 29. This session will be titled Living with Arthritis.
This program is open to anyone around the lake area who wishes to get involved in working towards a better lifestyle and learning more about how health matters. As time goes on there will be more educational sessions as they are able to be co-ordinated with the necessary health professionals. There is no attendance taken and everyone is free to come when they are available, so remember the time and come out to the Meota Community Complex and take a stab at getting in better shape.
