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Dear Family and Friends,
The MARCH into another month of 2011, begins. The weather has been sunny and fresh and we all feel spring approaching. This time of year is so exciting as the beautiful Durango colors begin to shine and we see life begin to grow in the grass, trees, flowers, and produce. It is a reminder that our lives are rich and full of luster. Take a deep breath and inhale the goodness.
If you haven't done so already, please MARCH into Sunshine Gardens and say hello to new Administrator Linda Mathews. We are so honored she is leading our ship and we encourage you to get to know her.
We are also excited that Sunshine Gardens has gone from 21 Assisted Living rooms to 70 rooms. This is exciting news for our existing residents and those in the community seeking Assisted Living. We now have more care staff and the versatility with long term care insurance and Medicaid options.
Take the time to enjoy the spring goodness. The rivers and trails of Durango will be buzzing soon. What a fun time of year! |
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FEATURED RESIDENTS By: Lou Gans, Sunshine Gardens Resident
Dorothy Marie Friddle Hinsley is brilliant, a good conversationalist, is very active, and above all else, has the most pleasant personality. Dorothy was born in a small Texas town named Borger and subsequently lived in Los Angeles. She worked at JC Penney's, owned a Malt Shoppe, and was a bookkeeper and clerk at Diamond Lou's. Dorothy's husband and his brother started the Malt Shoppe in 1953, the first Drive-In, in Durango!! What a history! Her two daughters live in Durango. Sandi Zink-Caregiver for Home Health, and Lynn Hackler-North City Market Store Manager. Dorothy immensely enjoyed her trips to Alaska and Hawaii. Currently, she aspires to live life to the fullest, while loving her family and friends. Did you know that Dorothy jumped over a horse one time and broke her shoulder. Silly girl. With all this spunk and vitality, you've got decades ahead of you to enjoy. Don't quit! New resident Robert Fleming was born in Summit, NJ. He spent most of his early life in that area. Robert was employed principally on an ICE truck, delivering newspapers, plumbing, and apartment house construction. You also may recognize him from Kroegers. Bob has worked there for years and is a local favorite when people come in the store. Finding people very friendly and having children to visit enticed him to move here. His children are spread out internationally as follows: Donna-Canada, Sandra-Denver, Christopher-Washington State, Bobby-Germany, and Mary Jo-Bayfield. Robert met his wife at a roller derby rink. Where did you meet your spouse? He enjoyed traveling to Ireland and Brazil and hopes to live to reach 100, so he can voyage more. Robert has met Presidents and other political individuals during his travels. He was quite a busy man. Keep it up, Mr. Fleming! Enjoy Life! |
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CARE GIVER'S CORNER
By: Lou Gans, Sunshine Gardens Resident
Born in Albuquerque, NM, Ally previously resided in Colorado Springs and Farmington. Prior to coming here she was employed in health care and customer service.
Brought to Durango by her parents, she attended Durango High school and later at San Juan College.
Ally's father, Ralph, was a power plant operator and her mother was controller for an environmental agency. Ally married her spouse after meeting him through mutual friends. Her son's name is Jackson.
Ally would like to become a registered nurse someday. I wish her will with that.
With her hobby as an armature photographer, Ally is fascinated with taking pictures wherever she can. Ally, snap to it! We're with you!
This caregiver was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and lived there until she moved to the Durango area. Her name is Alise Sweetwood.
Part of her occupational career included managing an orthopedic practice, scheduling director for a plastic surgery group in Indiana, and was a stock broker for Charles Schwab. Alise, your careers were fantastic!
Her aunt and uncle Dean and Sandy Brown live in Durango, which is quite a convenience for Alise.
Alise's schooling is to be praised, as well, since she attended High School in Indiana, college at Fort Lewis and Purdue University. Her papa is an orthodontist and her mom is a "SUPER MOM."
Yes, Alise is married, no children, 3 dogs and one angry cat!
Interestingly enough, her husband was a neighbor of hers 20 years ago. Her Aunt played cupid at City Market 6 years ago.
