Autumn Glen August 2021

3715 Coon Rapids Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 763-772-4492 | autumnglenseniorliving.com

at Autumn Glen Senior Living AU G U ST 2 02 1

Director of Sales & Marketing Cynthia Frances Life Enrichment Director Jessica Derx Culinary Director Craig Chernosky Business Office Manager Julie Morin Maintenance Director Bill Schmidt Memory Care Life Enrichment Coordinator Katie Olson Staffing Coordinator Heather Zander Resident Care Coordinator Vanie Heu Front Desk Receptionist Megan Spaulding Van Driver Pete Kist

CALLING ALL WRITERS!

As we head into August, a few things come to mind. Community and The Great Minnesota Get-Together, the State Fair!

Good Life News, Autumn Glen’s monthly newsletter, is accepting contributions from you!

Please join us for a special National Night Out event at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

We will have live music from CODA, an eclectic saxophone and keyboard duo. See life enrichment staff for more information on this event.

STAFF Director of Nursing Kelley Deen

AUGUST LIFE ENRICHMENT EVENTS

IN LOVING MEMORY We remember our dear friends who have passed in the last month: •

Louise L.

NEW RESIDENTS We would like to welcome our newest residents!

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Articles that spotlight the Autumn Glen experience, such as happenings within resident groups and committees

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Original poems, essays, humor, experiences, reflections, reviews, recipes, photography

Here are some upcoming events and activities in August you’ll want to save the date for!

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Biographies of yourselves and fellow residents

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To make a contribution, please email it to jessica.derx@agseniorliving.com. If handwritten or typed, please hand in to Life Enrichment Director Jessica Derx.

The State Fair begins on Thursday, Aug. 26.

CODA Even if you can’t make it to the fair this year, be on the lookout for some fair-themed goodies at happy hours later in the month!

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BIRTHDAYS

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We want to wish the following residents a very happy birthday:

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Ruth H. - 15th Janet K. - 16th

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Sarah C. - 20th Rosemary S. - 25th

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @autumnglenseniorliving

Visit facebook.com/autumnglenseniorliving to see pictures, catch up on community events, and stay connected.

Good Life News welcomes a wide variety of submissions that focus on general interest, including: •

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Kevin A. Julie W.

We all have stories, passions and knowledge to share with our neighbors.

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Tuesday, Aug. 3 – National Night Out event Wednesday, Aug. 4 – Resident Council Meeting Friday, Aug. 6 – International Beer Tasting Day. Beer tasting event at Happy Hour Saturday, Aug. 7 – Meet & Greet Social. All residents are invited to attend and meet new residents Sunday, Aug. 8 – St. Stephen’s Mass and communion live streamed with volunteer, Margaret, from St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Anoka Wednesday, Aug. 11 – Craft Hour with Able Care Home Health Wednesday, Aug. 11 – Church service with Pastor Chris from 1st Congregational Church Thursday, Aug. 12 – August birthday celebration with live music from Diane Zilverberg, a keyboard and vocalist Wednesday, Aug. 18 – Men’s Luncheon & Virtual Travel Day Wednesday, Aug. 18 – Therapy Dog Sully will visit Thursday, Aug. 19 – Book Club meeting Sunday, Aug. 22 – Blessed Hope Baptist Church Service Monday, Aug. 23 – Rosary and communion with Kathleen from St. Stephen’s Church Wednesday, Aug. 25 – Live music from Kevin Wegman (older country songs) Thursday, Aug. 26 – Valiant Veterans® program

Articles should be between 150 and 500 words.

Your submissions will be proofread by an editor prior to publication and will be published at the discretion of the life enrichment team.

Good Life News does not advance political views or promote causes. Due to limited space, contributions may be held for future issues.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jessica Derx in the life enrichment department.

Your neighbors look forward to hearing from you!

