Recipe Share: The Easiest Bark to Place Under the Tree

‘Tis the season for holiday parties, gift exchanges, and get-togethers with family and friends. It’s all fun and festive, but makes for a very full calendar. If full scale holiday baking doesn’t fit into your schedule this season, then this is the recipe for you! 

Made up of only three ingredients, this Pistachio and Cranberry White Chocolate Bark comes together in just a little bit more time than it takes to melt the chocolate. It’s an interesting twist on traditional holiday peppermint bark, with a creamy white chocolate base and festive flecks of red and green.      

It’s easy enough to make a few batches to keep on hand for gift giving, unexpected guests, and holiday parties. Everyone appreciates a little something homemade this time of year!

Springmoor Floral Focal Points: Landscaping the new Wellness Center

By Thom Morgan, Springmoor landscape manager

Thom Morgan

It’s a November morning, and I am standing in front of what will be the entrance to Springmoor’s new Wellness Center. Piles of dirt, broken concrete and construction materials surround the area. Large machines sit parked ready for another day of work. Somehow this soon will be a finished landscape, inviting residents, guests and employees in to use the new center. Where to start? There are no sidewalks in yet, which would indicate where plant beds go. There will be walkway lights, and other utilities that I must avoid covering with plants. There is a transformer box that will need to be hidden, and access to an existing transformer will need to be provided. I make note of other utilities such as a water faucet, which could come in handy. I know the sun will reach the area most of the morning, and into the early afternoon in summer. The main entry of the Wellness Center is on the southeast corner of the Valley building, so it will be well protected from cold winds in the winter. Fortunately, the builder provided me with a plan that indicates where the sidewalks, parking spaces, and lights go, and where windows and doors are located on the building. I now know how people will walk into and out of the building, as well as see into, and out of it. There is a large existing Willow Oak that should be saved. 

This is the inventory, and analysis phase of the design now for a concept. It was very hard to come up with a design, but I wanted to simply match the purpose of the building--wellness--to the landscape.  All of the plants in the plan can be used, or were used, for medicinal, herbal, or culinary purposes. The exception is a specimen Japanese maple, and some Encore azaleas--it’s OK to break some rules and not completely follow the concept; I can justify using the azaleas since they tie in nicely with what we have throughout campus. The Japanese maple--when matured--will have a peaceful, sculptural shape to it.  Now it’s time to locate the plants on the plan. I will start out with the trees first, and choose those that meet the criteria for the wellness concept. I place the trees where they will provide shade from the hot summer sun, and also where they will be noticed as people walk into, and out of the building.

Ready to Feast? Thanksgiving Dining Options Aplenty!

Every Thanksgiving, Springmoor puts on a traditional meal in each dining room from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If that’s not on your agenda this year, there are plenty of other places to get together with family and friends. Over the past few weeks, both The News and Observer and WRAL have compiled their lists of restaurants with Thanksgiving hours and even those with carry-out options. 

"Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure"

By Kari Richie
Springmoor Health and Fitness Director

Kari Richie

Wellness is more than the absence of disease or sickness. It is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. If we embrace this process and educate ourselves, we are choosing to live a lifestyle of prevention rather than treatment.

One very easy, simple way to prevent disease is to keep on top of health exams and screenings that can help detect issues before they become serious problems. Checkups can also help find problems early, when your chances for treatment and a cure are better. By getting the right health services, screenings and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances for living a longer, healthier life. Your age, health and family history, lifestyle choices (i.e. what you eat, how active you are, whether you smoke) and other important factors impact what and how often you need healthcare.

Springmoor's Medical Director Moonlights as Award-Winning Photographer

Dr. Edmundson poses next to one of his photographs hanging
in a Springmoor exam room

Most people around Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community know Dr. Wells Edmundson as the community’s longtime medical director, whom they trust to care for their aches and pains. But, outside the community and the medical field, Edmundson is known for something else: nature photography.

