Jason Hodges opens Gracewood Community GardenAward-winning landscaper Jason Hodges, one of the most popular stars of Channel 7’s Better Homes & Gardens, officially opened our beautiful communal garden in early April as part of The Gracewood Community’s first birthday celebrations.

With the garden already beginning to burst with herbs, flowers, vegetables and newly planted fruit trees, the 170 guests who attended the event could see at first-hand Jason’s expert handiwork in the communal space he designed, built and planted over a three-week period in early autumn.

Telling the audience of his passion for gardening and love of plants, Jason shared his belief in how important a community garden is for promoting good health, saving money and helping people make new friends.

Thanks to Jason’s expertise and enthusiasm, all our residents will now be able to avail themselves of fresh, free produce daily and have a beautiful

place, abundant with colour, flowering fruit and delightful aromas, to meet with friends or family, or simply enjoy the tranquil outdoor surroundings.

Following the opening ceremony, guests were invited to tour Gracewood Village with residents and see its many facilities, followed by a BBQ lunch on the patio. For many who attended, it was their first time visiting and feedback received included comments on how impressed people were by the amenities and facilities on offer, as well as how vibrant and spacious the village is.

If you missed out on this event, we will be holding our next event on Wednesday June 18 - see inside for more details.

“You don’t even have to be a gardener yourself to enjoy it, you can just make it a place to meet your friends, family or other visitors for a chat instead of, say, the coffee shop, sitting in the outdoors and enjoying the handiwork of others and the beauties of nature.”

Jason Hodges

June 2014

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To view the display apartments, call Maria on 1800 116 550.

WelcomeAs you may have noticed we have changed our brand identity and adopted a bright, fresh new image.

This exciting change came about following a review of our public profile in late 2012. The Board of Directors and Executive Committee were strongly of the opinion that a change in the corporate identity was necessary.

1800 116 550

Display apartment images used

Property Feature8 Free Settlers Dr, Kellyville Ranging from $555,500 - $604,500

This delightful two-bedroom plus study apartment is a very popular design with ample room and many sought-after features including:

• Open plan living, kitchen and dining area

• Level access to a paved, covered balcony

• Large combined bathroom and laundry with water recycling facility

• An additional separate toilet

• Full carpeting and insulation, with double glazing throughout

• Dishwasher, air conditioning and ceiling fans

• Built-in robes with sliding doors in all bedrooms

• Emergency alarm access points

• Secure access into all areas of the building

• Undercover secure car parking

• Access to heated indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, café, club house & library

• Onsite medical rooms & hairdresser

What began as the Baptist Homes Trust in 1944, and became Baptist Community Services in 1992, has now become BaptistCare NSW & ACT, to be known as BaptistCare.

A number of names were considered but after much discussion, the decision to embrace the name ‘BaptistCare’ was made in recognition of the advantage of sharing a similar name to Baptist care agencies across Australia.

The need for a change in the corporate name change meant that we had to review and redesign all our marketing and communication material – including the Gracewood Community. So, in future this is how The Gracewood Community will present itself.

We hope you like the change as much as we do. Rest assured our commitment to serving our community and providing the very best in Retirement Living has not changed.

Penny Edwards

PennyEdwards

Village Manager

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We have had a busy first half of the year, with many exciting events seeing the village buzzing with activity. From opening our communal garden, BaptistCare’s 70th Anniversary celebrations, Anzac Day and Easter functions, to Candle Light Dinners, BBQs and Friday Night Happy Hour.

It is wonderful to see the gym and pool being in full swing and our café overflowing with residents and friends, using produce straight from our garden.

If you’ve not yet visited the community, we hope to see you at our next event or pop in and enjoy a free coffee and sweet treat in the café.

Out & About at The Gracewood Community

Plan your next property move with a little help from a renowned expertIf you are thinking of down-sizing to a smaller home but not sure if the time is right, where to begin, or how much your home is worth – then join us at our next Gracewood event.

We are delighted that Andrew Winter, a senior property consultant and presenter of LifeStyle Channel’s most popular TV show, Selling Houses Australia, will be joining us to host a free Property Brunch on Wednesday June 18.

Making the decision to sell your home and move elsewhere can be a daunting task. But with the Sydney property market booming, this may be the best time to start planning your next move.

Andrew believes that if you haven’t sold your home within two months of putting it on the market then you are doing something wrong. He’ll provide practical tips on how to maximise the value of your home and answer any of your property questions.

Booking is essential however, as places do fill quickly for all Gracewood events, so please be sure to RSVP on 1800 116 550 to secure seats.

If you haven’t seen Selling Houses Australia before, check it out on the LifeStyle Channel on Foxtel, or visit www.andrewwinter.com.au

Café Catch Ups

BaptistCare 70 Year

Anniversary

Garden Club

Monthly BBQ

Cook corn in the microwave on high for six minutes, or until tender. Alternatively, boil in a pot of salted water until tender. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and sauté the bacon until light golden brown. Remove from the pot. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the potatoes, chicken stock and one cup of water and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes or until the potato is completely tender. Remove the pot from the heat and add half the corn kernels.

Using a hand-held stick mixer (immersion blender), puree the soup until smooth. Add the cream, then taste and season. Add almost all the bacon and remaining corn kernels, reserving a few to garnish. Serve topped with a few corn kernels, bacon and shallots.

Corn chowder - By Julie Goodwin

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:• 4 cobs corn, husk removed• 1tablespoon olive oil• 4 rashers bacon, rind removed,

cut into thin strips• 1 brown onion, chopped

• 4 medium Sebago potatoes (about 700g), peeled and diced into 1cm pieces

• 1 litre chicken stock• ½ cup cream

• Salt and finely ground white pepper

• 1 shallot (green onion) finely sliced

Serves6

Sue’s Story When Sue and her husband Tony moved to Gracewood just before last Christmas, Sue says she was looking forward above all to the sense of “total safety and security” Gracewood offers.

She thought she’d have to give up gardening, which she loves, but after a break-in near their previous home, Sue was willing to move in order to feel safer. With her husband having early-onset dementia, Sue was also particularly impressed with the services and activities on offer at the village’s Respite Care Centre and the Home Support Services which are available to all residents.

It was only after moving that Sue discovered – to her total delight – that in the midst of its landscaped lawns and grounds, Gracewood was also in the process of creating a spacious communal gardening area for residents, brimming with delicious vegetables, herbs and flowers.

“Working in a garden is a completely relaxing outlet for me, particularly from the stresses inevitably involved in caring for someone with a difficult condition like dementia. It just takes me to another place,” Sue says.

Laughing, Sue recounts how she even came to find herself appointed president of the village’s Garden Club, a role she is greatly enjoying. “I went along to the official opening of the communal garden by Jason Hodges in April, and when he asked which of us were experienced gardeners, I put my hand up.”

“Jason then called me to the front, put his hand on my shoulder and introduced me to the crowd as the club’s inaugural president!”

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