July is traditionally the month when we begin to think about summer, however, the summer high temperatures began in June this year. July is also when we begin to plan celebrating America’s independence with family and good friends. This July will be no exception for residents at Kirby Pines Life Care Community.
As part of national Hot Dog Month, the Bistro is bringing back to its menu a Hot Dog of the week. What better way to celebrate the opening month of summer than with a meal that is so closely tied to family outings, and the gatherings of friends. In addition, it is an excellent way to entertain grandchildren and great grandchildren visiting for the day.
If the start of summer weather has you feeling like staying indoors, then why not take a moment to check out a book from the library, or find the perfect movie playing in the movie theater. You can also enjoy playing cards or bingo, or just sitting back and relaxing to various musical entertainment available to you this month in the PAC. Living at a life-care retirement community such Kirby Pines, offers so much more than simply living in comfort. Living here provides you with more time to spend doing the things you enjoy, including volunteering.
Volunteering brings benefits to both the community at large and the residents who volunteer. It makes important contributions, economically as well as socially. It also contributes to making a more cohesive community by building trust and reciprocity among the residents. Call Allison or Rachel in Resident Programs to find the perfect place for you to volunteer.
As we gather to celebrate Independence Day, take a moment to think about all we have come through together these past few years; and join with me in thanking our employees and workers for their tireless hours of service to you and Kirby Pines.
Michael Escamilla, Executive Director, Kirby Pines
A while ago my wife, Jerry, attended a women’s retreat led by a Roman Catholic nun, Sister Susan. A few days after returning from the retreat, Jerry received a letter from Sister Susan which concluded with this prayer, and suggesting that Jerry pray it daily: “Oh God, help me to believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is.”
What a prayer! Does it shock you? Most of would have problems praying it. Why? Our Christian faith warns about thinking too highly of ourselves than we ought to think.
Unfortunately, we have misunderstood that and taken it too far. The message of Christianity, the most affirming of all religions, has come through as self-denial. To be sure, there is a place for self-denial, but that must not be seen as self-depreciation or any form of devaluating self.
As the pinnacle of God’s creation, not proudly, but humbly we should have a high opinion of ourselves. This old story will put it in perspective. A French Prime Minister said to an eminent surgeon who was to operate on him, “You will not, of course, treat me in the same manner as you would your poor, miserable wretches in the hospital.” The surgeon replied, “Sir, every one of those poor, miserable wretches, as your Eminence is pleased to call them, is a prime minister in my eyes.”
In the eyes of God we are all creatures of potential greatness. Write the prayer down—memorize it. Pray it daily—it will change your life:
Oh God, help me to believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is.”
Describe your family: My family is close, loud, and wouldn’t want it any other way.
Describe yourself in five words: Caring, loving, friendly, energetic and understanding.
What do you do for fun: I love to be with my family and friends, shopping and dancing.
Do you have a pet: A poodle, his name is State.
Do you have any hobbies or interests: My idol is Selena Quintanilla, so anything to do with her.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Getting to help residents and putting a smile on their faces.
What is your favorite food: Any kind of Chicken or watermelon. Favorite song: BIDI BIDI BOM BOM by Selena Quintanilla.
What is something you are proud of:I am proud of myself and how far I’ve come in this life so far. Also my friends and family.
What would you like people to know about you:I am always available if anyone needs me for anything and I love to joke and laugh.
Channon brings a bright smile to Caring in Place every day! Her consistent positive attitude always boosts our spirits, when we need it most. Channon has always made herself available to assist us, in any way possible. Her commitment to Caring in Place and Kirby Pines is unwavering. We are fortunate to have Channon on our team!
– Victoria Snelling, Director of Personal Support Services
On October 28, 1929, the worst economic event in American history occurred when the stock market crashed, resulting in THE GREAT DEPRESSION. It was three weeks later, November 20, 1929, that Willard Bruce Powell entered the world. Despite early hardships, Bruce says that he has had a “charmed” life.
