True Living Fall 2009

your guide to

FALL

2009

True Living Tips, news and fun facts for active senior adults

Inside...

Get Fit with Fido: Leashing in better health

A Model Hobby: All aboard for fun and friendship

Princess Diana: Philly Celebrates Her Life

t h i s p u b l i c at i o n i s m a d e p o s s i b l e b y s h a n n o n d e l l at va l l ey f o rg e

Entertainment

Moon River and Me Andy Williams remembers the golden age of entertainers Edited from barnesandnoble.com and Library Journal

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ndy Williams knew everybody who was anybody during his seven remarkable decades in show business.

From Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Fred MacMurray, John Huston, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Elvis, John Lennon, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson and many others, Williams was privy to closely-held celebrity circles and stories.

He shares memories of them all in Moon River and Me (released October 13, 2009). In fact, his book is a treasure trove of anecdotes from the celebrity world. His millions of fans

guarantee a huge audience for the autobiography of the plush baritone who — at the age of eighty-one — still draws thousands of fans to his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri.

Bruce R. Schueneman of the Texas A&M University Library says, “Pop icon Williams’ memoir is an entertaining look at a showbusiness life that began in Iowa and progressed steadily to a worldwide career. An entertaining read for those who love celebrity biographies or autobiographies, especially those who remember the pop scene in the 1950s and 1960s.”

Check penguingroup.com for more information and book signing opportunities.

Remembering a Princess: Diana: A Celebration comes to Philadelphia untimely death, Princess Diana remains an adored and admired figure, and this exhibit remembers her inspirational and magical life – a life that captivated people from everywhere in the world.

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rom October 2 through December 31, 2009, the National Constitution Center will host Diana: A Celebration. This international blockbuster comes to Philadelphia for the first time, showcasing the life and work of the Princess.

Even more than a decade after her

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Nine galleries showcase the life and legacy of Diana Frances Spencer, Princess of Wales. This awardwinning exhibition offers an intimate glimpse into her childhood, her engagement to HRH Prince Charles, their fairytale royal wedding, their children and Diana’s charity work.

In retracing her remarkable life, Diana: A Celebration features rooms of photographs, personal

Living

Think Pets Are Too Much Trouble These Days?

Consider these benefits.

Virtually everybody agrees that pets are adorable. But, once children leave home, many older adults abandon the idea of pet ownership due to the perceived responsibility and time requirements, particularly if they’re out of the house or travel frequently.

Studies continue to highlight the emotional, physiological and physical benefits of pet ownership for senior age adults. Dogs are especially great companions, because they tend to be more social than cats and also provide opportunities for their owners to stay active. The old adage of “man’s best friend” is certainly true if you can find a compatible breed.

Consider this: • Pets give companionship and relieve boredom

possessions, shoes, items of clothing, and much more, including the royal wedding dress and a tiara gallery.

Tickets range from $15 - $23 and include admission into The National Constitution Center museum and the Freedom Rising event. To purchase tickets, visit www.constitutioncenter.org or the Constitution Center box office.

• Dogs boost physical activity by encouraging their owners to get outdoors • Pets reduce stress, anxiety, and can even lower blood pressure • Dogs can provide protection by acting as a watchdog and sounding alarms.

However, it’s important to try and match the appropriate breed to fit a senior adult’s lifestyle. Smaller dogs, including Toy breeds, are generally better because they’re easier to handle, have a sweet disposition and require less exercise than larger breeds such as herders and hunters.

Below is a sampling of some of the more popular of these lines. w French Bulldog

w Pug

w Boston Terrier

w Welsh Corgi

w Cardigan Corgi

w Chihuahua

w Cocker Spaniel

w Dachshund

w Miniature Pinscher w Schnauzer From Petconnectonline.com

Who’s Rescuing Whom?

Rescuing a pet from one of the many local adoption agencies such as The Humane Society or Main Line Animal Rescue (www.mlar.org) is a great way to feel even better about your new friend. Many of these animals are mature, housebroken companions that, although they don’t carry AKC cachet, are a great fit for quiet households without children. Just know, interim caregivers are mindful about a good fit for the pets. Expect to answer questions about your home/yard, lifestyle and past pet ownership. Remember, it’s all worth it, for both of you.

