Wow! It is almost September and I’m sure looking forward to fall and all our activities for the rest of 2017. Wasn’t this summer something special? Certainly one for the record books with our 55 days of sun, heat and no rain. We have been very busy at your center. I hope you had a marvelous summer and spent some time doing your favorite summertime activities with family and friends. I hope you had lots of reasons to smile for yourself and for others benefit; that you were out and about interacting; that you had time to volunteer somewhere; that you had lots of opportunities for exercise whether it was walking, swimming, gardening, playing a game, golfing and that we all ate lots of the local fruits and veggies to keep us healthy, and that you found something to keep intellectually involved. Hope misfortunes were at a minimum, but if there was, that you could find something positive to learn from it. Our goal is to be the best we can be for where we are in our lives, so let’s all work together to make this happen.
I was just reading a Consumer Report and three things stood out. First, there are great benefits to having buddies, investing in friendships pays big dividends. Older adults who had friends were healthier, happier and had fewer health problems in their 60’s, 70’s, and well beyond. Second, a Tufts University study of 5,000 found those who ate a lot of fiber (beans, nuts, produce, wheat, and grains) had a 30 to 61% lower risk of osteoarthritis knee pain. Third, to help older adults fall less when outside, scan for trip hazards, ask for help when needed, wear good fitting shoes, don’t carry too much, and be careful with your bifocals. So now let’s have a busy, active, interesting September and fall season.
I always feel like September is a beginning. Summer is leaving us, leaves are changing, days are usually still pretty and nights are getting cooler, kids are back in school and everything starts back up at the center. We have some wonderful September and Fall offerings. There is something here for everyone. Our exercise programs are wonderful and diverse, our educational classes keep our brains active – I’ve always said we should learn something new every day, our lunches are nutritious and delicious, our people here are interesting, funny, stimulating, caring, helpful, good listeners, friendly, and always looking to share with another. It is fun to socialize here. Our health and wellness services are varied and there are opportunities to try new practices as well as the traditional services. I hate needles, but I tried acupuncture and it works well for me. I also tried Reiki and found that another healing and positive experience. We have meditation, massage, and Bastyr naturopathic services two times a week. We also have Foot Care, Dental Hygiene, Low Vision. Balance Exercises five days a week, 3 types of yoga, Shallow Water Fitness and EnhancedFitness are some of the exercise programs. They are very healthy and keep us well. Wonderful speakers, exciting trips, and so much going on. September is our Member’s Only Luncheon and our awesome Art, Wine and Chocolate event. Get your tickets and enjoy local artists, taste wines and chocolates, listen to jazz, and enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and chocolate desserts. See you at the center in September. Smile!
“Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
Love, Carlye