On any week night we may often be found joining several friends for pre-dinner drinks and conversation in the Pub at Meadowlark Hills. To us, the most satisfying feature of this evening routine is...
Outdoor Encounters
October 3, 2024
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Happy 163rd birthday to Kansas on Jan. 29, 2024! The Great Seal of Statehood was approved by the first Kansas legislature on Jan. 29, 1861. It was designed by John J. Ingalls, state senator from Atchison. The Kansas motto, Ad Astra per Aspera (To the Stars Through Difficulties), circles the border of the seal. Symbols on the seal include a cluster of 34 stars, marking our place in the line of states admitted to the United States of America. The sun rises over a Kansas landscape, which depicts the history of Native Americans hunting American Bison as a wagon train heads west.
Here we are in the post-Holiday Season doldrums. And what to do with ourselves? There’s always football, but that doesn’t do much for the souls of humans. We could take a fishing or beaching walking vacation somewhere in the Caribbean. We could offer to care for grandchildren to give their parents a chance to rest up after the holidays. After all, changing batteries in toys is hard work.
“This is Our Happy Place.” A custom-made, wooden sign crafted by Meadowlark resident Steve Hall hangs at Meadowlark Market, and the words seem to aptly describe the feelings of those associated with the monthly fundraiser. Happy donors, happy customers, and happy volunteers have helped to create another successful year in terms of awareness of and funds raised for Meadowlark Foundation’s Good Samaritan Fund.
The Meadowlark Travelers' holiday-themed getaway last week included one ark, two eye-catching light displays, three entrees at a private, catered dinner, and more decorated trees than we could count. Twenty-six residents and Passport members, as well as friends and family members joined Monte Spiller, Resident Services Leader, and Becky Fitzgerald, Development Director, on a six-day tour with meal, hotel, and/or attraction stops in six states: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
I recently ran across the term “moral beauty.” As is often the case with such terms, this expression refers to a battery of actions most likely practiced by people ever since one human first looked into the face of another—even without a formal name for those actions.
This will be our last article for our caregiver series highlighting National Caregiver’s Month. Last week, we discussed the importance of self-care and the importance of taking breaks. This week we are focusing on ways you, as a caregiver, can get a break from caregiving.
The fourth article in our series highlighting November as National Caregiver Month addresses self-care. When caring for others, it is impossible to do everything, and it can be easy to put self-care last. Even though we have all heard the sayings about putting on our own oxygen mask first and we can’t pour from an empty cup, the reality is there are only so many hours in a day.
For the third article in our series highlighting November as National Caregiver Month, communication is the goal. We all use communication in some form or fashion numerous times a day. This communication might be made with our hands, face, spoken words or sounds, writing and typing, pictures, and/or emojis. We also need to be able to understand and interpret these expressions from others in order to have true communication. What happens, though, when part of this system is challenged by speech, language, hearing, or cognitive difficulties?
There are many challenges to caregiving. One of those challenges can be educating yourself and organizing the many legal documents needed when caring for a loved one with physical and/or mental disabilities. This part of our caregiver series is going to focus on these different types of legal documents.
As human beings, caring for one another is an innate part of who we are. As former First Lady Rosalynn Carter stated, caregiving will impact all of us, most likely in more ways than one. During National Caregivers Month, the Meadowlark Special Programs team is writing a series of articles to celebrate the caring that is happening in our community. Throughout the month of November, we will explore topics important to, and impacting, care partners and their loved ones. We will share resources and the wisdom of the caregivers in our midst.