“Being a doctor feeds your family, and being a photographer feeds your soul, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of both,” Edmundson says. “If a picture falls off a wall and breaks—nobody cares about that; if you get it wrong with a patient, that’s a whole different story.”

Springmoor Floral Focal Points: Trees and Shrubs for Fall Leaf Color

By Thom Morgan, Springmoor landscape manager 

Thom Morgan

After summer winds down, those of us living in the Northern Temperate Latitudes get treated to one last burst of color as leaves on trees begin to change. Daylight decreases from 15 hours to—eventually—10, causing leaves to compensate for the decrease in light; green chlorophyll fades as the other plant pigments stand out to produce red, orange and yellow. Finally, leaves drop due to what is called an abscission layer, which forms and allows leaves to break away.

Trees for fall leaf color:

Best Bets for Breakfast In and Around Springmoor

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and at Springmoor most residents opt for something easy to prepare in the comfort of their own homes.  On some mornings though, a bowl of cold cereal or piece of toast or two just doesn’t cut it.  On those days, plenty of tempting breakfast options are conveniently located right in the neighborhood.

Local Pharmacist Speaks with Seniors about Medicare at Springmoor-Sponsored Community Seminars

Brent Talley

As pharmacist manager of Hayes Barton Pharmacy in Raleigh, Brent Talley often fields questions from his older customers about Medicare—what’s covered and what’s not—and he’s always happy to help them navigate what can be a very confusing system.

Which is why Brent—whose pharmacy delivers prescriptions to Springmoor on a weekly basis—has been invited to speak with seniors at a community seminar hosted by Springmoor to help them understand their options, and what’s at stake.

In a seminar on Oct. 1, and two more on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, Brent walks seniors through Medicare Parts A, B, C and D, and the associated advantage plans available, with an emphasis on Part D, with which he is most involved.

Active Aging Week Brought Healthy Dishes, Massages, Wellness Examinations and More!

Kari Richie

By Kari Richie, Springmoor Health and Fitness Director

Active Aging Week began with our typical back-to-back Monday morning exercise classes. The day started in the pool with Aqua Fitness, followed by Total Body Fitness and then Seated Body Fitness. 

We offered delicious and nutritious strawberry, pineapple, blueberry and banana smoothies in between classes. Monday was the “Discover Your Community Scavenger Hunt” for both the residents and staff. About 50 people completed the indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts. Resident Aladine Rogers won a $50 Whole Foods gift card while three lucky employees won $20 gift cards.

Specials on trees and shrubs? Here's how to spot a plant enemy when you see one

Specials on trees and shrubs? Here's how to spot a plant enemy when you see one:

Whether they shade our homes, provide food, fragrance, beauty, or, in some cases, medicinal benefits, plants as a whole are very beneficial to us. You can go to any nursery and garden center, or order from catalogues and have access to thousands of different plants. The only problem is that some trees and shrubs can cause problems down the road for any property owner not aware of these plant time-bombs. If the plant label says it grows fast, and does well in any soil, run the other way! These types of plants are usually short lived, and weak wooded, which means they drop a lot of branches even if you sneeze on them. The ideal time to plant trees and shrubs is after the first frost (we'll talk more about that in next month's blog).

Active Aging Week Profile: Esther Wenzel Keeps Running through Retirement

Esther Wenzel poses with her daughters after they completed a recent "Race for the Cure" run to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness.

Esther Wenzel has always been on the go. She’s been a cartographer, computer analyst, mother, homemaker and bank teller; She’s lived in Colorado, California, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and she’s had one habit that has helped carry her through all of it: Running.

At 83 years old, Wenzel still makes running a top priority. She runs at least three times a week—pushing an hour each trip, walks ½ mile each day from her home at Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community to visit her husband at the Health Center, and typically participates in two 5k charity runs a year. She has done the “Race for the Cure” for breast cancer awareness nearly every year to support friends and family who have suffered from the disease.

