Newsletter Archive

Attitude-of-Gratitude

  I was ordering some Thanksgiving Day cards and without thinking about it, I noticed that pretty much all of them expressed the sentiment of gratefulness. When I did start thinking about it, I realized this is the most used sentiment connected to the Thanksgiving holiday. It makes me wonder why for some people it takes a holiday to remind us to be grateful, then there are others who always have an attitude-of-gratitude…

Hocus Pocus …..

is my favorite Halloween movie. It has a scary theme, but the humor and characters, plus the fact that you can guess that all will be okay, make it lighthearted. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about three diabolical witches from the 17th century that come back to life and wreak havoc on a town as they work to become immortal. The chemistry between the three witches is something like real life and you will know someone like each witch: bossy witch, sweet witch, and confused witch. When you think about it, it could be different sides of the same person…

Welcome September ….

Doesn’t the changing of a season bring with it certain emotions and memories? Fall is the season that brings about the most feelings from me…. Vermont is an expert at Fall. It wears the most vibrant colors, flamboyant red, brilliant yellow and screaming orange. It displays the bluest sky decorated with puffy white clouds. It invites you to walk and feel it’s cool crisp air embrace you making you feel alive. It is thought provoking and brings up fond memories while coaxing you to create new memories. It is the place you want to be between summer and winter, and for those of us who live here, we understand it’s one of the reasons we choose to stay…

Magic Moments ….

I think I’ve caught onto something that I want to share with you. I was on the way to work listening to a talk show on the radio that was discussing all the unrest, violence, and politics going on in the world. There were a lot of people that called-in to comment, and all agreed that the world was crazy right now and they wished for the day it would turn around. There was one woman whose comments I took to heart and thought she had a simple solution to help people get through these tumultuous times….

A Feeling of Freedom ….

If I had to connect one word with the month of July, it would be freedom. There are moments in my life when I have experienced a great sense of freedom… learning to ride my bike, going on my first camping trip with the Girl Scouts, my first time skiing, my first airplane ride. At the time, I would not have called it freedom, but I am sure that feeling of excitement I had was freedom. There were also many significant life changes when I did know I was experiencing a sense of freedom…

I was my Father’s Favorite….

I had two brother’s and a sister, but something told me I was my father’s favorite. I didn’t appreciate it when I was very young, but as I grew-up, I understood the connection we had with each other. He was the one who told me I could be anything I wanted to be, never discouraging any crazy dreams I had. My father grew up during the depression, that explains some things to me. If we were eating dinner and left some ketchup on the plate, he would say that’s how Mr. Heinz got rich!  We used to tease him and say he was a cheapskate, but I think he was just trying to spend money where it was needed. He was the oldest son of three brothers, whom were all in the service during WWII. My father was in one of the flamethrower tanks on Iwo Jima. WOW.  I am incredible lucky to have the life I do because of my father; his name was John. Happy Father’s Day!…

May 2021
Everything looks and feels so fresh and new. The grass that resembled hay is turning a lush green and the bare trees are displaying their new buds. If I look hard enough, I can see the perennials in my garden grow. Really! I raked out the leaves last weekend and they are already 6 inches in height. Everyone is outside walking, exchanging their apparel from winter to spring styles. This past weekend, I had a conversation about going through your wardrobe and looking for a new home for clothes that are still in great shape. The local Good Will centers are going to be booming very shortly with some nice merchandise. Another dilemma this spring, is going to be “what to wear” with our new Covid-19 waistlines, but that’s a whole different conversation we can table for now! ….

April 2021
It’s the tangible items people spend time packing prior to a move, like their favorite furnishings, clothing, and household decorations. Then the moving truck arrives signaling a whirlwind of activity, by staff and other residents alike, to get our new resident settled into their home. The best part is that with all this “stuff” comes their experiences, memories, and talents, making each person an interesting gift to our community as they unpack themselves. Everyone being different, some residents we get to know quickly, while others may take more time…

March 2021
Every year, I really like the moment when I notice that the days are getting longer. It always catches me off guard, and I smile because I know it’s time to come out of hibernation. I stop wearing my mittens and leave my scarf at home. I have an urge to open the windows, take a long walk and buy some flowers. Simple things that I know will make me happy. When I hear people talk about mindfulness and living in the moment, I think, I never do that. Then again maybe I do….

February 2021
Winter can be a drab, lonely time or it can be magical and poetic. It’s a point of view. I want to share with you a gift-of-thought from a friend who spent his life as a police chief and when he retired became the poet he always wanted to be. Please enjoy it. ….

January 2021

I resolve to leave 2020 behind me and look forward to getting back to normal in 2021.

All the rules and regulations and all the “don’ts” and “must-dos” surrounding COVID have been a bit overwhelming. Instead, let’s focus on the easy stuff like resolutions. Whether we carry them out or not, they help us reflect on what would make us happy. …

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