Fort Scott Community Matters – February 2023

Make your heart sing with these healthy habits

While February is a time for matters of the heart, it’s also a great time to think about taking steps to keep yours happy and healthy in the new year.

A healthy diet is one way to keep your heart strong. Another way - exercise. Three categories of exercises are all critical to a healthy heart, and overall well-being. If you can find ways to incorporate a few of these easy exercises into your daily routine, evidence shows you’ll feel better and feel more confident as you navigate the world.

Aerobic Exercise

This type of exercise improves circulation throughout the body and helps strengthen the heart. It can also help reduce blood pressure and resting heart rates, can cut the risk of Type 2 diabetes and prevents a host of other health issues. You’d want to try to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. This can include brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, tennis or other sports. What you do is less important that getting your heart pumping in what is considered moderate activity for at least 150 minutes per week.

Resistance Training

This is most often associated with lifting weights - but anything that makes

Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Rev. Bob Webb, chaplain at Farmington Presbyterian Manor®.

How quickly time goes and now we are into the New Year.

The stores have put away Christmas and New Year’s gifts and we’re already in February, the month of love.

Bob Webb

The problem with holidays is if we aren’t careful we become “holiday people” and miss the reason for the celebration and its personal meaning to us. When I think of February, it’s the month of valentines, candy, flowers and all the reminders of those who are special in our lives. As the activities department is busy helping our residents to remind them of how special you are to all of us who work and love you, my thought of love is not one we have one time a year but something we all need to learn to cultivate each day of our life.

When I think of love I am reminded who it is that loves each of us so very much and shows us that love, not just once a year but day in and day out. That one is God who loves each one of us, no matter what goes on. Even when I forget Him He remembers me and loves me. God's Word tells us in First Corinthians Chaplain – continued on page 2 Heart sing – continued on page 2

Chaplain – continued from page 1

Chapter 13 what true love is all about. For time wise I will not share it all, but I am instructed that love suffereth long, and is kind, love envieth not, love (or charity, as the word reads,) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Then God closes this great chapter of what love is and what it is not, with these words; “And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity” (or as we know it, “love”).

I am thankful to be a part of an organization that has this for their foundation. As chaplain, I get to meet people and staff who through this love help so many others. Whether it's in the kitchen, housekeeping, nursing, or wherever, I see people who love others. As chaplain, I see the residents who show me love just in the kind visits we have or in a word of prayer. I see love is not something limited. Love is available for all to receive and to give. As I spend time with all our wonderful residents and all of our staff it is good to see love still abounds and, of course, the greatest love is the love of God in which He sets the example for us through his son Jesus Christ.

Folks, may love not be a holiday,

but may love become an everyday part of our lives, every day of the year. See, I have learned a lot about life and the things of life, but as I tell the residents when life changes or the staff when their life is turned upside down, circumstances change but God never changes and His love is always the same whatever we may face. I hope that this will help each of us to reconsider each day that there is something we all need, young and old, and it has no barrier and is something every one of us need, and that is love. As I realize love has no value or meaning until you

learn to give that love to others. While we celebrate with the cards, candy and valentines, may each of us share this gift to each other as God shared His gift of Christ to all of us, because His Word says, “He loved us before we loved him”. In closing, remember things change, circumstances change but God’s love is the key that never changes. I thank each of our great residents and all the great staff at PMMA for sharing something so special that will always be remembered and that is LOVE.

God bless you all. u

Community Matters

Ginger

Chocolate, wine, and love, ingredients for a healthy heart

By Taylor Bailey

In honor of February being the month of love, I thought we could include a family recipe of mine

“Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake.” Especially since both dark chocolate and red wine are said to be good for the heart.

Ingredients include:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour, 1 C sugar, 1/3 C cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 3/4 C red wine, 1/2 C water, 1/2 C oil, 2 tbs. apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Ingredients for the homemade frosting: 1/2 C red wine, 1/2 C sugar, 6 oz raspberries, powdered sugar, and 3/4 tsp. xantham gum. (a thickener)

Heart sing – continued from page 1

your muscles work against a force is a good source of resistance training. This sort of exercise helps you retain and build muscle mass, which can aid in weight loss. Additionally, this type of training can help strengthen your body in helpful ways, reduce cholesterol, and add to your overall wellbeing. Some exercises include working out with weights, using resistance machines, resistance bands, or even body weight exercises, such as push-ups or squats. Professionals recommend two non-consecutive days of resistance training each week.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Grease a 9-inch round pan and line with parchment paper.

3. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk wine, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.

4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes, rotate halfway through.

5. Let cool completely.

6. In a small pan combine wine and sugar and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

7. Boil 1-2 minutes then remove from the heat and pour over the raspberries in a separate bowl. Refrigerate the raspberry mix for 30 min before adding to the top of the cake.

Stretching and Balance

While stretching and balance workouts don’t directly benefit your heart health, they help set the stage for the activities that do benefit your heart. Maintaining your flexibility supports your musculoskeletal system, which allows you to better perform aerobic and resistance training exercises. Remaining flexible also aids in joint health, reducing pain, inflammation, and cramping. A focus on flexibility can also help promote stability and reduce the risks of slips and falls. It’s recommended that stretching exercises be done every day, and before and after other forms of exercises. Yoga and Tai Chi are some good ways to maintain flexibility. u

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village’s Art is Ageless® call for entries underway

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village is looking for entries for the annual Art is Ageless® juried exhibit to be held March 22 – April 5, 2023, featuring senior artists from the area.

Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years of age or older to exhibit and/or compete for an opportunity to be featured in the Art is Ageless calendar in 2024. Artists may choose to enter their works for exhibit only.

The competition includes nine categories, including painting, drawing, photography, quilting and sculpture and may be designated as amateur or professional. You can find the complete rules and category listings online at www.ArtIsAgeless.org. For the competition, works are to have been completed in the past five years (since January 2018). The entry deadline is March 17.

The Art is Ageless® program encourages Presbyterian Village residents and other area seniors to express their creativity through its annual competition, as well as art classes, musical and dramatic events, educational opportunities and current events discussions throughout the year.

A reception will be held announcing the winners of each category on March 28 at 5:30 p.m.

Local competition winners will join winners from 14 other PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America®) communities to be judged at the systemwide level.

Entry forms and information can be obtained by contacting Taylor Bailey at 620-223-5550 or tbailey@pmma org, or accessed online at ArtIsAgeless.org. u

2401 S. Horton