Ever since I can remember, my aunt has had food allergies that have limited what she can and cannot eat. My mother and grandmother can remember when she didn’t, but I can’t. They say that when she was in high school, and she would come home from the academy, she could eat some of them under the table, and that she loved all the foods that today she cannot have.

At first, she was mainly allergic to gluten, and then dairy started to make her feel sick, too, and she doesn’t eat meat other than chicken. When she comes to town, we know where we can eat that will have the most options for her, but no matter where we are or what we’re doing, she never complains, and she never has. People probably wouldn’t even know she has allergies just looking at her or listening in on a conversation, because it’s not something that she laments on but nevertheless, it’s something that is and has been hard on her.

The reason we as a family unit have all been so baffled by her food perils for so long is because no one else has ever had any, other than me. I’ve always been allergic to most fruits, vegetables, nuts and soy, but other than the two of us, no one in our family really suffers from food sensitivities.

Over the course of the past year, and my discovery of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease, I’ve fallen into the crevice of food struggles more than I had in the past. Recently, I discovered that not only am I allergic to soy, nuts, fruits and vegetables, but also wheat, milk, beef, rice and corn. When I was told of these allergies, I thought to myself, “OK, this won’t be that bad. My aunt can do it. So can I.” But then I thought about how my aunt orders at restaurants. When we go for Mexican, she usually gets some kind of chicken dish, and asks for corn tortillas instead of flour. I could have the chicken but not the corn. She can’t have dairy or milk, and so at her house in her fridge are milk alternatives such as rice milk, almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk — but I’m allergic to rice, soy, coconut, and almonds. Water it is.

My aunt often subs rice instead of pasta, but I can’t do that, either, and many gluten-free options contain soy or soy lecithin, so that limits even the gluten-free foods that I can consume.

In my moment of optimism, I was suddenly struck by extreme grief. I’ve never been a big eater, but I do love food. I love trying new things when I travel, and experimenting with new recipes or completely generating ones from my own head. I love how on Sundays our family has a football spread and that our Christmas Eve tradition is making waffles with all the fixings. I’ve always been a fan of eating out at a new restaurant or going to dinner or brunch for a special occasion, and Friday Pizza Pete’s nights are a favorite tradition between me and my husband. Food is not everything, but when I was told what I couldn’t eat and realized I basically was left with chicken, eggs and cheese, I felt such a sense of powerlessness that I found it hard to be at all optimistic.

What do we do, when our bodies fail us? I didn’t do anything to cause Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism. Nothing brought on my food allergies other than dumb luck. My aunt had no choice in her body suddenly, after years of being fine, deciding to shut down on itself. These issues that somehow forced themselves upon us were nothing of our own making, and yet we were faced with a future that needed to cater to them.

No matter what stage of life we’re in, there will always be times of physical failure, whether its knees going out, arthritis, sports injuries, diabetes, cancer, broken bones, or mental disorders, and while some are caused, and others aren’t, our bodies are all faced with the same response: fight or flight.

When my dad had to have double knee surgery, he told his doctors he was going to be on skis before the end of winter, and after a few months of intense physical therapy, he was flying down the hill and riding up the lift like a pro. Fight or flight — his body, chose the first. But it was more than his body; it was also his will. My father is a strong man, and when he wants something, he’s never shy of going after it, but when he had his knees done, and I watched him that first week after surgery during his PT, I had never quite seen my father appear so physically broken, and I had my doubts his dreams of skiing so soon would come true. But his will, and his character, did not.

We can’t always control when or how our bodies fail us, but we can choose how we create our will and character. I cried when I learned of the further food struggles I would be faced with in the future. I wallowed in self-pity for longer than I should’ve, and then I ate a gluten-free pizza with cauliflower crust, and you know what? It tasted just as good as regular pizza. Life, and every failure our bodies face, all have a silver lining; we just have to chose to find it, and once we do find it, we have to own it, because life and physical weakness will try and break us, but fight or flight is up to our character and will, and I for one, am choosing fight.