Due to the economy, Bruce’s parents lived with his mother’s parents in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York. His father worked as a projectionist at a movie theater and Bruce was allowed to see all movies for free. Although he had parents, Bruce says he was primarily reared by his grandparents. He recalls two major events which occurred during his preschool years: When he was five years old, Bruce’s grandfather took him to a lecture at Yeshiva University. Afterward, he was escorted to the speaker and prompted to shake his hand. He later learned that the speaker was Albert Einstein! Another memorable event was going with his parents to California where his father’s mother lived. They remained there a year while his father helped to build his grandmother’s new home.
Returning to New York, Bruce attended elementary school PS 132. His parents divorced when he was about ten years old and he remained with his father. His father remarried and the family moved to Miami, Florida where Bruce attended high school, then graduated Cum Laude in 1952 from The University of Miami with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Bruce had worked at various jobs to help support himself and was fortunate to receive a full scholarship for college.
Following graduation, Bruce learned of a two-year program offered by Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The program was designed for young engineers. Bruce was interested in power plant machinery and distribution systems so this program was an ideal “fit” for him. According to Bruce, “Allis-Chalmers treated us very well, giving us membership in their engineering society and allowing us to eat lunch every day in the Engineering Club.” They had also provided living accommodations for Bruce in a private boarding house. The lady who owned the house had a friend with an unmarried daughter. A dinner date was arranged where Bruce met Eloda Selbo. They dated for approximately a year, marrying in June 1954.
The Korean War had been declared but the students at Allis-Chalmers were deferred from the draft for two years because they were involved in work deemed supportive of war efforts. Following his two years of deferment, Bruce enlisted in the Navy and he and Eloda moved to his first base located in California. Bruce recalls that adventure, “This girl who had never been out of Wisconsin went with her husband, whom she had only known for a year, to California. We drove on Route 66, with all of our belongings. I could barely see out the windows!”
In the Navy, Bruce attended Officers Candidate School and was commissioned as an Ensign in the Civil Engineering Corps (Seabees). Bruce left the Navy after three years as a Lieutenant, Senior Grade. He and Eloda moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. “I immediately found civilian work with the Navy as a mechanical engineer doing essentially the same thing I had done while in the Navy,” states Bruce.
After a few years with the Navy, Bruce learned that the United States Postal Service (USPS) was beginning to mechanize and needed engineers. He transferred to USPS and worked there for several years in management positions, primarily overseeing the construction of new buildings. On learning of another opportunity to work as the Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Quality Control Engineer, Bruce transferred back to the Navy. According to Bruce, “We built or converted a variety of sea vessels, including the famous Swift Boats that saw quite a lot of action in the Vietnam War.” Yet again, a better job opportunity became available with the USPS. Bruce and his family moved to Dallas, Texas where he filled the position of Space Requirements Officer. Finally, transferring to Memphis in 1971, he retired from the USPS in 1992 as General Manager in the Executive Service.
Bruce and Eloda are the parents of two children, a daughter, and a son. Bruce says that Eloda “was the perfect wife for me. I enjoyed being a father and I am proud of my children and their accomplishments, especially with their own children.” There are now six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Bruce and Eloda 1954
Bruce and Eloda moved to Kirby Pines in 2018, having made the decision to move here ten years earlier. Bruce said that Eloda adjusted immediately. However, he admits it took him a while to adjust to the changes. Also, since moving to Kirby Pines, Bruce lost two of his loved ones. First, his daughter died of breast cancer in 2020 and his beloved Eloda passed away in 2021. They had been married for sixty-eight years. Now, at age 92, Bruce lives a somewhat solitary life but enjoys the evening meals with a group of friends. As a long-time member of the Church of Christ, Bruce attends the 8 am Sunday church services and the Saturday morning Men’s Prayer Group at Kirby Pines. He is also learning to play bridge.