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Spotlight on Shannondell’s Model Train Room

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he’ll be coming ‘round the mountain, through the tunnel, over the bridge and rolling to a controlled stop in the Shannondell Station. All thanks to the vision, meticulous planning and continuing hard work of the men and women belonging to the Shannondell Model Railroad Club.

Enter through the door of this everchanging model railroad room on the ground floor of the 110,000 square foot Ashcroft Clubhouse, and you’re instantly transported back in

time, possibly to your youth when you or a sibling found a Lionel train track circling the Christmas tree.

As you glance around the room at the multilevel landscapes and cityscapes with HO gauge model trains dashing down the tracks, it’s hard to believe that this impressive residents’ hobby room has materialized from scratch in just four short years.

“The walls didn’t even exist when the Model Club’s founders first met to plan a train room in 2005,” says Betty Smiley, the current president

of the Club. “So, when we talk about a vision, that’s all it was.

But, lucky for us, the management at Shannondell saw the founders’ passion for the hobby and not only provided the resources for construction of the room, but kicked in $1,000 for models and accessories,” she adds.

Jim Sorom, Shannondell C.E.O., remembers the day the group first approached him about the train room, “They had pictures and track plans all drawn out. They knew how much room they needed and the electrical specifications required to scale the project over time. I was impressed, to say the least.”

Today, the train room boasts a new

workspace with four workstations for assembly and repair work.

The Club also has it’s own logo, uniforms; even its own website (www.trainweb.org/shannondell) and You Tube video (type in Shannondell Railroad at www.youtube.com). And next year, the Club celebrates its fifth anniversary. So, what will it do to celebrate? “We hope to be fully converted to DCC (Digital Command

Control) by next year,” Betty says.

Adding, “But first we’ve got to finish the new north wall section (including a coal mine, stock yards and an amusement park) in time for our holiday open houses and all the grandkids.”

Something tells us that model trains will be on a lot of kids’ letters to Santa after visiting the Shannondell train room – not to mention their grandparents’ wish lists.

Shannondell’s Model Train Room At A Glance: • 700: the linear feet of track currently operational • 15 minutes: the time it takes for a model train to make a complete loop • 400: the total number of model cars owned by the Club • 60 (+): the number of Shannondell residents involved in the Club

New Beginnings Always On Track If model railroading just isn’t your thing, not to worry.

Shannondell residents enjoy a wide variety of clubs, classes and groups to choose from. From on-site college classes taught by Chestnut Hill professors, book and bible study groups, acting, stone and wood carving to dancing, bridge, painting and billiards, even family history writing, the opportunities for learning new hobbies and languages, honing skills and sharing interests with others is plentiful.

Gardeners grow bountiful vegetable gardens for the first time in decades.

Gourmet cooks celebrate the recent hit movie Julie & Julia by cooking a fivecourse dinner of Child recipes. Former choir members rediscover vocal prowess by practicing and performing seasonal and traditional arrangements as part of Shannondell’s resident chorus. And, Veterans meet to share war stories and reminisce about times serving their country.

With so much to do, share and celebrate every day, the only thing you won’t find at Shannondell is boredom. “We had retired to Florida and the most exciting thing we did was evacuate before hurricanes – as in plural.” a resident offers. She adds, “Now, we’re storming the bocce courts year-round and having the time of our life. Retire to a rocking chair, phooey!” Phooey, indeed.

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Myth:

Cuisine

Out and About

Organic food tastes like cardboard.

Fact: Today many organic snack foods taste the same as their conventional counterparts. And most people agree that fresh, locally grown organic produce offers more flavor than standard grown fare. Taste is certainly an individual matter, so give organic a try and see what you think!

Decide for yourself:

Going Organic: Is it really worth it?

Try baking two batches of cookies or prepare a couple of bowls of fruit or vegetable salad; use organic ingredients in one and conventional ingredients in the other and compare for yourself.

Weigh the facts and decide for yourself.

Source: organic.org

All you have to do is venture down any isle in the grocery store these days to comprehend the reach and popularity of organic fare. As such, there are a lot of myths about organic food. Below, we discuss the top three.

Myth: Organic food is too expensive.