——

Freeman

Kingsford

Scenes and sounds, 11:45 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

Sunday: Uno, 1 p.m.; dunking donuts, 2 p.m.; church, 2:15 p.m.

Monday: Pretty nails, 10 a.m.; resident council, 11 a.m.; library cart, 1:30 p.m.; birthday party, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Crafts, 10:30 a.m.; reminisce, 1:15 p.m.; Kentucky Derby, 2 p.m.; pj dice, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Room visits, 10 a.m.; rosary, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie and popcorn, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Reading buddy, 11 a.m.; Freeman “Casino Royale,” 2 p.m.; laundry day, 4 p.m.; dinner theatre, 5 p.m.

Friday: Mass, 11 a.m.; bunko, 1:15 p.m.; sing along, 2:30 pm..; happy hour, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Daily News, 11 a.m.; Whack-A-Mole, 1 p.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Iron County Medical Facility

Crystal Falls

*For Friday and Saturday’s activities contact the home.

Room visits, 1 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Exercise, 11 a.m., Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Sunday: One to one church visitor, 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Yahtzee, 10 a.m.; afternoon matinee with popcorn, 1:30 p.m.; Church of Christ, 3 p.m.

Monday: Cooking, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; Sunshine Club, 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Book Club, 10 a.m.; Mass, 10 a.m.; mystery ride, 1 p.m.; wildlife film, 1:30 p.m.; current events, 2 p.m.; comedy movie, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Scavenger hunt, 10 a.m.; monthly birthday party, 2 p.m.; night bingo, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Puzzler, 9:30 a.m.; bowling, 10 a.m.; travel film, 1:30 p.m.; church with Doris, 2 p.m.; happy hour, 2:30 p.m.

ManorCare

Kingsford

Wet your whistle, 9:30 a.m. daily.

Movie, 10:45 a.m. daily, and 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Gathering place, 11:40 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 11:40 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Popcorn Day Fridays.

Protestant Church service, 3 p.m. Sunday.

Exercises, 10 a.m. daily.

Sunday: Just jokes, 10:15 a.m.; morsels and more, 1:30 p.m.; Protestant church, 3 p.m.

Monday: Did you know?, 10:15 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie, 3:15 p.m.; pokeno, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday: Trivia, 10:15 a.m.; “Wheel of Fortune,” 2 p.m.; movie and a manicure, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Remembering when, 10:15 a.m.; Paula D music, 2 p.m.; flip five, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday: Crosswords, 10:15 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; crazy for cards, 5:45 p.m.

Friday: All about February, 10:15 a.m.; Mass, 2 p.m.; chips n’ chatter, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday: Current events, 10:15 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie, 3:15 p.m.

Maryhill Manor

Niagara, Wis.

Rosary, 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Parachute, 1:30 p.m. daily.

Monthly support group for grief and loss, 2 p.m. second Monday of the month.

Weekend pet visits.

Sunday: Rosary, 8:30 a.m.; Mass, 9 a.m.; bingo, 10:15 a.m.; “Deal or No Deal,” 1:30 p.m.; Protestant service, 2:30 p.m.; Christian fellowship, 5:30 p.m.

Monday: Spelling bee, 10:15 a.m.; line dancers, 1 p.m.; nickel jokereno, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Bingo, 10:15 a.m.; current events, 2 p.m.; Yahtzee, 6:15 p.m.

Wednesday: You be the judge, 10:15 a.m.; jokereno, 2 p.m.; Chaplet of Divine Mercy, 3 p.m.; baking, 6:15 p.m.

Thursday: Mass, 9 a.m.; Scattergories, 10:15 a.m.; help your neighbor, 2 p.m.; whammo, 6:15 p.m.

Friday: Mass and adoration, 10 a.m.; trivia, 10:15 a.m.; happy hour, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Ground Hog Day trivia, 10:15 a.m.; pamper and polish, 2 p.m.; bingo, 5:45 p.m.

Victorian Pines

Iron Mountain

Exercise, 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Coffee clutch, 9:30 a.m. daily

Shopping days: 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, must sign up.

Sunday: Bible study, 2:30 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Monday: Bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Craft class, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Left, center, right, 2 p.m.; Rosary, 3 p.m.

