Hi Everyone!
How are you? I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and were able to take a good look at your gratitude list. I know I did!
Brian, our Van Driver, is in between doctors appointments for residents and is vaccuuming the van. Our Maintenance Director Jim is checking in with Hilda and Elma from Housekeeping who have joined the residents and Activities Director Sister Judy at our coffee hour. We are serving huge, fresh croissants with all kinds of choices for toppings such as creem cheese and jelly (just try to lose weight here).
Sister Judy just announced she's heading out to get a video and Latkes for the Hanuka party. She's always planning and running errands for the next party or get together. Jim is lighting the foyer for the festival of lights. Drive by, you can see it from the street!
Our residents came together in our dining room Monday and Thanksgiving day to celebrate together.
Being around those we love is important, especially during the holidays. If you do not have family and friends around you at least you can do loving things for yourself like get extra rest if your body is asking for it or read a good novel.
Some of our residents work full time and are happy just to have a day off to sleep in, or watch the sunrise and just relax and not have to be anywhere.
There's some folks from Canterbury who had to spend their holidays in the hospital or rehab. I am thinking of all of them, and wishing they have peace, comfort and joy.
I heard this morning the comment "only the loving find love and they never have to seek for it". When you walk in the doors of Canterbury you are loved right away, just because you are here!
Hurray, the mailman Ted is here!
Time for me to get to some paperwork...see you soon.
Emily
http://www.thecanterburyretirement.com/
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Time Flies
Hi everyone!
I can not believe it is November 17th already!
Soon we will have snow.
There is ALWAYS something going on to pull me away from this blog! Our Maintenance Man realized a resident wanted to ride to Walgreen's but hadn't signed up so he ran out to stop the van. He asked me to call said resident to say the van is back and ready for her to get on. So wait one moment.
I ran into our Activities Director who is organizing a dinner for residents who will be here on Thanksgiving. She is checking the list to see who signed up.
Turns out Brian, if you remember he's our Van Driver, went to the third floor to escort the lady down :) Awwww....that's service!
Speaking of service....our Maintenance Man, Jim, took a walk with one of our residents today because she was feeling a little "blue". They went to the nearby school to visit with the kids.
This is a popular time for people to move into retirement living. After paying for the leaves to be cleaned up many do not want to pay for snow plowers or worry about slipping. Look through your checkbook to see what you pay for utilities and services for where you live now. I believe you will find that The Canterbury has all those services, and more, for less money. I'm told a regular apartment around the corner with no services costs the same or MORE! After approximately 25 years in business we must be doing a few things right! Have you noticed we rarely advertise? Most of our residents come from word-of-mouth referrals.
The van dropped off a group of people who are full from eating at Hometown Buffet. Now they are in the dining room enjoying coffee and conversation. I hear "did you sign up for dinner in the dining room tomorrow, or are you riding the van to the grocery store"?
There are many choices here. See for yourself at http://www.thecanterburyretirement.com/
Have a lovely evening and hope to see you soon!
Emily
I can not believe it is November 17th already!
Soon we will have snow.
There is ALWAYS something going on to pull me away from this blog! Our Maintenance Man realized a resident wanted to ride to Walgreen's but hadn't signed up so he ran out to stop the van. He asked me to call said resident to say the van is back and ready for her to get on. So wait one moment.
I ran into our Activities Director who is organizing a dinner for residents who will be here on Thanksgiving. She is checking the list to see who signed up.
Turns out Brian, if you remember he's our Van Driver, went to the third floor to escort the lady down :) Awwww....that's service!
Speaking of service....our Maintenance Man, Jim, took a walk with one of our residents today because she was feeling a little "blue". They went to the nearby school to visit with the kids.
This is a popular time for people to move into retirement living. After paying for the leaves to be cleaned up many do not want to pay for snow plowers or worry about slipping. Look through your checkbook to see what you pay for utilities and services for where you live now. I believe you will find that The Canterbury has all those services, and more, for less money. I'm told a regular apartment around the corner with no services costs the same or MORE! After approximately 25 years in business we must be doing a few things right! Have you noticed we rarely advertise? Most of our residents come from word-of-mouth referrals.
The van dropped off a group of people who are full from eating at Hometown Buffet. Now they are in the dining room enjoying coffee and conversation. I hear "did you sign up for dinner in the dining room tomorrow, or are you riding the van to the grocery store"?
There are many choices here. See for yourself at http://www.thecanterburyretirement.com/
Have a lovely evening and hope to see you soon!
