National Night Out was started in 1984 to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, among other goals. For six years, Touchmark has participated by celebrating National Morning Out.

This year’s event will be Tuesday, Aug. 6, 7:45 am, and the public is invited.

Activities include a breakfast and mini carnival featuring a dunk tank and various games. Members of the Meridian police and the K-9 unit will give a demonstration, and local firefighters will be on hand with a fire truck. City officials also participate.

Save the date for National Morning Out

Touchmark anglers enjoyed a relaxing day fishing the Horsethief Reservoir while the light cloud cover lifted for moments of sun. The group swapped fishing stories while waiting for bites and enjoyed snacks. Dave Wegner provided musical entertainment on the drive up with his harmonica. He also pulled the first trout out of the lake with his first cast. Don Kuxhausen pulled the last one, and Chad Bolender hooked the most. “The beautiful setting is home to local osprey, whose fishing skills exceeded our own,” laughs Ann Upchurch. “But they were diving from great heights to catch those fish.” Several members of the group enjoyed fish fries after returning home.

Gone fishing

October 2011 | page 1

EVENT{FULL}Monthly updates from your {FULL} Life community

TOUCHMARK AT MEADOW LAKE VILLAGE Issue 7, 2013 | page 1

TOUCHMARK AT MEADOW LAKE VILLAGE

Celebrating in your new home

This soon-to-be-built home will offer the 1,768-square-foot Monroe floor plan with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The kitchen will feature granite countertops, hardwood flooring, and pull-out shelving. Other features include an oversized master closet and fireplace. The home will be available in August for purchase or lease. Call or visit to learn more about this new home.

Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village4037 E Clocktower Lane | Meridian, ID 83642 | 208-888-2277 | 888-978-5050 | MeadowLakeVillage.com

MLV014, Rev. 07/07 © 2007, Touchmark Living Centers, Inc., all rights reserved

Cottage HomesRetirement Resort

For illustration purposes only. Square footage, actual room sizes, and features may vary. See construction documents.

Main 1,768 sq. ft.Garage 473 sq. ft.

TWO-CAR GARAGE

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BRAIN BUILDERS

Think of as many things as possible that are red, white, and blue.

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“Where I need to be”Life Enrichment/Wellness Assistant Lila Fladwood talks about the passion and personal connection that energizes her work and fuels her love for those she serves in the memory care neighborhoods, which are in the new Owyhee Lodge.

I’ve asked myself this question many times during my life: “Are you where you need to be?” And, of course, this question would rear its awaited answer in my head during times in my life when it just didn’t “feel” like I was doing what I was meant to do. My working career often seemed challenging.

Oh, how I wish I would have listened to my mom all those years ago (don’t we all) when she said, “Honey, I think you have missed your calling. You need to be working with old folks.” I would tell mom that I just didn’t know if that was right for me, because I had too much energy and that might not be a good thing for people wanting to relax. Of course, I knew better, because my mom had been a nurse in a nursing home during my childhood years, and this woman had more energy and spunk than an entire class of elementary students who have missed all their recesses and are stuck in the classroom.

Oh, how I loved to go visit my mom at her work. There was something about seeing mom in an environment where she was on top of her game.

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October 2011 | page 1TOUCHMARK AT MEADOW LAKE VILLAGE

Contact a Full Life team member for additional details, including registration, transportation information, and participation requirements.

Mondays in July, 10:45 am Join the Meadow Lake Village choir. Enjoy making music together and singing favorite songs. The group has been focusing on songs from the ’40s lately. All voices and experience levels are welcome. Chapel.

Every first Tuesday Trip to Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa. This one-of-a-kind museum also hosts a Kilroy Coffee Klatch with pastries, coffee, and a program that features a speaker and discussion. The museum has the valley’s Veterans’ History Project production studio, offering video interviews of all veterans. Copies are provided to veterans’ families and submitted to the National Archives. Join Touchmark veterans for a warm reception, discussion, and visit to this museum dedicated to celebrating war heroes. Cost: no charge for veterans; $8 for others.

Thursday, July 4, 9 am Independence Day celebration. Festivities will include trumpeter and resident Cal Bowen annnouncing the ceremony with To the Colors, presentation and raising of the flag by a resident color guard, reading of the Declaration of Independence, singing of the National Anthem with Touchmark choir, and a group sing of America the Beautiful. After lunch, residents are invited to an ice-cream sundae reception on the patio of The Meadows at Meadow Lake Village.

Thursday, July 11 Music History with classical music enthusiast Eric Collett. Learn about the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler.

Tuesday, July 16, 6:45 pm The Entertainers return. This local

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS (cont.) I would ride my bicycle to her work, knowing that I didn’t have to get permission to show up, because I was always welcomed. I would walk in the front door, and one of the aides would point to the hall where mom was working that day.

I always liked it if they pointed to the C hall, because that’s where my mom did her best work. Mom had told me that most of the staff didn’t like working this wing, because they had labeled it the “crazy” wing. Back then, they had put the crazy label on residents who were, as we know today, suffering from dementia illnesses or Alzheimer’s disease. My mom didn’t buy into that nonsense for one minute. In fact, her spunk and energy made everyone and everything come alive.