Jessica Derx Life Enrichment Director

RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: JOYCE B. Joyce was born in Caledonia, Minnesota, on March 3, 1942, and was raised on a farm. As a child she went to school in a one-room schoolhouse and spent much of her time helping her mom with housework and raising her younger siblings. Throughout Joyce’s life there has been a constant theme of community. This theme began, naturally, being the oldest of eight siblings and continues in her life today.

At the young age of seven, Joyce knew she wanted to become a nun. She grew up in the Catholic church and attended an all-girls Catholic boarding school, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mankato, at 14 years old. After graduating high school, Joyce joined the convent in 1960 and went to college to become a biology teacher. She later got her Master’s in Biology from St. Mary’s University. Joyce served in the convent for 23 years and left in 1985 at 40 years old. Joyce continued teaching and spent the majority of her teaching years at Totino-Grace High School as a biology teacher for 30 years.

As Joyce stepped into the next chapter of her life after serving in the convent, she found love and married Dick B. on June 19, 1987. Dick was a widow and his children graciously welcomed Joyce into the family and together, they created a beautiful life. She inherited two wonderful step-sons and family. Joyce now has five grandkids and two great-grand babies. After 21 beautiful years of marriage, sadly Dick passed away.

As Joyce began another chapter of life, she grew close to Dick’s brother, Wally. Wally had also lost his wife and Joyce and he became good friends. As they spent time together and got to see each other’s hearts, they developed a very natural, comfortable, and great companionship.

Eventually, Joyce and Wally married on Dec. 6, 2008.

A few years later, in 2011, Wally was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and in January of 2015 they made the decision to move into Autumn Glen Senior Living so Wally could have more care. Joyce, with the help of the director of sales & marketing, made the choice to have her husband live in the memory care apartments, and she would have her own independent apartment. Joyce appreciated this advisement as she was able to get good rest but still be very close to Wally if he needed her.

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: AMANDA K. Amanda is one of our full-time cooks at Autumn Glen Senior Living.

Many residents may not know her since she is always keeping very busy in the kitchen, but Amanda is one of the key team members keeping things running smoothly. She has been a huge help over the years and is a valuable part of our team. She keeps things organized and has a great work ethic.

How long have you worked here? It will be five years this October.

What made you want to be a cook? Because I’ve always loved making food that people love.

What is your favorite thing about working here? I really enjoy being able to cook meals that residents love and hear feedback, whether it’s good or bad.

What is your favorite food? Mango popsicles, but it has to be the Outshine brand. And of course, chocolate!

What do you do when you’re not working? I spend a lot of time with my daughter. We love to go to the zoo, go to the cabin, go on walks, and playing video games.

Tell us about your daughter. Her name is Aubreyana, She is 10 years old but going on 18! She is very energetic and loves to skateboard. I recently got a scooter to try to keep up with her!

Joyce spent a lot of time with Wally sharing meals and getting to know his neighbors. Joyce remembers counting the steps back home to her apartment one night, “65 steps.” That brought great comfort to her, knowing she was close by, if needed. She especially appreciated not having to drive home late at night in the cold winter by herself. She could walk just 65 steps home.

What is one thing your daughter loves that you cook? Pumpkin bread and spaghetti seem to be requested a lot.

Wally passed away just two months after their move to Autumn Glen Senior Living. After his passing, Joyce remembers thinking, “why would I move?”

So, Joyce bravely turned the page and started yet another chapter with new friends and new family at Autumn Glen Senior Living.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Italy, for the delicious food, beautiful scenery and historic architecture.

Joyce continues to live independently and is thriving in her home of six years. She is currently the president of Resident Council and is a friend to all she meets. Joyce loves getting to know her neighbors and Autumn Glen Senior Living team members alike. Joyce also continues to be very involved in her family’s life, loving them as “big sister,” “mom,” and “grandma.”

What’s your favorite TV show? The Office and Modern Family.

What’s your favorite thing to cook? I’ll cook anything as long as someone else washes the dishes!

What would you buy if you had a million dollars? A house with a big yard for a dog and a brand-new reliable car.