Emily
Thursday, November 4, 2010
"Grow old with me, the best is yet to be, the last for which the first was made"
Hi folks! I love that quote from Browning. Yesterday, a Canterbury resident and friend gave me an article reprinted from the Detroit Sunday News, in Foward Movement Publications (Cincinnati, Ohio). As our van driver battles the rain and pulls up to the back door to take Canterbury residents shopping, and our housekeepers pick up the garbage from each resident apartment, let me entertain you with some thoughts from this article. If you were here you could join the residents who are together in the dining room sharing coffee and conversation about the election.
By the way, we had three residents move in just last week!! There is "much excitement and ... promise. Each age...has its special gifts and joys....the rule is to look back with gratitude and forward with hope". Canterbury residents are 55 years or older. Some work, some are retired. Most have in common their downsizing into a smaller space. Many were hesitant to move but once they did they wondered why they hadn't sooner. It's easy living, and the energy spent with burdensome chores is now used for enjoyable pursuits!
This article my friend shared with me yesterday said some important things I relay to you today as I have watched people wait too long to make the move to Retirement living, and then need a nursing home by the time they are ready and really needing to move. I truly believe Canterbury is set up to help people stay younger longer, partly because of this well designed easier and safer lifestyle. "In our youth culture, some persons dread retirement because it is a clear sign that age is upon them. What our culture {sometimes} fails to recognize is that youth is not at all the happiest time of life; indeed, because the young often have not found themselves and often lack perspective and inner resources to deal with life's problems, youth may be the unhappiest time".
"Browning was nearer to the truth when he said: "Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be, the last for which the first was made".
"One of the greatest things about growing olde{er} is the simplicity it can give to life. We no longer are the prisoners of many desires; we know what we like and no longer try to keep up with the Joneses; we are content to find our joy in simple things. There is outer simplicity as we learn to live on a reduced income and an inner simplicity of desire as we begin to "center down" on life's essentials".
"While retirement is an open door to many of the things we always have wanted to do (deepened personal relationships, travel-although it may be simply to see the sights in our own city-hobbies, and reading), we must not forget...many who seem to have retired in a creative fashion and have made their retirement "the last for which the first was made".
Our residents Gladys and June are two examples of these creative retirees. Gladys is always busy with what she enjoys: gardening, cooking and most importantly to me, helping people. She was at the office door with a plate of home-made muffins yesterday, making sure I "share them with housekeeping". There were plenty for any resident who happened by the coffee maker area. She often consults with our chefs, helps them chop, and more!
June started a bible study. She puts what we will be focusing on up on the bulletin board early so those who choose to participate may plan and study and ponder ahead of time. Our residents Eleanor and Bernice have become friendly visitors to those shut-in.
I noticed residents talking about IDEAS the other day. The subject I believe, was jealousy, and the topic came up in the scripture they were reading in the bible study the day before. A whole group of residents, many of whom who chose not to participate in the bible study, participated in a lively discussion about the concept of jealousy.
One of my Favorite quotes is "Great minds discuss ideas; avarage minds discuss events; small minds discuss people" (Eleanor Roosevelt). When the residents were sitting in the dining room conversing the other afternoon, this quote came to mind and I was proud of our residents. Of course there are discussions about people we care about and events that are coming up, but it is wonderful to hear Canterbury residents discuss ideas! They are doing this because they are living life to the fullest here.
I just found a "Gladys muffin" left over from yesterday and had it for lunch :-)
"The secret of good retirement is, after all, no different than the secret of life at any other time. The advice to seek happiness directly always has been a fraud; happiness is a mysterious by-product of good battles, of having the wind in our faces, of getting out of bed because there is something God wants us to do...if we have talents we ought to use them..."
What are your joys and talents? Bring them here and we will celebrate them!
Our Activities Director routinely puts the quote about happiness being like the elusive butterfly. Chase it and it eludes, but sit quietly and enjoy what you are doing and it will land on your lap. Just bring yourself, happiness will find you here.
We don't advertise much, for twenty five years we have thrived mostly by word-of mouth referrals. We were one of the original retirement homes in West Hartford. Now you have so many to choose from! We like our size. It helps our residents blossom and yes, just be themselves.
Speaking of blossom, there is a teeny-tiny dog living here now as of last week, named blossom! Canterbury accepts pets! Since I've been here we have yet to have a rabbit move in, but guess what! Last week Timothy the clean, white red-eyed bunny arrived! "I gotta go meet this rabbit"! our A.D. just stated.
Our new residents were able to bring their beloved pets with them to Canterbury. Isn't that nice?!
