October 2014 • INSIDE Page 2: Featured Staff Member Page 3: Country Meadows Page 4: Clearbrook Inn Pages 5 & 6: The Ridge Page 7: Featured Resident Page 8: Here’s to Your Health! CONTACT US Fax 360-308-9150 EDITOR Pam Duerr LAYOUT Christy Zaccardi Peggy Reece Jessie Kimbro Issue # 36 12295 Schold Place NW • Silverdale, WA 98383 • 360-692-1228 Here are some examples: Dean K. is generally thankful An Attitude of for the blessings in his life, in particular right now his family, the support of his friends and the people of Country Meadows. “THREE GOOD THINGS” His wife Carolyn echoed family and friends, especially “how we That’s an exercise developed all take care of each other at by Martin Seligman, the “father Country Meadows,” and good of positive psychology,” to help health in spite of “everything.” increase life satisfaction by Barbara K. is thankful for cultivating gratitude. When we talked with residents we found all the wonderful memories a common theme of three good made with her husband, and things for which they are grate- now how her kids are standing by her in ill health and good. ful, and they didn’t even have (continued on page 2) to do the exercise! They are fully living the Thornton Wilder quote, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” These people have learned that gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, makes sense of the past, brings peace and enjoyment for the present, and gives a vision for tomorrow without anxious dependence on the future. So what are those Three Good Things? Gratitude FAMILY, FRIENDS AND HEALTH Peggy Reece “THREE GOOD THINGS” continued Marie V. ~ Thankful for my children and nice friends. Junko M. ~Health, my loving son and daughter-in-law, my family and friends. Bud S. ~ Great family, I love them all and I love my Ruby! Merle W. ~ Family, health & friends. Maxine L. ~ My family, grandchildren, great friends that I have had for years, the wonderful birthday party my family gave me. John W. ~ My wonderful daughter. Dorothy R. ~ To be alive! Elene F. ~ My family, our great weather, friends. Arydce R. ~ “Still Alive!” Family, my health, that I’m still able to do as much as I can. Rosalie M. ~ The health that I have. My nice family. Bernice P. ~ Great loving husband, healthy body, wonderful family, all the years of swimming and winning so many medals. Wally T. ~ Getting such good care, thankful for my family and that they are all okay. Barbara K. ~ #1 The Lord, #2 My family. #3 All the people that care for me. Billie D. ~ My family is happy and everyone gets along and have wonderful jobs Art R. ~ Having all my shipmates, my daughter and sons Helen K. ~ My loving daughter and son-in-law Eleanor H. “Being Alive” Page 2 Three essentials to happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for. These friends have done what George Carlin suggests to be happy: that we surround ourselves with what we love, whether it’s family, friends, or pets. They look pretty thankful, don’t’ they? Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, & change ordinary opportunities into blessings. ~ W.A. Ward November Hilites Thailand Treasures Tuesday November 4 from 10:00-2:00 Scarves, jewelry & accessories from the East at reasonable prices. 50 days until Christmas! Poulsbo Middle School Choir Thursday November 6 at 10:45 a.m. Get a jump on your happy holiday spirit with these talented & lovable kids! Puget Soundsters Chorale Saturday November 15 at 1:30 p.m. Right here in our Barn, the sweet sound of the Puget Soundsters Chorale. El Huarache & Silverdale Antiques Thursday November 20 at 11:00 a.m. As good as it gets north of the border, and a leisurely stroll down memory lane next door. Close to My Heart Paper Crafting Friday November 21 at 1:30 p.m. Led by Diane Seitz, paper crafter extraordinaire Two projects for only $8 per person. ROMEO Club to Elmer’s for BACON! Thursday November 6 at 11:30 a.m. Or pancakes. Or lunch! Or whatever! Pacific Planetarium Tuesday November 25 at 1:00 p.m. An hour in outer space as we tour the night sky with an expert guide; small admission fee. Jewel Box Theatre “Whodunit” Friday November 7 at 6:15 p.m. Danger & hilarity are non-stop in this glittering Whodunit set during the Christmas holidays. Safeway Shopping Wednesday November 26 at 1:30 p.m. Thanksgiving is here, the bus is parked until December, so we’re shopping early this week! Hansville Holiday Fair Saturday November 8 at 12:30 p.m. It’s tradition! Fun finds, lovely creations, tea & goodies, friendly people—we love it! Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner Thursday November 27 from 11:00 to 1:15 Invite your family and sign up early! Remember, you are one of the reasons we are thankful! Veterans Day Program at the Pavilion Tuesday November 11 at 9:30 a.m. Sponsored by the Navy League, this program is always inspirational The Creek House Farm visit WAS to be for a craft & pumpkins, but the charming children brought out the adorable baby animals and ….. Nattamit Thai & Kitsap Art Thursday November 13 at 11:00 a.m. Enjoy cooking “from the heart” and a tour of the noted Kitsap Art Studio Disaster Preparedness Friday November 14 at 1:30 p.m. Peter Apgar from the Department of Emergency Management will tell us how to be prepared! Pajama Ice Cream Run Friday November 14 at 7:00 p.m. Pajamas optional, fun guaranteed! Bluberry Frozen Yogurt, here we come! Page 3 He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus November 2014 Out To Lunch Bunch Nov, 3 @ 11:00 Airport Diner. Nov. 10 @ 11:00 Red Apple Diner Nov. 24 @ 11:00 Olive Garden Nov. 7th Monthly Birthday Party Music with our favorite guy singing all our favorite songs Dan Wilman on guitar. Nov. 11 @ 2:30-4:00 Veterans Day. Help us celebrate our hero’s. Roberta Daniels singing all patriotic music. Nov. 20 @ 2:00 