Bruce says, “I have had a wonderful life and been blessed with a wonderful family. I have loved all of my work and it doesn’t seem like I have ‘worked’ a day in my life. I have lived a charmed life.”
“There’s plenty of water in the universe without life, but nowhere is there life without water.” ― Sylvia A. Earle
The summer season is one of cool breezes, longer days, outdoor events, trips to the beach, and time in the pool. As we inch closer and closer to summer months, we have an opportunity to celebrate our post-pandemic freedom and spend some much-needed time in the water. Although the pool is indoors at Kirby Pines, there tends to be an uptick in pool usage during summer months, no matter where you live. Time in the water … whether a pool, ocean, river, or lake, provides a sense of joy, laughter, and play, much like that from our childhood.
Did you know that water has many known benefits for health and wellness? Hydrostatic pressure is pressure that is exerted by or existing within a liquid at rest with respect to adjacent bodies. When you are in a pool, that hydrostatic pressure compresses your skin, muscles, and joints, which can provide a wonderful cardiopulmonary workout, without adding stress or tension to your joints. The buoyancy and resistance of the water can help tone and build muscles while reducing pain. The natural viscosity forces you to move more slowly helping to rebuild muscle memory while also adding an overall sense of relaxation. The lighthearted atmosphere that water promotes is vital to the healing process for both body and mind.
Kirby Pines has many water classes to choose from, such as Aerobics, Advanced Water Aerobics, and Men’s Water Aerobics. In addition, Functional Pathways is excited to announce the addition of water-based interventions as part of a comprehensive therapy care plan in a 1:1 setting.
Some of these interventions include:
Aqua Stretch (water based myofascial and manual treatment)
Ai Chi (Tai Chi in water)
How to Fall Safely (water-based)
Stability, Mobility and Function (water-based)
For more information on Functional Pathway’s aquatics programming and how it can benefit you, please contact our Therapy Team! At the very least, consider dipping your toes (and body) into the water for some quality time with family and friends this summer.
By: Beth Reigart, Clinical Outcomes Specialist, Functional Pathways and Brittany Austin, National Director of Health and Wellness, Functional Pathways
I get that question more often than any other in the Oasis. Not how can I improve my health? Or what is the best exercise to strengthen my body?
Belly fat comes in two places: There’s the stuff right under your skin that you can pinch (ugh), called subcutaneous fat. But that’s actually the less harmful kind. It’s visceral fat that poses a real threat to your health. It plumps your middle from the inside out, surrounding organs such as your liver, lungs, and heart—and putting you at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, says Kristen Gill Hairston, M.D., an endocrinologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
Visceral fat gets worse for all of us as we get older, especially if we’re under a lot of stress or not sleeping well, says nutritionist Sara Vance, author of The Perfect Metabolism Plan. That’s thanks to hormones that make us hungrier even as our bodies are practically hoarding fat.
Lack of exercise adds to the belly fat problem. Sit-ups may build and strengthen your abdominal muscles, but the real winner is….. Walking: At 11 miles a week, it made no difference whether people in the study walked or jogged, “It’s not the intensity of the exercise that matters,” Cris Slentz, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC says. “It’s the amount.” And you can break it up into 10 or 15 minute increments. Start slow and easy and then work your way up to 15 miles a week over six weeks or more to reduce belly fat. Another simple exercise to flatten your tummy is Core Compressions: Sit tall in a chair with your feet hip-width apart and your belly flattened toward your spine. Place one hand on your upper abs and the other on your lower. Take a deep breath in, then exhale forcefully to draw your abdominal muscles in even tighter, keeping your back straight and still. Continue for five minutes, focusing on slow, complete tightening of the muscles. Do two sets.
Diet: It’s low-carb, but don’t let that put you off. “Too many carbohydrates spike your blood sugar,” Vance says. Your body converts that glucose into energy or stores it as fat. “When you take those carbs away, it has to get energy somewhere, so it starts burning fat.” The good carbs: Instead of simple carbohydrates (like baked goods or chips), reach for complex carbs. Generally, vegetables are the lowest in grams, followed by beans and legumes, fruits, and whole grains. Stick to 30 grams or fewer at a sitting to avoid spiking your blood sugar.
