The thought of having a seniors dance every Monday afternoon made me wonder how it was going to go over, but when I covered the first one, I found out.

I was a little skeptical about covering it for the newspaper, but knew it was a story that some people would like to read. So I went and truly glad I did.

I love to dance, especially slow, but have danced a lot of fast ones in my younger days as well. I probably would still do it today if I knew I wouldn’t damage my knee any more than it is. And, it makes me a little leery going out on the dance floor at my age. I’m afraid of being laughed at, I guess.

But now I think I could do this a lot more after witnessing all the fun these people were having. It was fun at the dance, although I didn’t take part, and that was only because I was on assignment and didn’t think it would look right if I danced the afternoon away.

Lynn Newbauer and Tina McClanahan had a great idea to start this type of activity in Greenville.

The hours of the dance, 1 to 4 p.m., means it’s still daylight, so seniors don’t have to travel at night. And, it’s affordable.

And, Tom Everhart knows just what kind of music to play to get the crowd moving. I don’t remember seeing the dance floor without anybody on it at that first dance.

People came from all around. A lot were better dancers than I ever will be, but that’s the fun part of it. You can bet I’ll be going to more of these dances as times goes on, maybe during vacation week or during a lunch hour when I’m off the clock.

I saw quite a few people there that I know and some I didn’t, but they came up and introduced themselves. And, I had a ball hanging out with three sisters, including Kay Jones, who lives in Ansonia where I do, and her siblings, Sue Mills and Janet Clemens. They made me laugh and want to have fun again, even though I was still under the weather with bronchial problems.

I advise anyone who likes music and dancing to visit just once this dance held at the Eagles Lodge on East Third Street in Greenville. Not only do you get to mingle and meet new people and old friends, but you also get the exercise (now I know I’d better start going).

Just to let you know, those who attend don’t always have to be seniors, but they have to be responsible adults.

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Don’t forget:

• The next fish fry at the Ansonia American Legion will be Friday from 4-6:30 p.m. Cost is $7. There will be a Super Bowl Party there on Feb. 7 complete with a chili cook-off, and the steak fries continue Feb. 13, March 12 and April 16 from 5 to 8 p.m.

• The Treaty City Seniors Dances will continue every Monday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Eagles Lodge on East Third Street in Greenville. Tom Everhart will entertain with his rock and roll music of the past. There will be food to purchase, soft drinks only, door prizes and a 50/50 drawing. This just isn’t for seniors, but for adults of any age.

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Happy birthday:

• Feb. 2 to Cheryl (Sleppy) Jennings.

• Feb. 4 to Grace Mae Boyd, Betty Poeppelman, Bill Martin, Kara Kammer, Lowell Elsass, Brenda Hole, Karen Delk, DeAnna Hill and Jeri Widener.

• Feb. 5 to Saundra McEowen Wright, Pat Macias, Susie George, Sue Minnich, Ken Preston Jr., Kori Kramer Weiss.

• Feb. 6 to Irene Stone, Vicki Gebhart, Steve Leis, Fred Goewert, Bob Turner, Ed Whittaker and Robert Duncan.

• Feb. 7 to Jessica Garber Best (35), Brianna Lore, Ken Alexander, Sharon Yohey Siders, Rob Chalmers, Christian Chalmers, Martha Crawford, Larry Bemis, Steve Holden,

• Feb. 8 to Ray Prasuhn, Kensley Brown (5), Shad Sebring, Chad Easterling, Marilyn Erwin, Greg Kimmel, Norma Gard, Shawna Kammer Stachler, Teri Small, Reece Everman, Chuck Gasper, Chuck Langenkamp (65), Charles Stump, Tom Hathaway and Deana Bowers.

• Feb. 9 to Randy Byrd, Rndy Swisher, Sidney Staver, Bill Brown, John Tabler (50), Kylie Hathaway, Shelly Soward, Tim Summers, Mick Boltin, Richard Grow and Laura Armstrong.

• Feb. 10 to Shawn Hall, Gary Scanlon, Elvin Fourman (60), Pauline Cox, Butch Widener, Tom Hans, Pat Younce, Jane Billenstein, Becky Garrett-Ross and Holly McGhee.

Happy belated birthday to Tammy Kaffenberger on Jan. 25; Rachel Francis (21) on Jan. 30;

Happy anniversary to: Mike and Cindy Mescher on Feb. 4; Josh and Onneke (Kelly) Edwards on Feb. 5; Steve and Kathy Waymire on Feb. 7; Roger and Marlene (Kiser) Riffell (35), Charlene and Donn Thornhill and Dave and Sammy sloan, all on Feb. 8; Ed and Shelba Kelly on Feb. 9; and Steve and Larissa Cunningham on Feb. 10.

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Don’t forget to pray for: Stacy Dorko, Jenson Fullerton, Teresa Ketring, Dave Sloan, Harry Moody, Jim Moody, Maxine Weimer, Linda Subler, Jerrod Pratt, Tim Ridenour, Dan Norton, Shelly Hoffman, Kathy Hiestand, Keith Howard, Betty Grimes, Kathy Magoto, Dean Brewer, Lisa Hall, Dick Neff, Tammy Shapiro, Ken Martin, David Magoto, Darrell Theurer, Charles LaFuze, Phil Clark, Sonny Hunt, Kenny Chancy, Jim Marker, Roger McEowen, Terry Longfellow, Bill Drew, Don and Linda Myers, Nina McDaniel, Rusty Wilson, D’Arleen Waymire, Lee Moody (our father), Linda Johnston, Ron Kreitzer, Pappy Harshman, Gerald Rhoades, Harold Rismiller, Rick Jones, Delores Duncan, Ansonia Police Chief Frank Shapiro, Randy Heck, John Klipstine, Elsie Svajda, Dave Sherman, Sue Chitty, Phil Chilcoat, Christine Pipenger, Paul Barton, Terry Ungericht, Gracyn Blackburn, Lowell Arnold, Robert Codling, Kohen Thwaits, Deanna Jones, William DeBord, Dave Starline, Bob Hiestand Jr., Kathy and Tom Hamilton, Joanne Sharp, Larry Bemis, Ivan Miller, Cindy Elson, Cary Van De Grift, Dina Dancer Morris, Teresa Mayo Amspaugh, Jim Crotcher, Tina Kiser Deaton, Alvera Schmitz, Vicky Henderson, Julia Frey, Tonia Thompson, Fred Monnin, Bob Coppock, Stephen “Brownie” Brown.

Also, Nate Epperson, Brad Pipenger, Faye Schlecty, Michelle Sparks Reed, Sheila Reed, Bill Beasley, Steve Cunningham, Kody Ketring, Bob and Sandy Finkbine, Kevin Dickey, Joe Martin, Tracy Bailey, Brenda Grimes, Margaret “Peg” Bundy, Kevin Hemmerich, Ray Dickey Jr., Penny Starns, Tim Heck, Vanna (Hannam) Abbott, Suzy Heck Schilling, Addie Henderson, Barb Morrow Zimmerman, Samantha Smith, Shannon Peters Hall, Todd Walls, Ron Kramer, Melissa “Missy” Helmer, Susie Gress of Nebraska, Dana Holzapfel, Kara Didier, Carla Welch, Bill Schuette and to all those others who suffer from the many debilitating diseases. And, God bless all of our military people serving and protecting this nation.

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Jamie and I send our condolences to the families of Jennifer Platfoot, Earl Mumaw, Ross Nixon, Dolores Brown, Charles Geis, Jim Baird, Fluke Campbell and Ruth Tobe.

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Think about it: “You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” — Josh Shipp