From The Editor
Fall is in the Air...
...at least it should be by the time you are reading this edition of Senior Times Magazine. Right now, I could sure use a cool breeze and a welcome reprieve from the myriad yard chores that consume my weekends. But don't get me wrong -- I'm grateful to have a yard in which to work, and to be healthy enough to get out there and sweat.
As a homeowner, I've had to learn to be many things: a plumber, mechanic, ditch digger, roofer, electrician, carpenter, painter, landscaper and lawn mower. (When I was a child, I told my folks I wanted to be a lawn mower when I grow up. My younger brother quipped, "Oh yeah? Who's gonna push you?")
As I toil away at my various tasks, I mentally pay myself, and think of all the money I'm saving. It helps.Summer's gone, and our wonderful vegetable garden has fallen to ruin. I'm amazed at how quickly the weeds invade the carefully cultivated patch of soil in our front yard.
To everything there is a season, a time of birth, death and renewal. And so it goes that the time has come to say goodbye to a long-time Gainesville institution: Alachua General Hospital.
AGH has provided medical care to the citizens of the Gainesville community since 1928, and employment opportunities to generations of doctors, nurses and support staff, including yours truly. I worked in the emergency room while studying English at the University of Florida. I made a lot of friends and was always impressed by the smiling faces of the hospital staff. It was like a large family.
Recently, I had a chance to talk with some long-time employees and volunteers of AGH in order to get a small glimpse into what times were like in the early years of the hospital's history. The Matheson Museum also provided me with old photographs and other helpful historical information for the story. It is safe to say that many people are sad to see it go.
Speaking of the Matheson Museum, this month the museum, along with Gainesville's Visitor and Convention Bureau, will host their second annual Halloween event, "Histories and Mysteries," providing entertainment for both young and old alike. Additionally, aspiring writers will have the opportunity to attend writing workshops offered by the Anhinga Writing Studio faculty.
And speaking of writing, there is a (relatively) new writing group in town known as WAG -- the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. This group offers monthly meetings and writing contests for the general public, and writing pods for members. WAG invites people from Alachua and Marion Counties to join the group to hone their writing skills and have a chance to win some writing contests. Read all about it.
Also in October, the Florida Museum of Natural History hosts its annual ButterflyFest. Senior Times writer Sarah Henderson shares with us what she has learned about this colorful event.
As always, thanks again for reading. §