Friday: Bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; Movie and popcorn, 2 p.m.

Florence Health Services

Florence, Wis.

Morning news, 6 a.m. daily.

Sunday: Bingo, 10 a.m.; music with Dave and Grace, 2 p.m.; reading, 6 p.m.

Monday: Bingo with Bette, 10 a.m.; bowling, 2 p.m.; room visits, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Craft, 10 a.m.; Black Jack, 2 p.m.; social hour, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Connect Four, 10 a.m.

Thursday: Pastor Jason, 10 a.m.; manicures, 2 p.m.

Friday: Catholic church service, 10 a.m.; craft, 2 p.m.; happy hour, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Bingo, 10 a.m.; board games, 2 p.m.; comedy hour, 6 p.m.

Pinecrest Medical Care Facility

Powers

Life connections, 9:45 a.m. every Monday.

Busy bee, 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rosary 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Sunday: Grace church, 10:15 a.m.; trivia, 10:30 a.m.; Lutheran service, 2 p.m.; reminiscing, 3:30 p.m.

Monday: Sensory, 10 a.m.; rosary, 2:30 p.m.; sensory, 3:30 p.m.; Yahtzee, 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Movie, 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; reminiscing, 3:30 p.m.; room visits, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Casino outing, 10:15 a.m.; cards, 10:30 a.m.; wine and cheese, 2 p.m.; trivia, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday: Exercise, 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; cards, 3:30 p.m.; one on one visits, 6 p.m.

Friday: Mass, 10:30 a.m.; happy hour, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Rummy, 10:15 a.m.; one on one visits, 10:30 a.m.; social circle, 2 p.m.; hangman, 3:30 p.m.

SENIOR CENTERS

Note: All centers ask for 24-hour advanced reservations for lunch. If you have meals delivered and will not be home, notify the center.

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Meal noon every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Lunch at noon.

Bingo on Tuesdays.

Free meal drawing on Thursdays.

Breen Center

906-774-5110

Meals Monday through Friday.

Pasty sale every third Saturday of the month.

Cards and games available 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m.

Hostess on duty Monday through Friday.

Treats and coffee, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Center retail store is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday; volunteers and donations are welcome.

Birthdays acknowledged every day.

Evening meals are on the first and third Thursday of the month. Salad bar opens at 4 p.m., with dinner at 5 p.m. Donations are $4 for those 60 and older and $5 for 60 and younger.

Crystal Falls Center

Head Cook: Lucy Korhonen

906-875-6709

Meals will be served on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5 p.m., with the salad bar opening at 4:30 p.m. The dinner donation is $5 for those age 60 and older and $6 for those younger than 60. There is a $1 charge for take-out containers. All are invited.

Cribbage will be played at 1 p.m. Wednesdays and be concluded in time for dinner.

Monday: Soup, salad, lasagna, garlic bread, vegetables, and homemade dessert.

Tuesday: Soup, salad, chimichanga, Mexican rice, chips, and homemade dessert.

Wednesday: Soup, salad, pulled pork sandwiches, oven fries, and homemade dessert.

The center is closed Thursday through Sunday.

A blood pressure reading can be taken by request at any time while the center is open.

Crystal Lake Center

906-774-5888

The center is closed on weekends.

Monday: Woodcarvers, 10 a.m.; mahjong in dining hall, noon; Les Artistes Art Club, noon; Bridge Club, 12:15 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday: Pinochle, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Billiards, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday: Spinning Spools Quilters Guild, 1 p.m., crafters, scrap bookers and others also welcome; knitting and crocheting class, 1 to 3 p.m.

Friday: Smear, 12:30 p.m.

Last Saturday of the month: Music jam starting at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Dances take place from 7 to 10 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. Admission is $6; coffee is free.

The Photo Club meets 1 to 3 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month.

Evening meals are usually on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Salad bar opens at 4 p.m., with the meal served at 4:30 p.m. A donation of $4 is accepted for seniors age 60 and older but not required.