Alise traveled to Canada, Puerto Rico, New York, and California. Alise belongs to a woman's organization called PEO, which raises money for women to continue their education. This has blessed Alise "a thousand times over with wonderful friendships and the gratification of helping women to succeed." That is truly wonderful, Alise. You are an amazing woman. |
Sailing Part I... By: George Hayo, Sunshine Gardens Resident
Sailing! I joined the 'Sailing Club' when I was in college in San Luis Obispo, California. They had a 19 foot sailboat, but I only went sailing twice.
It was 25 years later before I took an active part in sailing. My wife and I were invited by some friends to crew on their sailboat in a race around Northport Bay, New York. The sailboat was an 'Ensign.' It was 23 foot in length. Nixie flew the spinnaker (brightly colored sail for sailing downwind) and I flew the jib (white sail for sailing into the wind) and the helmsman or captain steered the boat with help of telltales (ribbons indicating wind direction) on the mainsail. He tried to beat everyone else. We raced 15 other boats and came in 2nd. We were hooked. We did this for eight years. We were in races from Newport, Rhode Island, around Long Island Sound, down to New Jersey, and in Northport Bay.
We had a few incidents. We were on our way to Newport and tied up over night in Connecticut. It was a two day trip.
In the middle of the night we felt a bump but thought nothing of it. When we woke up we looked in every direction and could see nothing but water. We then decided to look at our rope that we had tied up with. It was frayed and cut. The other boat had cut our line! With the strong tide we had drifted out to the edge of Atlantic Ocean. We had to find a marker buoy! In about an hour we sighted one! We checked our navigation charts. It was the last one before being the Atlantic Ocean.
While in Newport we were able to see the big houses from an earlier time. We were there during the Americas Cup sailboat races. These occur once every four years. It was quite a sight. With all the colorful spinnakers flying out in front!
On the way back, after the races, we stopped at Block Island. It can only be reached by boat. There were over 40 boats with lengths up to 200 feet. We had stumbled on the tall ships that visit New York. We went ashore. After touring the island we stopped for dinner. Maine lobster (all you can eat for the same price), plus corn on the cob, and beer! It was the highlight of our trip!
I had a small catamaran that I use to sail around Northport Bay. I went to pull it in for the winter months but it was gone. It must have been caught in a storm or someone stole it.
I borrowed and rented boats after that.
Part two, "Around Martha's Vineyard", appears next month in the Blossom.
Terror At Bondad
By: Alan Sapp, Sunshine Gardens Resident
In my youth and at one of the many places we lived, I had an old second-hand bike that I used to ride about like most kids whom lived in the country.
My father and our family at that time were living on a well-known cattle ranch owned by a family located near the state lines of Colorado and New Mexico.
Just like most out-lying larger ranches, there are bound to be a few gullies and arroyo's running through them. There just so happened to be a rather well-used road (a country maintained one) that used to run directly between the house we were living in at the time and the barn where my father tended to the Angus cattle, owned by the rancher.
It was on that country road near the arroyo's that the terror of this story was to have taken place. Earlier in the week we had had a flash-flood down the arroyo. Our county had to place a giant steel culvert under that road for the arroyo to run through. A very large hole had been created upon one side of it that had filled with water.
Like most ranches with cattle we had fences to keep them off the roadways. One day, I was riding my bike and was returning along the road from our neighbor's house when a near disaster took place. By that I mean the right hand bike pedal came completely off and I lost my balance and fell off the bike near the water-filled hole.
At that time, the fence that ran across the hole of water was made of barbed-wire. It happened to be one of those said strands of barbed-wire that stopped me from falling into the deep water-filled hole. I, in the course of stopping my fall, ripped a gash in the left side of my face. It left quite a scar that until a few short years ago, has been prominent on the left side of my face.
This accident, of course, did not stop this country boy from riding bikes, but it did teach me a very healthy respect for barbed wire fences.
Just go to show that no matter what your age is, it pays to pay attention to what you are doing, how you are doing it, and what you are doing it with!
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March madness is in the air. Enjoy it and please make it a point to stop by Sunshine Gardens and say hello! We love visitors and we love showing you our space. Sincerely,
Trisha Kellogg-Marketing Director
-Editor in Chief:Trisha Kellogg
-Assistant to Editor:Lou Gans
-Monthly Writers:Charlie Mitz, Bill Steinberg, George Hayo, Allen Sapp
-Freelance Writer:Gina Pruett
*Other residents wishing to contribute, please contact Trisha Kellogg
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