We are committed
At Juniper we are committed to nurturing the spirit of life in each individual we serve so that they may live fully throughout all seasons of life. To us this means understanding an individual, not only their needs but their desires and responding with programs and services which provide for the highest quality of life possible. Our Alive in All Seasons program of activities is designed to foster healthy bodies, enriched minds and fulfilled spirits. These pictures and stories are living proof that we at Juniper are dedicated to walking our talk!
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Thursday, June 16, 2016
Edible Arrangement Class
June has always been one of our favorite month here at Juniper Village. Why, you ask? This month our focus is all about “Food”. One of our many successful activities is “Creating Our Own Edible Arrangements” class. Our residents always look forward to this wonderful activity. We welcomed our guests and volunteers with open arms. Our Juniper clay coffee mugs were ready to be transformed into a work of art. Selecting the beautifully shaped fruits and cheeses to inset in our skewers without eating was a bit of a challenge. As our creations began to take form so were the smiles on our creator’s faces. We were proud of our masterpieces. Many THANKS to all that were generous with your time to help in this fun filled hour!!!
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Happy 107th Birthday Lorena, we’re proud to call you our friend.
Lorena was
born June 13th, 1909 in Dunkirk, New York. She was an only child and
her parents were very protective of her. She shared with me that she was not
even allowed to ride a bicycle as they felt it was too dangerous. When Lorena
was about 4 years old, she went to visit her friend. She saw a nub of a pencil
on a table and decided to take it (without asking). When Lorena went home, and
her mother saw what she had done, she make Lorena go back and return the
pencil. Her friend’s mother chuckled when she confessed what she had done. She
told her she could keep the pencil. Lorena shared with me after that day (103
years ago) she never took anything without it being offered to her. The pencil
she now proudly owned made her feel excited about learning. In her heart, she
felt this was her first feeling of wanting to be a teacher. At the age of 19,
her dream had come true. Her annual income for the year was $1,000.00. The
following year her salary, as well as all of the other teacher’s pay, was cut
10% because of the Great Depression.
One year
Lorena and her friends had heard that Niagara Falls had frozen over. They
decided to venture there and they walked on the falls. This is one time when
Lorena can say she walked on water. The police were called so they hurried and
left the scene before they were caught. Years later, Lorena met the love of her
life, Alllie. They were married and two
years later they had a beautiful baby girl named Alicia. After teaching in
Dunkirk for 37 years, it was time to move to Florida. Cape Coral was their new
found home. The teaching bug was still in Lorena’s blood. She taught at Cape
Coral’s only elementary school for 11 years. Now it was time to retire.
However, Lorena continued to be very active in the community. One of the
proudest moments of her life was when she was the Grand Marshal in the Disney
World Parade on her 80th birthday.
Another big
celebration was about to take place in Lorena’s life. She was going to turn
100. A party was planned and many guests were invited. Lorena was concerned that
she would receive gifts she did not need. We asked the guests, if they felt
they needed to bring something, non-perishable food items or a monetary gift
would gladly be accepted. Her gifts were donated to the Cape Coral Caring
Center (our local food bank). To this day, Lorena can still tell you the amount
of food in weight and also the dollar amount that was donated. With many of the
celebrations we have been fortunate to share with Lorena here are a few more
that come to mind. Sharing that she was not allowed to ride a bicycle as a
child, I asked her “what about a motorcycle”? “Oh heavens no, my dear” was her
reply. I asked her if she was up to the challenge and she agreed to give it a
try. Rolling Thunder of Naples offered
their services for this event. They had a caravan of motorcycles lined up.
Lorena even agreed for me to apply a temporary tattoo on her arm. She was
thrilled after returning from her ride and asked about going to Tampa next
time. Many of our residents were delighted and went for rides as well. Later
that year Lorena was made an honorary member of Rolling Thunder. They presented
her with a vest and had a wonderful ceremony.
Another year
we asked our local Fire Department to come and help us celebrate her day. They
came dressed in full gear along with a fire extinguisher to help put out the
candles. She was pleased but assured them she was very capable of blowing out
all of her candles on her own. After the celebration we took Lorena out to take
photos. They asked her if she wanted to ride on the fire truck. She replied
“No, the steps were too high for me to step up to”. One fireman asked her to
put her arms around his neck (she was very pleased with that request). He
lifted her up and placed her in the front seat of the truck. She went for a
ride and when they returned the sirens and lights were on.
Her
celebration last year was a littler simpler as she requested. We invited her
favorite entertainer, Greg Miller. She shared she was flattered that he came to
her birthday party. We had students from one of our local high school help us
decorate. We blew up 106 balloons (with the assistance of a helium tank). Her
family and close friends along with our residents and staff were honored to be part
of this delightful and amazing celebration. Lorena is a kind and gentle soul.
You can bet she will always greet you with a smile. Her attitude is positive
and uplifting. We are so privileged to call her our friend.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
June 2016 Events in Cape Coral, FL: Live in Wellness
What is wellness? The National Wellness Institute defines
wellness as "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving
full potential." At Juniper we believe in fostering this definition of
wellness everyday by offering programs and services that help our residents
achieve their full potential. As we wind down our Healthy Aging series, this
month we focus on Food by highlighting our H’Art and Soul of Dining Signature
Program.
Throughout our lives the most important discussions,
revelations, decisions and announcements have transpired around the dinner
table. When company came over we caught up on the latest gossip over coffee and
fresh baked goods. If you needed advice from your parents, it was often given
while enjoying Mom’s delicious pot roast on a Sunday evening. Why should that
be any different when you enter your retirement years in one of our
communities?
With the kitchen often being the heart of the home, we have
developed H’Art and Soul of Dining with this in mind. This program strives to
impart spirited service, companionship and nourishment through sharing the joy
of good food – just like home! Our dining program is designed to not only meet
resident’s physical needs, but their emotional and social needs as well. We
believe this program provides a perfect balance of nutritious and delicious
food choices, comfortable atmosphere and ambiance, social interaction,
cleanliness and a spirit of service.
Indulge with us this month as we focus on the “heart” of the
home with program offerings centered on food and nutrition such as our
hydration program with healthy snacks and juices and educational presentations
by a dietitian. Join us in June as we Live in Wellness.
Our fabulous June 2016 events in Cape Coral, FL at Juniper
Village at Cape Coral include our:
§
Third Annual Edible Floral Arrangements back by
popular demand, we will once again learn the art of creating floral
masterpieces with food, so please join us for this fun interactive event as we
learn the nutritional value of the fruits we are using and understand how they
are beneficial to our health, and each year we add a surprise or two, new
fruits, cheeses, shapes, et cetera, so be sure to come and let’s put the
professionals to shame on June 8th at 2:30 pm.
§
Food Around the World in keeping with tradition,
please help us welcome our community partners in caring as they share favorite
foods from around the world for our seventh anniversary event, where we will
have even more variety than ever before, so come and enjoy cuisine and culture
from across the globe on June 23rd at 2:30pm.
We look forward to sharing our June 2016 events in Cape
Coral, FL at Juniper Village at Cape Coral with you as you Live in Wellness.
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