Springmoor to Celebrate Active Aging Week & Fall Prevention Awareness Day

By Kari Richie, Springmoor's Health and Fitness director 

Active Aging Week®, which is being held Sunday, September 22 through Saturday, September 28, 2013, is a national observance organized by the International Council on Active Aging® to highlight the diverse opportunities available to older adults. The 2013 theme is “Discover your community,” and encourages older adults and the organizations that serve them to focus on wellness.

At Springmoor Life CareRetirement Community, the Pathways Wellness Directors have planned an exciting week for the community. Some of the highlights include a  “Discover your community” scavenger hunt, free smoothies, an evening celebration dance, resident storytelling, Encore Program for Lifelong Enrichment at North Carolina State, tour of the Lego exhibit and an array of exercise classes!

Springmoor's Floral Focal Points: Rain--too much of a good thing?

By Thom Morgan, Springmoor landscape manager

In last month’s blog, I mentioned that Springmoor experienced a lot of rain in June and July. August continued to be wet, and we got a break from the summer heat. I also mentioned that lawns, landscape plants and vegetables only need 1.5 inches of rain a week in summer, and just one inch of rain a week during the cooler months.

When you get too much rain, the ground becomes saturated and plants that can’t tolerate too much water die. If you have a spot that stays constantly wet, there are trees and shrubs that can tolerate high moisture, and low oxygen in the soil.

Springmoor Residents, Staff Donate School Supplies, Wisdom to Sanderson High School

As students around Raleigh embark on the new school year, residents, staff and retired teachers at Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community were busy collecting school supplies—and wisdom—to donate to Sanderson High School.

Springmoor collected everything from notepads to soap, and “senior-to-senior” advice (words of encouragement written on Sanderson High School note cards to share with the students). The school reported to Springmoor that they have students who are homeless, or are otherwise without the support many students at the school enjoy, and would appreciate the donation.

Family Matters: Springmoor Treats Residents Like Family

David Ammons

By David Ammons, chief executive officer of Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community

When I was a boy, “Mr. Smith” was already using a cane. He was funny and odd—a popular guy at church—and we admired him for his devotion to his faith, and to his wife and family. When I was a teenager, he remained a fixture of our community, staying involved in Boy Scouts, and attending every North Carolina State University football game. When I was a young man—and the executive director of Springmoor Life Care RetirementCommunity—“Mr. Smith” walked determinedly through my office door. The usually chipper man looked determined, took a seat and demanded my attention.

South Village Wellness Center Construction Underway!

Construction underway!

Construction on Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community’s new Wellness Center has begun, and residents and staff couldn’t be more excited to see all of the activity! Many in South Village—where the new center is being built—are glued to their windows, watching as cranes lift beams, and workers scurry to move pieces into place. Some residents have even been spotted snapping pictures of the construction as it progresses.

The Wellness Center—which will feature a 25-meter, salt water, lap pool, hot tub, sauna, movie theater, beauty salon, café/bistro, massage therapy rooms, billiard and bridge tables (to name a few)—was a needed enhancement to help residents get excited about fitness, and also to help them enjoy their lives at Springmoor even more, said Springmoor Executive Director Fred Conner. Residents will be able to bring guests to enjoy the amenities of the new center.

Water Exercises Give Seniors Increased Strength, Stimulation and Quality of Life

Kari Richie

By Kari Richie

Springmoor Health and Fitness Director

Swimming is not just for kids or vacationers at the beach. You can find Springmoor residents in the pool Monday through Saturday as they faithfully participate in water exercise. The residents are unique – ranging in age from 77 to 96—and living with various health conditions—ranging from arthritis and osteoporosis to hypertension and  spinal stenosis and joint replacements; but they have one thing in common – they love to exercise in the water!

As Springmoor’s Health & Fitness Director, why do I encourage residents to participate in water exercise? Five reasons:

Springmoor Floral Focal Points: August 2013

Rainy Summer Saves Money

Thom Morgan

During June and July we need 1.5 inches of water each week to maintain the lawns, trees and shrubs at Springmoor. In June, we received a whopping 9.5 inches, and in July, we got 3.5 inches.