Well, after some time away I have made up with a LONG blog! I'll try to come here more often, and give you a little less to read at a sitting!
Take good care of YOU, and try to come over before the snow flies! If you can't get to us, you can view us at http://www.thecanterburyretirement.com/
Emily
By the way, we had three residents move in just last week!! There is "much excitement and ... promise. Each age...has its special gifts and joys....the rule is to look back with gratitude and forward with hope". Canterbury residents are 55 years or older. Some work, some are retired. Most have in common their downsizing into a smaller space. Many were hesitant to move but once they did they wondered why they hadn't sooner. It's easy living, and the energy spent with burdensome chores is now used for enjoyable pursuits!
This article my friend shared with me yesterday said some important things I relay to you today as I have watched people wait too long to make the move to Retirement living, and then need a nursing home by the time they are ready and really needing to move. I truly believe Canterbury is set up to help people stay younger longer, partly because of this well designed easier and safer lifestyle. "In our youth culture, some persons dread retirement because it is a clear sign that age is upon them. What our culture {sometimes} fails to recognize is that youth is not at all the happiest time of life; indeed, because the young often have not found themselves and often lack perspective and inner resources to deal with life's problems, youth may be the unhappiest time".
"Browning was nearer to the truth when he said: "Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be, the last for which the first was made".
"One of the greatest things about growing olde{er} is the simplicity it can give to life. We no longer are the prisoners of many desires; we know what we like and no longer try to keep up with the Joneses; we are content to find our joy in simple things. There is outer simplicity as we learn to live on a reduced income and an inner simplicity of desire as we begin to "center down" on life's essentials".
"While retirement is an open door to many of the things we always have wanted to do (deepened personal relationships, travel-although it may be simply to see the sights in our own city-hobbies, and reading), we must not forget...many who seem to have retired in a creative fashion and have made their retirement "the last for which the first was made".
Our residents Gladys and June are two examples of these creative retirees. Gladys is always busy with what she enjoys: gardening, cooking and most importantly to me, helping people. She was at the office door with a plate of home-made muffins yesterday, making sure I "share them with housekeeping". There were plenty for any resident who happened by the coffee maker area. She often consults with our chefs, helps them chop, and more!
June started a bible study. She puts what we will be focusing on up on the bulletin board early so those who choose to participate may plan and study and ponder ahead of time. Our residents Eleanor and Bernice have become friendly visitors to those shut-in.
I noticed residents talking about IDEAS the other day. The subject I believe, was jealousy, and the topic came up in the scripture they were reading in the bible study the day before. A whole group of residents, many of whom who chose not to participate in the bible study, participated in a lively discussion about the concept of jealousy.
One of my Favorite quotes is "Great minds discuss ideas; avarage minds discuss events; small minds discuss people" (Eleanor Roosevelt). When the residents were sitting in the dining room conversing the other afternoon, this quote came to mind and I was proud of our residents. Of course there are discussions about people we care about and events that are coming up, but it is wonderful to hear Canterbury residents discuss ideas! They are doing this because they are living life to the fullest here.
I just found a "Gladys muffin" left over from yesterday and had it for lunch :-)
"The secret of good retirement is, after all, no different than the secret of life at any other time. The advice to seek happiness directly always has been a fraud; happiness is a mysterious by-product of good battles, of having the wind in our faces, of getting out of bed because there is something God wants us to do...if we have talents we ought to use them..."
What are your joys and talents? Bring them here and we will celebrate them!
Our Activities Director routinely puts the quote about happiness being like the elusive butterfly. Chase it and it eludes, but sit quietly and enjoy what you are doing and it will land on your lap. Just bring yourself, happiness will find you here.
We don't advertise much, for twenty five years we have thrived mostly by word-of mouth referrals. We were one of the original retirement homes in West Hartford. Now you have so many to choose from! We like our size. It helps our residents blossom and yes, just be themselves.
Speaking of blossom, there is a teeny-tiny dog living here now as of last week, named blossom! Canterbury accepts pets! Since I've been here we have yet to have a rabbit move in, but guess what! Last week Timothy the clean, white red-eyed bunny arrived! "I gotta go meet this rabbit"! our A.D. just stated.
Our new residents were able to bring their beloved pets with them to Canterbury. Isn't that nice?!
Well, after some time away I have made up with a LONG blog! I'll try to come here more often, and give you a little less to read at a sitting!
Take good care of YOU, and try to come over before the snow flies! If you can't get to us, you can view us at http://www.thecanterburyretirement.com/
Emily
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