Come Dance With Us! Thrill The World Portland – Saturday October 27th

 

Do you love Michael Jackson? What about Zombies? Is dressing up and being silly as fun for you as it is for me? You gotta join us dancing to Thriller!

Thrill The World is an annual worldwide attempt to break the Largest Simultaneous Dance with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Thousands of people in cities around the world learn a version of MJ’s “Thriller” dance, and perform it together.

This year it happens on Saturday October 27th.

 

This is a day time, kid friendly (as long as your kid isn’t afraid of scary costumes and zombie makeup) community event, that raises money for local charities.

I plan on attending the first rehearsal on Friday September 28th. One of my ladies has suggested a zombie bridesmaid theme this year, so head to the Red Light, or raid your costume closet (I’m not the only one who has one of these, right), get your Zombie game face on, and join us!

Here are some photos of us at the 2017 event. For more of these (Zombie Lucy was my favorite) of these head to the THWP facebook page.

A note from Alan, the local organizer:

It’s time to launch Thriller season – our twelfth!

We will begin holding dance practices next week.

Here are the first few practices we’re holding:
Friday, September 28, from 6-8 pm, at 2620 NE Fremont (east side of the building
Sunday, September 30, from 1-3 pm, at 2620 NE Fremont (east side of the building)
Sunday, October 7, from 1-3 pm, at 2620 NE Fremont (east side of the building)

All ages, all abilities are welcome to join. You can attend as many or as few practices as you like; or even none at all, if you’re learning the dance another way. We teach the dance in full at every practice; our instructors each bring different styles to teaching.

You can also practice at home. Instructional videos are on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/INESSENS

Event details to come later. If you want to be our Thriller-info-only email list, send us a line at ttwpdx@gmail.com.

We will see you soon, Thrillers!
–Alan & the Thriller team

Healthy Aging Book Club

Last month I had a lovely visit with a group of 60 and 70 somethings to discuss the book A Long Bright Future by Laura Carstensen. The book club was hosted by Meghan Marty, a local Geropsychologist.

In her book, the author suggests cultural shifts that would better allow us to live long prosperous lives. She claims our current model of aging is built for short lives, not long ones. We cram the majority of our work in the beginning of our lives, and most of our relaxation at the end. One idea she suggests is that we redesign our work lives to have a more relaxed mid-life (for example, taking more time off when you have small kids at home). Then instead of “retiring” at 65, we could work differently, say mentoring younger people in our industry, or working part-time or at a more limited capacity into our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s…

One of the highlights for me was her 5 myths of aging (spoiler alert – elderly people tend to report greater happiness than those in their 20’s). Stress, worry and anger all decrease as we age. The author says it’s never too late to change, and regardless of genetics, our individual choices matter as far our long-term mental and physical health.

The author also stresses the importance of community as we age.

Having fewer than three people in your social circle with whom you feel emotionally close is a risk factor for all sorts of physical and psychological problems.

Our group discussed how this book could benefit not only those over 65, but people my age (40’s) as we think about successful ageing. Some ideas include keeping our minds sharp, our relationships strong, and setting realistic financial goals so that we feel safe and secure going into retirement. I liked the positive spin on this (not to worry, aging is not all doom and gloom) and how the author not only suggests cultural shifts, like major changes to social security, but also action steps we can take personally to improve our golden years.

Meghan is hosting her next book club Friday July 27th. We will read Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons Learned From a Year Among the Oldest Old by John Leland (2018).

Want to join this lovely group? Message Meghan directly to reserve your spot.

More about Meghan:

Your host Meghan earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2012. She completed a geropsychology-focused pre-doctoral internship (2011-2012) and a palliative care-focused post-doctoral fellowship (2012-2013), both at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System in Palo Alto, CA. Since 2013, she has been licensed to practice psychology in the state of Oregon.

She has spent years providing services to older adults and their families, in a variety of settings, dealing with anxiety, bereavement; end-of-life issues; chronic illness/injury; family caregiver stress; and varying degrees of cognitive impairment. She takes a strengths-based approach to her work, using interventions based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), person-centered/Humanistic therapy, and multicultural counseling to facilitate the mental health and well-being of her clients. Her clinical research has explored coping and adjustment in older adults, as well as protective factors against late-life suicide.

Want to join this lovely group? Message Meghan directly to reserve your spot.

Sign Up Today For The Sellwood 5K!

Join me Sunday April 22nd for a fun run through Sellwood and along the Springwater Corridor. Run starts and finishes at Sellwood Middle School. For more details, and to sign up click here.

All proceeds benefit the Sellwood Middle School Foundation which raises funds to support the amazing Elective Programs at Sellwood Middle School!

Run (or walk) with me, or come out to hear the bands, visit with your neighbors, and purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win goodies from local businesses (including yours truly). Raffle Tickets are $5 each or 5/$20.

Hike With Us Saturday July 25th, 2015

Check out this recent New York Times article about how walking in nature positively affects your brain. Want to reduce anxiety, sleep better, and improve your mood? Join us for our next hike is this Saturday July 25th. Location to be determined. We will head out around 1:30 or 2 to a location close to Portland for a few hours. Expect to be back to town around 6 pm.

 

forest park fuzzies 2015

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She loves sharing her favorite Portland area hikes with you. No experience necessary. Please take full responsibility for yourself and your fitness level/ hiking abilities. You are encouraged to bring your own water, snacks and the “hikers ten“. Call Anne for details. (503) 705-4762.