Kay Branaman Eakin – Manor 350

My Leisure World Hometown: Kay enjoys swimming, playing bridge, and keeping in contact with her numerous friends and family members, along with various AAUW activities. She takes socializing very seriously. She is a volunteer ESL tutor and an AAUW scholarship mentor. Kay is a member of the Glass Club, serving as Administrator since 2006. She is also a Leisure World Foundation Friend and previously served on its Board.

My Leisure World Favorites: During Covid, Kay started walking the lakes without a mask. It made her realize this was the best place to be: beautiful, friendly, and safe with a wide choice of activities. She also cherishes her Leisure World friends, both old and new, and life in a wonderful cul de sac where neighbors take care of each other and gather each Halloween since the 1970’s. Thanks, Kay, for making Leisure World your hometown!

25 Things You Don’t Know About Me

By Jose Banda

1) Where were you born?

I was born in Arizona in a small mining town called Morenci

2) What is your favorite TV show and why?

The First 48 hours. It’s my favorite show because I’ve always wanted to be a detective.

3) What is your favorite sport?

My favorite sport is Football & Baseball

4) How many languages do you speak? If more than one, what are they?

I speak 2 languages, I speak English and Spanish

5) What song do you sing in the shower? On your commute?

I sing Kr yptonite from 3 doors down

6) What do you spend most of your time doing? I spend most of my time teaching what I’ve learned in life

7) What is the most important thing in your life? Family is the most important

8) Are you a dog person or a cat person?

I’m a dog person, I have a 15-year-old Cairn Terrier name Adelle

9) Are you a good cook? If so, what is your favorite thing to cook?

I’m a great cook in my opinion, I love to make smoked ribs

By Carley Cathemer

10) If you had one day left to live, who would you spend it with?

My family, Wife, 2 kids, mom, dad, and my siblings

11) If you had to eat only one food for 10 days, what would it be?

My mom’s spaghetti

12) Who do you admire and why?

I admired my grandfather

13) What is your most unusual talent?

I can touch my nose with my tongue

14) If you won a million dollars, what would you do?

I would retire and watch my son’s keep playing baseball

15) Do you have a nickname? If so, what, and why?

My nickname is Pachas and it’s a Mexican drink they used to make in Mexico. That was put in a big round glass and had a small drinking area.

16) What is your favorite movie of all time and why? Fallen, because it’s a detective movie and Denzel Washington is in it. If you haven’t seen it. Please go see it.

17) What is your perfect weekend?

Being on the baseball field watching my son’s play baseball

18) What sound drives you crazy? The static sound on radio or TV

19) What do you spend way too much money on? I spend too much money on Amazon products, I think I might be addicted.

20) What inspires you? My dad inspires me, raising 4 kids and on a low fixed income was impressive

21) What is one item you can’t live without? My TV

22) What is the best part of your job? Meeting new people and connecting with my employees

23) Who has left the most impact on your life? My dad

24) How many siblings do you have? I have 1 brother and 2 sisters.

25) What do you love to talk about the most? I love to talk about football

New Year but The Same Resolutions

It’s Ironic, we end every year in a flurry of excitement and tradition and close our weary eyes on New Year’s Eve only to dream of the things we want to accomplish in the 365 days to come; however, we tend to wake up to a new year only to set old resolutions. In a study by Statista, it was found that the top 8 resolutions for adults in the U.S were the following: exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight, spend more time with family/ friends, live more economically, spend less time on social media, reduce work stress, and to quit smoking.

As the new year starts and we get excited for days to come I know that I want next year to surpass this year in all ways, especially with what I achieve. So, I offer you some new and less stress-inducing goals for the year to come.

Read more books: my biggest problem with popular resolutions is that it can be difficult to track if you achieved the goal but with this one you can set an exact number you would like to hit. I know for myself I have a goal of 100 books this year but with a previous record of 10, I know that so long as I can read 11, I have completed my goal.

Increase my IQ: again, we love a trackable goal! This is so fun and easy, there are so many apps and games that stimulate our brains and can help us grow in a learning capacity. Try taking a test on January 1st, save the results, practice, or test yourself throughout the year and watch as your IQ grows.

Volunteer: what is a better way to have a great year than to ensure that others do also? This is a great goal for busy bees because you are not committing to a specific amount of time (unless you want to). To mark this off as done, you must try it once, though I am sure you’ll be itching to do some more after your first round.

Spend more time in nature: I have a little hack for this one. Choose one activity that you enjoy and simply move it outside. With summers here in Arizona, this might be a little tricky but with some finesse, I know you can do it. Ideas: try getting a porch swing and reading a couple of chapters outside rather than on your couch, eat one of your meals outside, or opt for an extra trip north just to walk among the trees.

By Chef LaMott (Doris LaMott Hoel)

January is time for new! New goals, fitness plans, healthier eating, meeting new friends, learning new skills, and entertaining!

Do you know one of the greatest compliments you can give your friends is inviting them into your home. Very true. You do not have to be a gourmet cook or even cook at all. The invite is the most important thing.

You can easily go to any of your favorite markets and buy pre-done anything, they even tray it up for you. You can special order from their bakery or deli counter, and it’s done. In fact, you are lucky you can do that. I never can do that. Just because I have been a chef for the last 40+ years, my friends expect me to do the food! So, of course, I always do. Good thing I love what I do! I love trying different items out on our guests. I don’t suggest you do that, however! Our friends just know, if you are invited to our home, you will be entertained with tried-and-true flavorful foods but also some new experiments! Experimentation at its Finest is my saying!

Another great idea to create more friendships here in LWCA is to plan some Progressive Dinners! Have you ever heard of this? You usually have a table of 6 or 8 involved – depending on the size of the dining