There she stood, a tiny woman surrounded by her fans. Decked out in lime green pants, a tunic of many colors, a bandanna of orange and green in her gray hair, she smiled and welcomed all who had come to hear her. The lady is Martha Buckley, who is well-known in Ventura County as an entertainer. Her energy and appearance belie her age of 80-plus years.

The venue is the Austen Room in the Pierpont Inn, where she appears every few months to remind her many fans of days gone by. Her songs are American standards of the '50s and '60s, and everyone in her audience remembers them. Her voice and movements suggest a much younger woman, and the fact that she remembers all the words to the many songs is astonishing.

She is accompanied on bass by Jim Bates and piano by Jim Calire. They, too, are in their senior years, but obviously enjoy exhibiting their talents. Why is there not a place for them to regularly entertain? Not only is there a vast number of equally talented musicians out there, but there are also customers looking for this kind of entertainment. How wonderful it is that I can understand each word, and the music is not a cacophony of sounds that hurt the ear.

When I look around the room and observe people having such a good time, it is heartwarming. When Martha needed a break, a friend of hers, Marty Berman, took over. He has a fine voice. The two of them sang the favorites of long ago as if they were in their 20s.

My table companions had driven from Moorpark. Merleen and Anne love this kind of music and would travel anywhere to hear it. Another gentleman who was obviously well-known to the crowd turned out to be Loren Richards, a piano player who has appeared at many Ventura County lounges. He plays regularly at an Elks Lodge on a Sunday afternoon, and from what I understand is a very talented person.

For the price of a soft drink or glass of wine, it was possible to be entertained for three hours. Bob Gaston, a trumpet player, appeared late in the afternoon and added an interesting touch to the accompaniment. My feet tapped in time to the music, and at 7 p.m., I left the Pierpont after a delightful afternoon.

Martha is an amazing lady. I do hope she will be asked to sing at other places in the county. There will be many people eager to hear her.

Shingles vaccine

Do you remember that I made you aware of the new vaccine for shingles some time ago? I have some new information on it. Merck is charging $150 for the one-shot vaccine, and along with the doctor's markup, the patient's cost is around $300. Insurance companies have reservations about covering it A few things to remember. You can't have shingles unless you have first had chickenpox. The vaccine cuts the risk of getting shingles by half. The vaccine is approved for people over 60.

The likelihood of getting shingles increases with age, but the older you are, the less effective the vaccine will be. I suggest that you discuss this with your doctor. Shingles can be very painful. The post herpetic neuralgia that develops after shingles is apparently the worst part. So, it is up to you.

— Star columnist Margaret Nesbitt welcomes comments and suggestions about subjects of interest to seniors. They can be sent via e-mail to undeg@verizon.net.