Fact: In general, organic food costs more than conventional food because of the laborious and time-intensive systems used by the typically smaller organic farms. However, there are ways to purchase organic while sticking to your budget. Prioritize by focusing on organic proteins and fruits and vegetables first, then grains and lastly, non-edible products.

Myth: Eating organic food is the same as eating natural food.

Fact: Natural foods do not contain additives or preservatives, but they may contain ingredients that have been grown with pesticides or are genetically modified.

In other words, the ingredients in the ingredient panel will look familiar, but they have not been produced organically. Natural foods are not regulated and do not meet the same criteria that organic foods do.

10 Reasons To Go Organic 1. Reduce The Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies

Are You Ready For Some Football?

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ired of your fan friends in the Southeastern Conference and AFC claiming bragging rights to the best football? Invite them to experience two of this season’s most highly anticipated matchups, right here in Pennsylvania.

The Northeast Rumble Philadelphia Eagles vs.

New York Giants When: Sunday, November 1 at 4:15 PM Where: Lincoln Financial Field

Big Ten Showdown Penn State Nittany Lions vs.

Ohio State Buckeyes When: Saturday, November 7 at Noon Where: Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com, www.stubhub.com and other broker sites.

UnCork York at Wine Just Off The Vine Event Nestled in the scenic heart of the state’s #1 tourist region, the UnCork York Trail features 10 family-owned wineries.

Thanksgiving Jokes

Yes - a building can’t jump at all.

From some of the best-known vineyards to newly emerging vintners, each stop on the trail provides a unique experience sure to please your palate. Featuring exclusive Nouveau and newly-pressed wines fresh from the harvest, you’ll be invited into the cellars for barrel tastings and to witness another step in the process of turning grapes into fine wine. You’ll also find an array of delicious fall treats along the way.

8. Eat with a Sense of Place

Why did they let the turkey join the band?

Wine Just Off The Vine Event Friday to Sunday, Nov. 20 - 22, 2009

9. Promote Biodiversity

Because he had the drumsticks.

10. Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture

What did the turkey say before it was roasted?

Tickets: $10 at www.uncorkyork.com and at participating wineries. For more information, call 1.888.858.YORK.

2. Reduce or Eliminate Off-Farm Pollution

To Share With Your Grandkids

3. Protect Future Generations

What key has legs and can’t open doors?

Why can’t you take turkeys to church?

4. Build Healthier Soil

A Turkey.

5. Taste Better and Truer Flavor

If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?

Because they use such FOWL language.

6. Support Smaller Family Farms 7. Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food

Their AGE.

Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Boy! I’m stuffed! from theholidayspot.com

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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MAILED FROM ZIP CODE 30304 PERMIT No. 2550

1 0000 sh a n n o n d e l l d r audubo n , pa 1 9 4 0 3

Performing Arts Theater Holiday Spotlight Shannondell’s state-of-the-art, 500-seat Performing Arts Theater offers a variety of top quality music, theater, movie screenings and other productions. This holiday season the Theater is brimming with entertainment for Shannondell residents and friends. Following is just a sampling. For a complete listing, including limited ticket availability, please call 610.728.5211.

November 15 - 2:00 p.m.

A musical revue of Bye Bye Birdie December 14 - 7:30 p.m.

Norristown Chorale Holiday Concert December 15 - 7:30 p.m.

Jeffrey Uhlig, Piano, Lisa Thomas, Soprano & Todd Thomas, Baritone December 16 - 7:30 p.m.

Audubon Symphony Holiday Concert December 21 - 7:30 p.m.

Six Pence A Cappella Sextet

Shannondell: A Smart Step Reallocating part of your home’s equity to a secure 100% refundable entrance fee* while also providing more control over your monthly living expenses has likely never been a smarter step for senior adults than now. If current conditions have you contemplating changes to your future plans, we invite you to visit the only true community – Shannondell. You’ll discover an affordable, award-winning lifestyle including on-site access to top quality long-term care and some very timely peace of mind.

• Main Line Health Center • Two 110,000 square foot clubhouses • Aquatics & Fitness Centers • 6 dining venues • 18-hole golf course • Neighborhood shopping • Performing Arts Theater • Two Movie Theaters • Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing

For more information, call 610.728.5211 or 1.800.669.2318 today.

Or, visit www.shannondell.com

* In accordance with the Residence & Care Agreement.

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