Show and Tell. Bring out some Art work, knitting , crocket, woodwork, ceramics. What ever you have share and show your talents. Our trip to Safeway was an eventful one! Our Chef Gene was giving us lessons in pumpkin and squash picking! . Some of our most favorite past times are “Name That Tune” & “Pick a Leaf” and all the fond memories they bring…. Nov. 21 @ 2:00 Happy hour Wine and Cheese and music by the Big Bands. Nov. 27th 12:00-1:30 Thanksgiving Brunch lovely back round piano music. Nov. 28th @ 2:00 Back by Popular demand. “Clearbrook Silver Singers”. Join us for our first practice of the season. We will toast to our great voices with Hot Toddies. Page 4 Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust Special Events Throughout the month of November we will have “What I‘m thankful for “ sheets at the front desk. We encourage all our residents, family members & staff to tell us what you are thankful for! They will be hung on the monthly calendar for all to see! Fun Facts       The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's. Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. Join Us       Moving in the Morning Every morning at 10am Wednesdays for United Generations, and a Scenic Drive Thursday Cookie Club at 11am Happy Hour every Friday at 3pm Saturday BINGO! At 2pm When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive Page 5 ~to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love~ then make that day count! ~Steve Maraboli November 10th is National For-Get –Me Not day The Forget-me-not is the officially flower of Alzheimer's Awareness. November is Alzheimer's awareness month. Worldwide it is estimated that about 16 million people have Alzheimer's disease, 4.5 million of them are Americans. For every person with Alzheimer's there is often at least one other person who directly cares for them and a host of healthcare & social workers, advocates, volunteers and support workers in the background. With so many people directly or indirectly affected by Alzheimer's it is good that a time of year is set aside to promote awareness. It is not known what causes Alzheimer's disease and at present there is no cure. But there is hope and help for those people with Alzheimer's. Research into the disease is offering answers to many questions. The pooling of knowledge, the increasing amounts of international funding will one day provide us with the cause, with better ways of treating Alzheimer's and will hopefully provide a cure for Alzheimer's. Until that day “The Ridge” pays tribute to all the people who have Alzheimer's disease, to all those who strive to make the lives of people with Alzheimer's better. To all the caregivers who love and care, who daily give such a lot to help their loved ones we say a special thank you in recognition of your very special contribution. Page 6 Tommy, Jerry, Norman, Meliisa and Carol, working hard to make some homemade applesauce Edith, Tony and Ray enjoy our hand made pret- As we express our gratitude, we just never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~JFK Gratitude… Interested in taking an AARP Class? “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~G.K Chesterton Gratitude is a path to the peace we all seek. ~John Kralik Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie To get rich quick, count your blessings DidyouknowthatNovemberis….. NationalAlzheimer'sMonth NationalFamily CaregiversMonth NationalHomeCare&HospiceMonth NationalLongTermCareAwarenessMonth And…… Adopta Senior PetMonth Banana Pudding LoversMonth Family StoriesMonth NationalPeanut Butter LoversMonth Contact Christy Zaccardi 360-692-4480 A Holiday Reminder to all our Encore Residents The holiday season is a time rich with traditions, and you each have our own which make your celebrations more meaningful. Because we want your celebrations to be safe as well as happy, please remember that you are unable to have any fresh trees, wreaths, or boughs in floral arrangements in your apartments, per the Fire Marshal’s regulation. Another tradition you may have had in the past is giving gifts to acknowledge your gratitude for services rendered. Please remember that staff members may not accept an individual gift, but you may give something that can be shared with all the staff. Have a blessed holiday season! Plum& PomegranateMonth Sweet PotatoAwarenessMonth Page 7 It’s not happy people who are THANKFUL~ It is thankful people who are HAPPY! HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH! Peggy Reece The Secret’s Out! Time is an elusive thing; we want it to go by faster, we want more of it in a day. What we don’t want is to waste it! These common struggles also have a common antidote that could be one of the worlds’ best kept secrets. But we are going to reveal here! The Five Time Wasters  Worry  Expectations  Focus on personal gain and wealth  Comparison  Blame And here is the secret solution to all:  Worry—to dispel worry, welcome and accept each unknown, cultivate self talk that focuses on comforting things, and be grateful The solution for expectations that leave us disappointed is unconditional love and gratitude for what we do have.  Focus on wealth pushes an exhausting quest for more; gratitude turns what we have into enough.  Comparisons can be endless, causing discouragement or arrogance, and can confuse our identity. Gratitude turns our eyes on ourselves with clarity and appreciation for who we are.  When tempted to blame yourself or others, believe there is a lesson to be learned and consent to learning it, then let it go, and focus on unconditional acceptance and gratitude.  Gratitude, the Secret Solution! The Five Time Wasters  Worry  Expectations  Focus on personal gain or wealth  Comparison  Blame 12295 Schold Place NW Silverdale, WA 98383 www.encorecommunities.com