Mom always brought a harmonica to work and would pull it out of the pocket of her dress and just start blowing a tune. I felt like a mom groupie of sorts when I was around her. I wanted everyone to know, “Hey that’s my mom, and isn’t she cool!” She would say, “Come on Lila, sing this song. They like to hear music.” There I was—with my rock star mom—not afraid to belt out a tune walking alongside her down that C hall. I could honestly feel the atmosphere of that environment change with my mom’s energy. In my own childlike way, I knew mom had a special touch and a special way of uplifting what could be considered a depressing environment into a happy place to be.

I admit I was a little scared when one particular lady, Frannie, wanted me to come into her room. She saw me walking by and said, “Little girl, little girl, come here. Come see me.” I looked at my mom for reassurance, and she told me, “Honey, it’s ok. Go see her; she likes little girls.” I gingerly tip-toed to her door and just barely stood inside her room. She again said, “Come here,” and held out her hand. I didn’t know if I should, but mom was behind me and said, “Go let her touch you.” I approached her bed, and Frannie reached out to touch my hair. She didn’t speak but

(cont.) (cont.)

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TOUCHMARK AT MEADOW LAKE VILLAGE

just stroked my hair. When she seemed satisfied, I turned to mom who said, “Frannie had a little girl with long wavy hair just like yours, and I think it makes her feel like she is touching her little girl’s hair again.” That was a moment when I knew my mom was where she needed to be.

Even though my mom has left this world, I know that she is with me each and every day. You see, I am now doing what I should have been doing all those years. I’m working in memory care, where I get to use my energy to bring moments of happiness to all those “Frannies” out there. Now, when Miss Ruth says, “I don’t know where I am.” I smile at her, and to my mom, and I say, “You are where you need to be—and so am I!”

Life Enrichment/Wellness Assistant Lila Fladwood and Paul Beck at a festive, fun tea party.

(cont.) (cont.) musical group will bring their repertoire of standard dance tunes from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s. Coeur d’Alene Room.

Friday, July 19, 6:15 pm Bus leaves for Field Night with the Boise Hawks. It’s time to play ball! Take the field and pass the ball. One lucky resident will throw the first pitch. Cost: tickets are $10 and available in the Grand Lodge.

Saturday, July 20, 11 am Bus leaves for The Snake River Stampede Rodeo. Come to the rodeo at noon and enjoy a part of our state’s culture and history. Cost: $15 for seniors. Sign up in the Grand Lodge.

Saturday, July 20, 6:15 pm Bus leaves for Meridian’s Concert on Broadway at the steps of the beautiful Meridian City Hall on Broadway. The popular Treasure Valley band The Kings of Swing will perform. We will bring picnic chairs

and beverages. Sign up in the Grand Lodge. No charge.

Tuesday, July 23 Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s Much Ado About Nothing at the outdoor amphitheater. Before the performance, we will enjoy a show set to Elizabethan music and theme. Cost: $35; tickets will need to be purchased by July 13. Pay at the front desk, and sign up in the Grand Lodge.

Thursday, July 25 The Great Garden Escape. Enjoy a casual music concert at the beautiful Idaho Botanical Gardens. Either bring a picnic supper or purchase food from Willow Creek Grill. You can bring your own beverages and/or purchase a selection from the featured winery, Vale Wines. Cost: $10 at the door for concert. Food and wine on own. Sign up in the Grand Lodge.

See the full event calendar online:

TouchmarkMeridian.com/pdf/community-

event-calendar.pdf.

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MargeCoalman, EdDVice Presidentof Wellness &Programs

The right to question authority “In these chaotic times we must move from cognitive dissonance to inspirational dissonance by learning to live more deeply in the questions, and to ask new ones.”

– Anne Dosher, Elder of the Ashland Institute and International Women’s Dialogue

The headlines alone are enough to baffle us. Why would someone shoot and kill children and their teachers? How does a citizen feel empowered by sharing information that could

jeopardize the well-being of others? “Why, why, why?” No one knows the answers, and some debate the questions.

The question seems to be, “Does the right to be heard override the rights of others to be safe?” That challenge lies with the Supreme Court, the Canadian Ministries, and leaders in democratic countries around the world. In reality, it is important to be heard but not necessary to be right. That is the premise of the constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Canadian provincial governance, and other democratic bodies.

As we celebrate Canada Day July 1 and the Fourth of July in the USA, we set aside personal preferences and biases and focus on the lives dedicated to freedom and the rights we all

hold dear.

In my interviews with Touchmark residents, I often pause and reflect on the wisdom, life experience, patriotism, and thoughtful observations they share. In the Lifelong Learning, Civic Engagement, and Legacy project offerings of Touchmark’s Full Life Wellness & Life Enrichment Program, there are venues and opportunities for residents to participate and share their knowledge and opinions.

To contribute and participate in the Full Life’s Lifelong Learning programs, contact Life Enrichment/Wellness Director Ann Upchurch. Support learning over the life span—whether there is universal agreement or not.

Construction continues on the Targhee Lodge, which is scheduled to open later this year. Call today for more information.

Construction update

TOUCHMARK AT MEADOW LAKE VILLAGE 4037 E Clocktower Lane • Meridian, ID 83642

208-888-2277 • Touchmark.com

© 2011 Touchmark Living Centers, Inc., all rights reserved