Home-delivered meals are for seniors 60 and older can be delivered seven days a week. Christine McMahon has information for all meals and can be reached at 906-774-2256, ext. 235. For transportation, call Buzzin’ Around Town at 906-282-0492. Rides are $3 for age 60 and older, and $3.50 for younger than 60.

Transportation is available from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Meals served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Bingo after lunch on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

A congregate jigsaw puzzle is done daily.

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Suggested donation for seniors older than 60 is $4 per meal. Residents younger than 60 must pay $7. Reservations and cancellations needed 48 hours in advance.

The ADRC can assist area seniors and those with disabilities with transportation Monday through Friday. Transportation reservation should be made with meal reservation.

The senior dining sites are:

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

Meal at noon Wednesdays only. Reservations are requested. Cribbage and cards are available.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

715-528-4261

Meal is served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Jigsaw puzzles, cards, cribbage and board games are available. The coffee is always on.

Tipler Town Hall

715-674-2320

Serving lunch at noon on the second Thursday of the month.

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

715-589-4491

Meal is served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Jigsaw puzzles, cribbage, cards and board games are available. The coffee is always on.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Pam Haluska

906-498-7735

Meal is at noon Monday through Friday. Suggested donation is $3 for age 60 and older and $7 for those younger than 60.

Morning coffee is available daily.

Fifteen games of “fun bingo” are played each Tuesday and Friday, along with a 50-50 drawing.

Tuesday: Bingo, 12:45 p.m.

Wednesday: Cards played in the afternoon. Call ahead to see if a game will be going on.

Friday: Bingo, 12:45 p.m.

Monday through Friday: Walking in the gym, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A treadmill also is available.

Friendly interaction with other crafters.

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Meals served 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; a $4 donation is encouraged from those 60 and older, and a $5 payment is required from those younger than 60.

Thursday meal, 3:30 p.m. soup, 4 p.m. salad bar, with dinner at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Christine McMahon has information for all meals and can be reached at 906-774-2256, ext. 235. For transportation, call Buzzin’ Around Town at 906-282-0492. Rides are $3 for age 60 and older, and $3.50 for younger than 60.

Niagara Northwoods Senior Cafe and Center

Meal site manager: Corrie Maule

715-251-1603

Senior center director: Jill Anderson

715-251- 4154

Noon meals served Monday through Thursday.

Transportation to the meal site from the Niagara, Wis., area is offered.

They welcome any senior groups that would like to use the meal site as a meeting place — join them for lunch and then stay for a meeting or social time.

Wii games, cards, puzzles and board games are available to play.

Other activities are in the works — suggestions are always welcome.

Those who have not been at the meal site/senior center are invited to give it a try. Those who haven’t been here in a while are encouraged to come back.

Norway Center

Director: Susie Slining

906-563-8716

Monday through Thursday: Meals served at noon, with salad bar. Soup also is available at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Milk, juice, bread, fruit, tea, and coffee served daily. Meal donation is $5. Reservation for the meal should be made in advance.

Two special-themed meals take place each month, with bingo, prizes and a 50-50 drawing.

Two evening meals offered at 5 p.m. on the first Monday and third Wednesday of the month, with bingo, prizes and a 50-50.

If Norway-Vulcan are schools are closed due to snow days, so is the senior center. If the schools are on a two-hour delay, the center remains open.

Cards are played daily after the noon meal.

Craft and exercise classes: Mondays and Thursdays.

Ceramic and art classes: Wednesdays.

Puzzles always in the works.

A senior coloring class meets daily. All are welcome. Some materials will be provided.

Telephone reassurance is available for any senior who doesn’t get out much and would like a daily phone check to see that all is well.

Note: A CSFP food card (green card) is available to income-eligible seniors. Make an appointment to get signed up. File of Life packets available at the center.

Note: Ask about the Medicare Savings Program. This program helps people pay their Medicare part B premium. You may be eligible. The local MMAP counselor can be reached at 1-800-803-7174 or dial 211.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Meals: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11:45 a.m.

Cards: Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday.

Commodities every other month and quarterly commodities are every three months.

A puzzle table is available to enjoy.

Volunteers are always welcome.