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Dear Family and Friends,
Is the groundhog going to see his shadow; or if you are reading this after February 2nd, did he see his shadow? Regardless, the weather has been great in Durango! We have had some snow showers here and there, but nothing to keep us locked inside with dreams of sunburns and beaches. The ski slopes are great and in-town driving is manageable. I would say we are off to a great month, looking forward to spring,(which happens to land on March 20th if you are wondering).
Sunshine Gardens is thriving and is in great spirits! Our new Executive Administrator, Joanna Dominguez, is an "old hat," now. She is doing an amazing job and Sunshine Gardens has not skipped a beat. . .in fact, I think we may have added a few! Linda Mathews, our Administrative Assistant, is wonderful. It feels as if she has been here for years, as she already knows the residents names and personalities. Linda brings a great energy to our facility!
Shadow or no shadow, come visit Sunshine Gardens. Yes, we offer happy hour every other Friday, but honestly you will have a great experience on any given day. Someone will touch your life. That is who we are and what we are all about.
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Welcome "Face-in-the-Front" Linda Mathews!
By: Trisha Kellogg, Sunshine Gardens Marketing Director
Linda Mathews was recently named Sunshine Garden's Administrative Assistant. She is the new, sweet face you see as you walk into Sunshine Gardens.
Linda is originally from Minnesota, but considers herself an official Durangatang, living in Durango for 20 years. Linda and her husband Steve have been married for 31 years. Together, they have 5 adult children (four daughters and one son) and 5 grandchildren. Steve is a local horseshoer. The Mathews also own property in Missouri where they raise Corrinete cattle.
Before her move to Sunshine Gardens, Linda was the Family Assistance Coordinator for the Colorado National Guard. She worked with service members and their families throughout the Four Corners during deployments. She also is the co-founder and former President of the first chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America in Colorado. The organization is set up for families who have or have had a child serving in the military. Linda's son Cody was a marine and served three tours in Iraq. Thank you Cody for your service! You are a hero.
Linda's hobbies include cross-stitching, embroidery, and gardening. She also confesses that she is addicted to quilting.
Welcome to our family, Linda. We are honored to have you join us! |
What's Wrong With Those Young People?!?
Contributed By: Gina Pruett, Sunshine Gardens Resident
You know people are less considerate now, especially the young ones. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them to speak up, they just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent message until they're red in the face! What do they think I am, a lip reader?
I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognize me!
I got to thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection. Well, REALLY NOW, even mirrors are not made the way they used to be.
Another thing, everyone drives so FAST these days! You're risking life and limb if you happen to pull onto the freeway in front of them. All I can say is, their brakes must weak out awfully fast the way I see them screech and swerve in my rear view mirror.
Oh, and those clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they suddenly start labeling a size 10 or 12 dress as 18 or 20? Do they think no one notices? The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank. Do they think I actually "believe" the number I see on the dial? HA! I would NEVER let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they are fooling?
I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on--but the telephone company is in on the young person conspiracy: they've printed the phone books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in there!
All I can do is pass along this warning:
WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! Unless something drastic happens, pretty soon everyone will have to suffer these awful indignities!
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WE ARE STARTING OUR BLOG AND WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
By: Trisha Kellogg, Marketing Director
I often have family members, people in the community, and even residents ask me advice on different matters regarding independent and assisted living. How do I get mom or dad to move? How do I manage the guilt I feel? What happens if I can't afford it?
I hear these questions almost daily, which really made me ponder the issue; how do I address these questions and concerns for the masses? What specific resources should we use to help people?
In the age of quick, reliable information and mass media, the answer was clear; start a blog web-site! For those of you who are not quite clear what a blog is, the Wikipedia On-line Dictionary defines it as the following: (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
Blog sites allow people to address topics and discuss issues. People can interact by asking questions, offering advise, or directing others to helpful resources.
The goal of the Sunshine Gardens blog is to bring areas of interest in the forefront of discussion. We will talk about items that relate to your loved ones, friends, and many other topics. People can respond to the topics or create their own. It is an excellent medium for networking and problem solving. It also will be a great resource tool full of useful information.
I will let you know more about our blog site in the near future. We will be featuring different material on the web-sites www.DurangoSeniors.com and www.DurangoSeniors.org. It will be ready to go by month's end at the latest.
Please let me know if you have ideas, suggestions, or thoughts regarding our blog! This is very exciting.
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| Did you know we are now incorporating the Wii into our extensive activities agenda? Thank you to Fort Lewis College student, Erin Kerr (who also happens to be a star women's basketball player for my husband Mark)! Erin's senior project is the study of the Wii with elderly populations.
If you are not sure what the Wii is, ask any 8 year old you come across. It is a Nintendo game that uses a wand, promoting hand-eye coordination, to participate in sports such bowling, tennis, baseball, and many more events. Exercise programs are also available with the Wii system.
I have a Wii personally and think they are great for entertainment. I am not a big fan of video games, so you'll catch me playing once or twice a year. I do, however, feel that it has the potential to assist some residents with balance, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. Not to mention, it's fun.
So stop by to play the Wii with some of our residents or simply be a spectator. A big thanks to Erin (GO SKYHAWKS) for allowing our facility to use her Wii system. I am not opposed to shameless plugs, so personally thank Erin at the next Fort Lewis Women's Basketball game. AND. . .if you are nice. . .I may be able to get you free tickets! Just call me.
Take Care and God Bless!
Sincerely,
Trisha Kellogg-Marketing Director
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