Patience: Be patient with yourself. That extra tummy fluff didn’t happen overnight and it will take more than a week to go away. As you improve your walking stamina and develop healthier eating habits: Pounds and inches will fall away and strength, balance, stamina and energy levels will improve.
Father’s Day is the perfect occasion to express feelings of gratitude and thankfulness to every dad, both living and deceased. Though the day is celebrated with enthusiasm in present times, it wasn’t always that way. Father’s Day celebrations had a very modest beginning. In fact, the idea is said to have come from Sonora Dodd who while listening to a sermon on “Mother’s Day” in church, wondered why there wasn’t a special day to celebrate dad. So to pay tribute to her father, Sonora held the first Father’s Day celebration on the 19th of June 1910, on the birthday of her father.
In 1913 a bill was officially introduced and the idea approved by President Woodrow Wilson three years later in 1916. In 1924 a National Father’s Day Committee was formed, however, it took Congress thirty years to give recognition to Father’s Day; and another 16 years passed before President Richard Nixon established the third Sunday of June, as a permanent observance day.
Therefore, in recognition of all fathers throughout the world please enjoy the word of Nicolas Gordon:
Fathers are forever. Even death, Although a distancing, does not divide The child from a parent, nor does time, However long, nor space, however wide, Enduring beyond silence, beyond breath, Resonant where hours cease to chime, Some yearning inconsolable abide.
Michael Escamilla, Executive Director, Kirby Pines
I was spending the night in the hospital room with my mother. Fifteen years before, she had won a tough, ravaging battle with cancer. Now it had struck again.
She had had a mastectomy that morning and had been sedated all day. In the middle of the night 1 was dozing, but her stirring brought me to alertness. I had the feeling that she wanted to talk, and that she wanted to talk about real things, not just make time-passing conversation. How did she feel? What was she thinking? There was a lot of deep sharing.
I hope l never forget that night and what she said. “When you give your life to the Lord, Son, everything has to be all right—-no matter what happens.”
lt was her way of expressing confidence that she was okay in God’s hands. She had known God’s love and care in the past, and she could trust him now.
That night, Momma taught me that trust is a verb. We trust by relying on God to be true to his promises. At our age, here at Kirby, we trust God’s promise, “I go to prepare a place for you,” and we “ready ourselves” to claim that place.
CRUSADE for CHRIST
Wednesday, May 4 | 6:30 pm – Reverend Jimmy Latimer
Thursday, May 5 | 6:30 pm – Reverend Jimmy Latimer
Friday, May 6 | 6:30 pm – Glory Land Singers
May Vesper Services | 6:30pm | Performing Arts Center
Describe your family: My husband is an Anglican pastor and we’ve been married 38 years. We have two children and five grandchildren.
Describe yourself in five words: Christian, helpful, loving, grateful and compassionate.
What is something you are proud of: My family.
What do you do for fun: Vacation at the beach.
Do you have a pet: A cat named Precious.
Do you have any hobbies or interests: Gardening, Soduko Puzzles and Children’s Ministry.
What is your favorite food: Chocolate. Favorite song:Too many to list.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Helping residents stay healthy and strong.
What would you like people to know about you:God did a miracle 10 years ago, when Cheryl Grimes called me to teach water aerobics at Kirby Pines.
Mary exemplifies Kirby in all she does. She goes above and beyond to cultivate a meaningful place for the residents and staff alike. She is always thinking of new and innovative ideas and always has a positive attitude. You can always count on Mary to get the job and more complete!
Kirby Pines, a sister community of The Farms at Bailey Station, is part of the family of LifeCare Communities of Retirement Companies of America. For more information, visit retirementcompanies.com
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