Blog

A new year tends to bring about reflection. The words Auld Lange Syne literally mean “old long since.” Another way of saying this is “time gone by.” It is a good time of year to sit by the fireplace, or with a cup of tea and a friend, and remember all that has happened. Tell it in the same old way, highlighting your favorite parts and then tell it to another friend in a new way, finding the surprises in your own life story just waiting for you.

It has been a great year. Early in the year we began working with an organization called Well Arts that helped a small group of residents turn their life stories into live theater. It was a profound experience for all of us and something I will never forget. I am still awe-struck by the courage of those who participated and the power of their stories. What I saw and learned is that no life is insignificant, our ups and downs, our confusion as well as our clarity, all of it is meaningful. When we are willing to share our story with others, everyone benefits. It turns out we are all more alike than we know.

In addition to storytelling, we celebrated in many other ways. We celebrated mothers with a mother’s day tea and dads with an ice cream social. We celebrated our WWII veterans at our annual Patriotic Picnic. We celebrated the harvest; we appreciated our residents during resident appreciation week, and in the month just past, we held as many special events as we had held all year in one month! I think all would agree, our holiday concert season here at Homewoods was over the top this year. I would like to especially acknowledge the choir from NW Christian high school who seem to bring the spirit of the season with them every year in their smiles and voices. I think we all feel encouraged about life and our world when those young people share their gifts with us.

Hats off to our hard working kitchen and maintenance teams, too, who make these events happen every day “as if by magic.” Yet we all know it isn’t magic at all that makes it happen but dedication, planning, and sweat. Homewoods residents showered the staff with love and gifts in December. Their generosity was humbling.

A highlight of this past year has been our karaoke regulars. Who knew that karaoke, of all things, would be one of our highlights? At first I was wary of this new activity. We’re doing what…where? But then I went and got to experience the fun first hand for myself. It turns out, we love to sing and laugh, and it’s good for us, too. Isn’t that what they say? Laughter is the best medicine.

A word that has stayed with me this year that has guided my thinking and planning is Shalom. Shalom, as you probably know, means peace. It isn’t peace as in “absence of fighting” but peace as in completeness, or wholeness. That is what we are entrusted with here, maintaining our sense of wholeness both as individuals and as a community.

As I go about my “business” here, I use our core values to measure what we are doing. Are we having fun recreating? Are we taking care of each other and greeting each other with kindness? Are we hospitable? Are we, “letting go and letting God”? These are good challenges for me and the staff to live up to and for all of us to keep in the forefront of our thoughts. For it is here today that memories and meaning are being made and here that life is lived completely. When we have a sense of wholeness or completeness, when each person feels welcomed and honored, then we can truly say we are living well. I am looking forward to many more special times in the year to come.

This month we are eagerly looking forward to three big celebrations.

On Saturday, November 2, the Homewoods resident council will be hosting their annual holiday bazaar. Betty Reynolds, our chairperson for the bazaar, has outdone herself this year by bringing in more outside vendors than ever. There will be lots to see, buy, and taste at this great event that starts our holiday season. This year we will be holding the entire event, complete with the pie sale, upstairs on the east side of the dining room. It will be a beautiful setting with breathtaking views of the fall colors on display in our courtyard. I would like to personally extend a huge THANK YOU to all of the people, staff and residents, who have helped to make this event a success.

Next, on Saturday, November 16^th, we will be hosting our traditional harvest festival at 1 p.m. The harvest festival is a longstanding Homewoods tradition. For those who are new to our community, let me tell you what I learned last year: the harvest festival marks the beginning of belt loosening. Chef Jessica likes to dazzle us with more enticing goodies than I can describe. They must be seen and tasted to be appreciated. You will not want to miss this fun afternoon party with so many delectable finger foods. Bon appetit!

Then, on November 28^th we will be serving our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at 12:00 p.m. Homewoods food is always excellent, but I have to say that of all the fabulous meals this team delivers, the Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite. It is traditional with all the trimmings. I hope that you will plan to join us.

For our Homewoods staff, November also marks the time when we turn into elves as we make ready for the many festivities we enjoy here at Christmastime. We will be making our lists—taking inventory in actual fact—of Christmas lights and holiday décor. Right after Thanksgiving we will be decking the halls in preparation for our tree lighting ceremony on Decemeber 6. Homewoods’ tree lighting ceremony is another annual tradition that is very important to all of us. As I said last year, nobody does it better. I think it brings out the child in all of us.

Martie is planning lots of outings for us in December too! In fact we will have more than usual as we take part in some of the fun and exciting things to do around the Milwaukie and the greater Portland area this time of year.

The holiday season brings a feeling of nostalgia when we think especially of loved ones that have shared these days with us over the years: our children when they were small, parents, friends, spouses, and grandparents who have graced our lives and given us so much love. We think, too, of our extended and beloved Homewoods family. This is a special community and everyone here makes it what it is. When we remember these times in the future and when people remember us, we will remember a season in life in which we were uniquely blessed. For as the many celebrations, outings, and festivals this month show, we are indeed living well.

Homewoods community members are having their annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 2,  from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  All proceeds go to the resident council  who donate them to the staff scholarship fund and to the Alzheimer’s Association for research.  All of the funds in our Homewoods community are used to provide affordable retirement living for our local seniors.  If you have any questions, please contact Betty Reynolds at 503-656-6496, or the Homewoods on the Willamette office at 503-659-3600.

This year the transition from summer to fall has felt especially dramatic. The good news is, we love the fall! It gives us a chance to celebrate and ready ourselves for all kind of wonderful seasonal celebrations.

Resident appreciation week started things off. We had such a wonderful time. Thank you all for your participation and for the many cards and thank you notes that you sent to the staff. We feel blessed to work here. It was an honor to celebrate you during your special week.

Looking ahead, Karen has cooked up an especially inviting slate of October activities. You will have the opportunity to visit the Pendleton Woolen Mills, the pumpkin patch at Firpoint Farms in Canby, and a quilt show in Aurora, to name a few of the highlights.

Another item related to the season has to do with our grounds. We have a beautiful setting that we all benefit from every day. I am pleased to let you know that Tom McCoy will be dedicating more of his time to the care and tending of our plants and trees. This additional help will allow us to take greater advantage of some of the specialty services that Proscape, our contracted grounds maintenance vendor, can offer. We are currently planning to add more perennial color spots throughout the property, heavier pruning of the Leland Cypress on the north side of the building, and more regular ivy removal in our wooded area. I am also delighted to let you know that Karen has forged a relationship with the forestry students from Sabin Center located here in Clackamas County. They have taken on Homewoods for the annual classroom project and will be “blazing” new trails for us down in our wooded area adjacent to the lawn. They will remove ivy, invasive non-native species, and old firewood, as well as create a new walking trail. I am looking forward to their presence here on our grounds throughout this school year.

Because we do love to celebrate our beautiful setting and pursue what it means to live well, I wanted to share a poem that Alice Deming wrote in the writing class last month and shared with the staff. I think it is beautiful, and it sums up life here better than I ever could.

The Rose

A pink glow on the clouds

As the sun rises at dawn,

A quiet morning without crowds,

No activity, no birds on the lawn.

Peaceful thoughts conjure in my mind,

Favorite old rocking chair for sitting.

Looking out on the deck, joy I find,

Humming birds sipping and flitting.

The rose, shimmering thread it weaves,

A gift from the staff at Homewoods.

Colors, stillness and the shape of the leaves,

Whisper to residents, soothe many moods.

Rose stands in her vase, so proud, so tall,

“Be patient, be kind, have no fears,

For when my bud will droop and fall,

Nature is what it is, shed no tears.”