CANINE CORNER: MEET KAIYA Meet Kaiya, my German Shepherd. She is now seven months old and weighs almost 67 pounds! When we first got her in March, she was eight weeks old and only 12 pounds. She used to be small enough to fit on the center counsel in the car and be my little co-pilot. Now she pretty much takes up the entire back seat when she is all sprawled out.

She is now taller than my parents’ dog, who is a 10-yearold German Shorthair Pointer. That means she is able to reach everything on every single counter in the house without having to jump up.

She is absolutely full of so much energy. We have taken her to puppy training classes where she has graduated from puppy kindergarten and is onto level one. She has learned the demands: sit, down, off, heel, stand, and spin.

She is so good at her recall and knows her name so well.

She will stop everything she is doing and look at you right away when you call her name. She is becoming one of the smartest puppies I have ever had.

She is mine and my boyfriend’s very first dog together, and it has been a very big learning experience for the both of us, from taking turns every three hours throughout the night to let her outside to go potty, to getting a feeding schedule down, to making a daily schedule for walks and playtimes. I really understand now why they say getting a puppy is like practice for having a baby.

She has already been on a very long 24-hour road trip to Arizona and then another 24-hour trip back to Minnesota. She is the best rider in the car and I swear it only takes about five minutes before she is completely asleep. Her favorite treat is peanut butter, and I am pretty sure she can smell it from miles away. You can’t even get the lid completely off before she is right by your side giving you the sweetest “puppy dog eyes.”

Her favorite treat outside is sticks. She loves them in all different sizes but likes to take on the sticks that are four times her size. It is really funny watching her dragging branches around the yard all day. Her best friend is a 17-pound African Basenji, Asher, which is my parents’ other dog. She met him when she was smaller than him and I think she forgot she is now pretty much seven times his size. They tug-o-war all the time, which mainly consists of Asher being pulled around the house with Kaiya hardly trying.

She has been the highlight of my life and is now my best friend.

Katie Olson Memory Care Life Enrichment Coordinator

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM! August 2 is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day and that got me thinking about ice cream. Just a quick Google search and you can learn so much! Here are some interesting highlights I think you’ll enjoy.

Did you know the origin of ice cream can be traced all the way back to 4th century B.C.? The very first references to ice cream go back to Roman emperor Nero, who ordered ice to be brought from the Apennine Mountains and then was combined with honey and wine to make a sorbet.

A little later, King Tang of Shang, China, took this idea further and developed a method of creating ice and milk concoctions. He had a team of 94 ice men who helped to make a dish of “ice cream” using buffalo milk, flour and camphor (used to enhance texture and flavor). All these ice and milk concoctions eventually led to a kind of icecream invented in China around 200 B.C. when a milk and rice mixture was frozen by packing it into snow.

We can thank famous inventor “Lady Edison” for her invention and patent of the vacuum-sealed ice cream freezer. We also need to thank Alfred L. Cralle, an African American businessman and inventor who was best known for inventing the ice cream scoop in 1897. If you are a lover of mint chocolate chip ice cream, you can thank Marilyn Ricketts. She invented this flavor in 1973 while in culinary school at South Devon College in England.

She entered a competition to provide an ice cream dessert for Princess Anne’s wedding to Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey.

How did ice cream sandwiches come about? Street vendors in New York had been selling ice cream between sheets of paper, which they called “hokey pokeys.”

Eventually, someone had the idea of using cookies instead, and ice cream sandwiches were born. There are pictures from the Jersey Shore of ice cream sandwiches being sold for one cent in 1905.

The most expensive ice cream in the world is sold in Dubai, and it costs $817 a scoop! Scoopi Cafe in Dubai serves a dessert called the Black Diamond, which consists of a scoop of Madagascar vanilla ice cream topped with Italian truffles, Iranian saffron and edible 23-karat gold flakes. The ice cream is served in a Versace bowl, which anyone who orders the Black Diamond can keep.

Craig Chernosky Culinary Director