Meadowood Blog

Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of puzzles. Jigsaw, crossword, rebus, word-find? Bring ‘em on! I was probably the only kid who enjoyed word problems in math class. But as I got older, my puzzle habit waned. Occasionally, I’d take a stab at the crossword puzzle or cryptogram in the newspaper, but once that all went online my obsession with puzzles faded. However, recently I’ve inherited our Healthy Brain Class from our resident brain expert, Eileen Joseph. And let me tell you, it’s been a shock to the system. My […]

New Year’s resolutions are the time-honored tradition of making promises to ourselves–and then promptly breaking them. Weight loss and exercise are chief among these vows, but other efforts, such getting organized, traveling more, learning a new hobby, or quitting smoking also often wind up on the list. And, let’s face it, soon become fodder for our guilt. We enter these contracts with ourselves armed with diet books, shiny new exercise bikes, travel guides, or a bunch of containers from Ikea, ready to make good on our promises to ourselves. But […]

For some, Meadowood is filled with favorite spots where they can challenge friends to a bocce match, play with their pooch, or get their steps in. For the bird-obsessed, those same places are opportunities to spot a ruby-crowned kinglet, red-tailed hawk or bald eagle. Doug Baird, a new resident at Meadowood, definitely counts himself in the second group. “A bad day birding is better than a good day doing anything else,” he says. In fact, the abundance of bird species at Meadowood was one reason he and his wife chose […]

Equine Therapy at Meadowood started as a six-week pilot program “because we didn’t really know whether the residents would be interested,” said Becky Anhorn, Meadowood’s Director of Fitness and Wellness. Well, the residents were not only interested, they were ecstatic. “When we developed this program, we didn’t really fathom what the outcome was going to be,” continued Becky. “It was a new program, we just thought it would be fun for the residents. It has far exceeded our expectations. It’s few and far between that you find a program that […]

I wish I knew more about my grandmother. I’ve seen old black and white photos of her…one with her foot on the runner of a Model T, another one of her in a bathing suit standing at the edge of a lake. I’ve got some costume jewelry from the ‘30s and 40s. A book of poetry she enjoyed. But I have no deep understanding of her life. I knew her, of course. She lived with us for a time, and I spent my summers and weekends at her cabin in […]

Yup. It’s that time of year again. The time when TV news stories, talk show chatter, magazine articles, commercials and charities will implore you to be thankful for all you have. And guess what? I’m going to do the same thing. Because just like eating your vegetables, being thankful is good for you. I’m going to start by telling you WHY. It turns out that feeling grateful not only benefits those on the receiving end of your appreciation, but it benefits you, too. In numerous studies conducted over the past […]

Meadowood just feels different than other retirement communities. That’s the perspective of Kevin York, a local photographer who brings his camera to Meadowood regularly to capture everyday life and special moments. “This place has a different vibe,” he says. “The residents contribute a lot, they’re very active.” From the first time Kevin visited, he noticed that “everyone seemed very happy,” which hasn’t been his experience in some other communities he’s visited. Kevin began photographing Meadowood after John Kotsatos, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and Becky Anhorn, Wellness Director, saw […]

Odds are, come November you’re busy winterproofing. Making sure the snow tires are on the car… changing the clothes in your closet to cozier options… stowing away the patio furniture… But have you thought about how you’re going to winterproof yourself? Many of us have the urge to hibernate during the colder months but staying mentally and physically healthy is important the whole year through. Here are some ways you can winterize your life for both your body and your mind. Stick to your workout routine to keep yourself physically […]

How do you handle stress? I’m talking about both the garden variety—traffic, busy schedule, family problems, etc., and the big stressors. Life changes like the care, illness, or death of a loved one, medical problems, or money issues. Did you know that as we age, our bodies are less able to handle the wear and tear caused by stress? Our internal stress-hormone-reducing mechanisms gradually become less effective, so that means the older we get, the calmer we need to be. The body’s autonomic nervous system has two components that respond […]