At Stitchin’ in the Kitchen on Friday, Bernie Sautel leaned over her cross stitch project and quietly informed me that she was at Edelweiss (a wonderful local yarn and quilt store) and overheard someone saying that she didn’t know where the Silver Foxes Den was so she could come to Stitchin’ in the Kitchen. I set my knitting down in disbelief and shame. Why didn’t I ever, ever think of letting people know where we are physically located? I hung my head and promised Bernie that I would do better.
The Senior Center and the Silver Foxes Den are one and the same place. I like the name “Silver Foxes Den” because this title is more literary, romantic, elegant and lends itself to metaphors. The “Senior Center” is a name that is more antiseptic, sounding like a place that government reports are completed, shots are given, Medicare discussed, and health warnings dispensed.
All necessary activities to be sure, but not fun or whimsical or descriptive of the larger reality that is the “Silver Foxes Den.”
 We are located geographically at 451 Hot Springs Boulevard. If you are traveling East (toward Wolf Creek) on highway 160, turn right at the last stop light in town. This is Hot Springs Boulevard, the road off of which the Post Office is located. At the end of 4 tenths of a mile there is a drive to the right that leads you to the Community Center. This is the same Community Center where most of everything social in Pagosa Springs happens. Like the Halloween Party, several Churches, Festival of Trees, meetings, Yoga, Chimney Rock Meetings, charity events, etc. The Silver Foxes Den is located within the Community Center on the opposite end of the Community Center office.
Ultimately, we live in our hearts and in our minds. However, when we party on a daily basis, we live here at the Silver Foxes Den.
The Geezers
I dressed in all black on this particular Friday because I wanted to be extra stealthy. I have been spying on the gentlemen who come for the weekly Friday 9 a.m. activity named the “Geezers” to discover what it is that they talk about.
The concept of the “Geezers” is that gentlemen gather to discuss gentlemanly issues, like world hunger, politics, local issues, etc. and drink coffee. “Geezers” is not a term I would use to describe these men. They are a charming, distinguished, intelligent bunch who change every week and are definitely welcoming of newcomers. They informed me of that much.
Being excluded due to gender differences, I wisely resorted to utilizing the special operations tactics I have learned from studying many television spy series over the years. This includes wearing black, bait (chocolate chip cookie bars), remote listening devices (my ears) and interrogation. Having tried the first three, I next attempted interrogation.
I entered the lounge quickly without knocking in hopes of catching an edge of a discussion. The gentlemen had already smartly stopped talking the second they saw me and politely waited to see what I wanted. “Would you like a cookie?” I asked nicely. As they were choosing their cookies, I asked, “What are you talking about?” One gentleman replied, “What don’t we talk about?” Then they commended me for my cookies, told me how sweet I was and asked for more cookies, which I gave them. They distracted me with their compliments and the moment passed.
To this day I do not know exactly what the gentlemen discuss, and after this missive, they will surely never tell me. This is what I do know. These gentlemen are laughing, debating, drinking hot beverages and consuming my cookies. And they are gentlemen, not Geezers.
Come to the Silver Foxes Den, and if you are a gentleman, you can join the “Geezers” at 9ish a.m. every Friday morning.
Thanks
Thank you, Lynnzie Sutton, for the donation of the striking black minimalist clocks that can be seen with my naked, usually trifocaled, eyes. You have made a little difficult thing easier for all of us. |