With all that surplus water, we turned the irrigation system off and managed to save some money.

In Floral Focus

Pink crape myrtle

Humid August brings several plants to bloom along our walkways and landscapes. The Stella de Oro (Hemorocallis Stella de Oro) bloom all summer long, and strongly in August. Crape myrtles also bloom in late July, which is why we have five varieties at Springmoor: White crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia Natchez); Pink crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia Sioux); Red crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia Tuscarora); Lavender crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia Muskogee) and Light pink crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia Catawba).

The Mallow family begins to contribute their color in August, starting with Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), and the rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos “Disco Belle pink”). 
More popular members of the mallow family are cotton and okra.

In Memories: Resident Recalls WWII

Wartime Memories

By Phyllis Johnson

Phyllis Johnson, who was born and raised in Illinois during WWII

Early 1930s

The somber tone of their voices grabbed my attention. I was playing on the sunroom floor, not yet five. Grandma Anna Max was talking to a friend who had recently returned from a visit to Germany. Grandma had on the usual long sleeved, lightweight cotton, flowered dress and dark cotton stockings. Not yet adapted to the American custom of wearing a bra, her breasts were formless under her dress.

 "It is terrible, Anna," the visitor said. "Carl and his son, they fight all the time and shout at each other."  With their serious faces, they now had my complete attention. Many years later I realized the son had joined the Nazi party and it was creating a schism in the family that was having an effect even on family across the Atlantic.

 

Putting on the Grits!

Springmoor is getting geared up for our series of “Putting on the Grits!” events, and the culinary staff couldn’t be more excited! We’ll be welcoming 100 visitors to our community, and treating them to our Southern hospitality—and Southern cooking, of course!

Ground-corn grits are a Southern specialty, and a personal favorite. They are so simple, and can be made in so many ways—literally hundreds. To find inspiration for our four-course, all-grits event menu, we scoured cookbooks, websites and even TV cooking shows. We tasted scores of recipes, and—while some didn’t cut the corn—a gritty, pretty few will proudly plump our plates, including grits pie, shrimp-and-grits tarts and pepper jack grits poppers.

Since all five of our “Putting on the Grits!” events are full, we thought we’d share the "Southern Living" showstopper that most inspired us, and that might inspire you to throw your own grits party (you could even throw grits like confetti if you want)!

Springmoor Walks its Way to Fitness—and Paris!

Springmoor Walks its Way to Fitness—and Paris!

By Kari Richie, Springmoor Health and Fitness director

We just finished walking from Raleigh, N.C., to Paris, France, and, boy, are our bodies feeling the benefits.

Ninety Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community residents and staff just completed a 10-week walking challenge, S.A.M.E. (Springmoor Actively Making Efforts) Goal, and recorded walking the equivalent of 13,172 miles—or a little more than the distance from Raleigh, N.C., to Hawaii (about 5,000 miles), followed by a stroll from Hawaii to Paris, France (about 7,500 miles).

Springmoor's Floral Focal Points: Hydrangeas and Roses Burst in July

By Thom Morgan, Springmoor landscape manager

Thom Morgan

Many of my Landscape Architecture courses in college stressed that every good design should have a focal point. A focal point in a landscape setting is something you are drawn to—a primary area of interest, something that brings focus to itself.

Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community’s 43 acres in northwest Raleigh, N.C.—connected by 2.5 miles of walkways—present many opportunities for residents to walk ahead, see what is just around the corner, and be surprised by a burst of color.

Each month, Floral Focal Points will point out highlights around Springmoor’s colorful campus, and discuss the preparation and maintenance that help bring out the best in Springmoor’s blooms. As Springmoor’s landscape manager, I get asked a lot of questions and receive a lot of compliments from residents and visitors alike, so I hope this blog helps answer any questions you may have about plants that best withstand and thrive in North Carolina’s hot, July weather.

By July, azaleas and dogwoods have lost their color, which is why Springmoor placed the following colorful, hearty trees and shrubs around our campus to shine through summer: