Shell Point Life Sept-Oct 2021

Sep/Oct 2021 Vol. 16 Issue 5

FALL MISSIONS FOCUS

Active Aging Week

Try a new activity or sport

All About Urbana

Gardens of Plenty Bring Harvests of Smiles

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

–Isaiah 40:8

A New Season

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For many, the approach of autumn evokes fond “Back to School” memories. This season at Shell Point, you’ll find ways to put your mind and body to the test – from an array of new offerings from the Academy of Lifelong Learning on page 21, to a variety of activities and programs during Active Aging Week. With a Couch to 5K program, Table Tennis and Frisbee Golf, a Coastal Waters Cleanup and more, there are plenty of ways to get active! Preview this fun and busy week of events on page 24.

A Tradition Continues

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Shell Point residents continued the tradition of helping prepare employees’ elementary-age children with the supplies they need for a successful school year. With the help of 270 donors and 60 volunteers, the group filled 725 bags! Turn to page 6 to see the happy smiles from both hard-working volunteers and grateful employees.

Epic Journeys

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Does the change of season have you thinking about travel? Isings Travel’s small group private travel program, the Epic Journeys Collection, might be just the ticket! To learn more about exciting new itineraries – from America’s most beautiful places, to Norway, Africa and France – turn to page 22.

Shell Point Life is published for the residents of Shell Point Retirement Community.

Director of Marketing and Communications Lynn Schneider Editor Kara Hado Creative Director Rich Cerrina Senior Graphic Designer Wendy Iverson Contributors Chanelle Bastardo, Dawn Boren, Pat Bubb, Claude Emler, Maria Festa, Janine Hammond, Andrew Hawkins, Jon High, Anette Isaacs, Steve Morton, Don Pullen, Emily Reese, Laura Slack, Susan Uhleman, Michael Weiss, Shell Point Life is available online.

You can find this current issue, as well as back issues of Shell Point Life magazine, at www.shellpoint.org/shellpointlife.

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

On the Cover Santa Lorch (Parkwood) is one of eight Shell Point gardeners who will inspire you with their glorious gardens in “Beauty Meets Bounty” on page 8.

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

13921 Shell Point Plaza • Fort Myers, FL 33908

(239) 466-1131 • www.shellpoint.org Shell Point is a nonprofit ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foundation

Shell Point Named Certified Wildlife Habitat

BY KARA HADO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Shell Point Retirement Community has been designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

By employing sustainable practices and offering wildlife opportunities for natural sources of food, water for drinking and bathing, cover from weather and predators, and places to raise young, Shell Point satisfied the essential elements required to earn the wildlife habitat distinction.

“Residents and staff alike appreciate the great beauty that surrounds Shell Point,” said Adam Hinds, Vice Adam President of Operations at Hinds Shell Point. “Achieving this designation reflects our commitment to honoring the wildlife who also call

Shell Point home.”

Located on the Caloosahatchee River, Shell Point is surrounded by mangroves, trees and lakes that attract numerous wildlife, including a variety of birds, otters, turtles, dolphins, manatees and fish.

“The natural setting of Shell Point’s 700-acre campus is a welcoming habitat for a robust wildlife population,” said Shell Point Director of Landscape Operations, Steve Morton.

Steve “We were named a Certified Morton Wildlife Habitat because of our conscientious planning and sustainable approach to landscaping, with plenty of native plants and planted littorals along our water areas.”

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

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The Crystal Transp orts Residents to

An Evening in Paris Residents felt like they were in one of Paris’ finest restaurants during an unforgettable evening filled with music, delicious food, and all things French. The Crystal team created a French-themed menu featuring Chicken Francese, Beef Bourguignon

and Sole Meunière. And of course, no trip to France is complete without fresh baked breads and tempting pastries! Solo harpist Alexandria Renee entertained all evening, playing tres magnifique melodies reminiscent of Paris, the City of Light.

Marilyn and Jim Fricker (Rosemont)

Ed and Sharon Underhill (The Enclave)

Debbie Dahlrymple

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Ruth and Skip Gray (Macoma) & Ellen and Rick Panish (Nautilus)

Brenda Norris (Eagles Preserve), Cathy Miskell (Sand Dollar) and Ginny Avery (Eagles Preserve)

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Ginny and Jim Plummer (Parkwood)

Barbara Manhard (Cellana)

Tamera Goers, Eddie Beaubrun and Brian Bischoss

John and Helen Kalish (Harbor Court)

Evelyn and Herb Clark (Oakmont)

e i V La e s o en R Friends enjoyed food and fun during the festive French-themed evening.

Gene and Sally Helms (Eagles Preserve)

Judy and Sandy Montclare (Cellana)

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Lena Schneider is excited to start kindergarten with her new school supplies.

Fourth-grader Skylie Jean Baptiste and Josette Bontemps

Back-to-School Tradition Continues 270 Donors + 60 volunteers = 725 bags and hundreds of smiles B Y C A R O L S P E R L A K , V O L U N T E E R C O O R D I N AT O R

Patricia Mowbray (Royal Bonnet)

Rut Palacios Cordova and Michael Coler (The Estuary)

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

2021 marks the 16th year Shell Point residents have rallied to provide school supplies for Shell Point employees’ children and grandchildren. This annual event began when retired school teacher Janet Bendall (Coquina) and other resident volunteers recognized a need and formed a committee to provide employees’ elementary school-age children with the tools they needed for a successful school year.

When they moved to Shell Point six years ago, David and Carol Krafft (The Estuary) joined the Back-to-School Fund Drive committee and quickly volunteered to take on the responsibility of serving as committee co-chairs. For the past five years, David and Carol have continued the momentum in a program that has become an annual tradition and a way to help Shell Point employees with young children.

“The employees do so much for us. This is a wonderful way for all of us to show them how much we care about them and their families,” said David.

While David and Carol have led this volunteer initiative, they are quick to point out that it is only possible because of everyone who volunteers and donates. “We get a lot of help from our dedicated residents,” added Carol.

The committee started fundraising activities the first week of April, and Shell Point residents donated money toward the purchase of the school supplies. “We check the supply lists from our local elementary schools to ensure we’re ordering the right items,” said Carol. “They change a little from year to year.” The committee worked with Shell Point’s purchasing department to leverage their buying power and the donations from

Marie Ceneus

Miguel Miron with David and Carol Krafft

Marie Oscar and Sharon Baum (The Estuary)

Eddie Exantus

270 residents to place the order. Once the supplies arrived, a team of 60 volunteers met in the Grand Cypress Room and worked together, assembly-line style, to fill 725 bags over a three-day period.

On Friday, July 23, volunteers staffed two shifts at The Village Church, with a morning and an afternoon “drive-up” distribution to offer employees an opportunity to pick up a bag when it was convenient for their work schedule.

Employees with children or grandchildren in kindergarten through 5th grade were invited to pass through the porte cochere to pick up the school supplies.

The bright red book bags – complete with the Shell Point logo – were brimming with essential items including spiral notebooks, pocket folders, a pencil bag, pencils, pens, colored pencils, eras-

ers, a pencil sharpener, scissors, a ruler, glue sticks, and hand sanitizer.

“We are so happy we’re able to organize this event,” said David. “It’s rewarding to see their warm smiles. They’re happy campers!”

Shell Point employees truly appreciate the residents’ efforts. “Getting children everything they need for the new school year quickly starts adding up and impacting the family budget,” said Director of Employee Ministry, Jim Clark.

“Shell Point employees Jim Clark who receive the school supply bags are incredibly grateful for residents supporting their families in this special way.”

Robert Torres and Stuart Baum (The Estuary)

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Beauty Meets Bounty

Shell Point’s Flourishing Resident Gardens

BY BARBARA HILL FREEMAN

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

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hether in plain view on The Island or tucked behind the tennis courts at The Woodlands, the 108 resident gardens at Shell Point are as varied and unique as the gardeners who tend them. The garden plots range in size from a large, elevated trough to spaces just roomy enough for a small table and a pair of chairs.

Many are a riot of colors, textures and shapes, adorned with artwork, fences and ornaments, while some are vegetable gardens whose only blossoms transform into prized tomatoes, eggplants and other crops.

They do share elements in common, though. All are a source of joy, satisfaction, and health benefits for the residents who plant and tend them. As a whole, this veritable patchwork of productive, stunning and imaginative gardens complements the manicured landscapes that cover the remainder of Shell Point.

A Community Within the Community

There’s an easy camaraderie among Shell Point’s resident gardeners. Whether they are veterans of the vagaries of Florida horticulture, or new to the challenges and rewards of growing in USDA Hardiness Zone 10, they readily offer help and accept it from others. That’s particularly true if someone will be away for a spell. Their fellow gardeners will lend a willing hand with chores, including watering, knowing someone will return the favor. No one wants to see plants dry on the vine.

The gardeners are proud of the results they achieve, whether aesthetic or edible, and they enjoy the admiration of residents, visitors, and everyone with a passion for gardening and a yen for fresh produce.

Continued on next page Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

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BEAUTY MEETS BOUNTY Continued from page 9

24.

A Farmer at Heart

Whenever possible, Shell Point gardeners share their bounty. Take Jerry Ebner (Rosemont), for instance. His crops – primarily green beans, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and broccoli – provide plenty of veggies for his and his wife LaMoyne’s dining table. Even so, he plants more than they need so he can harvest enough to provide at least one meal’s worth of beans for everyone on their floor in Rosemont. He enjoys sharing the fruits of his labors, and his neighbors welcome a chance to taste the freshest beans around.

With about a dozen years’ experience gardening at The Woodlands, Jerry qualifies as one of the veteran plantsmen. Still, he’s always learning and experimenting.

“I try something new each year,” he said. In the spring of 2021, when most of the vegetable gardeners were “buttoning up” their gardens before summer took its toll on their produce, he planted a cover crop of marigolds – not for their intensely orange flowers, but with the goal of staving off soil problems in the season to come. He didn’t get the seeds from a packet; he gathered them from a neighboring gardener’s marigolds that had gone to seed.

Jerry points out that he and other Woodlands gardeners have access to a shed where there are tools, a wheelbarrow, and supplies they’re all free to use. Beside each garden is a large box for stowing other supplies, and water and hoses are handy. He and another gardener share a battery-operated rototiller.

Jerry’s garden (#24), at the entrance to The Woodlands plots, is surrounded by a wire-mesh fence to keep critters from his veggies before he gets the chance to harvest them. He decided to forego a fence the first year he had a Shell Point garden, but that didn’t work out very well. “The beans came up, and they were beautiful,” he said. ”The next day I came out and there were nothing but stalks.” Ever since, he’s surrounded his vegetable plants with sturdy wire fencing.

Although Jerry calls his gardening 10

efforts a hobby, he’s very particular about what, when and how he plants. He sows the seeds for bush beans, his favorite crop, “around the 26th of September, because it takes a week for them to come up.” He starts tomatoes – “always Sweet 100s” – from seed in September, and then transplants them to the garden in October. He buys young plants to get a head start on his broccoli and bell pepper crops, but sows seeds for lettuce.

To deter pests, he plants scallions around the garden’s edge. He could grow cabbage, but doesn’t, he explained with a laugh, “because LaMoyne says it’s cheaper to buy it in the market.”

Jerry developed his green thumb as a child. “We had a big garden where I lived growing up, and then I gardened when I

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Jerry Ebner

lived in Indiana from 1966 to 1972,” he recalled. “But for the 25 years before we came to Shell Point, when we lived in New England and South Carolina, I didn’t have a garden.”

Why does he garden now? “It’s like going back to my childhood and being in our large vegetable garden,” he said. He also enjoys the way the gardeners help and cooperate with each other, loves the produce he harvests, and feels that gardening is a good use of his time. “It’s a labor of love,” he said. “Those who persevere come back year after year.”

He fertilizes and mulches his garden as needed, waters regularly, and tends to it one way or another nearly every day. “That’s the life of a farmer,” said Jerry.

Dean Traxler

2.

Greens and Gumbo

Directly across from Jerry’s garden, you’ll find Dean Traxler’s (Rosemont). He, too, specializes in vegetables. In the summer, much of his garden is covered in landscape fabric to keep the weeds down. But even during the hottest weather, he still manages to coax some bumper crops from his plot – in particular, those Southern sta-

ples: okra and collard greens, along with some eggplant and parsley that survive the heat. He’s reputed to make a mean okra gumbo.

“My garden doesn’t lend itself to a large variety of crops, so I select ones that we enjoy,” he explained. “I have my own recipe for okra gumbo from a church cookbook using Cajun-style andouille sausage.”

He also likes to grow green beans, broccoli and collards because they’re easy to prepare and serve.

Dean planted his first garden in 1972,

when he lived in Illinois. The Traxlers later moved to Charleston, S.C. and through the years, Dean became an avid gardener as he gained knowledge and honed his skills. In 2009, following his retirement after 35 years with Sylvania Lighting, the Traxlers moved to Shell Point and Dean started his garden plot. “Adjusting to the growing season in Fort Myers was a challenge,” he said.

While he’s been involved in a lot of different activities at Shell Point over the Continued on next page

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BEAUTY MEETS BOUNTY Continued from page 11

years, his garden has been a constant – and it’s always been a vegetable garden. He says his “cash crop” during the primary growing season is green beans, which he plants from seed. He purchases starter plants of broccoli and collards.

His hard work pays off. “During the main growing season, from September to May, I can replant the green beans and get a second crop,” he said. “If I were aggressive, it would be possible to have

three crops of beans.”

He added, “Not many people grow vegetables in the summer, but I find okra, also grown from seed, is a good summer crop. Eggplant also grows in the summer heat. One year, I grew a very prolific eggplant from seeds a neighbor gave me, and I was able to share eggplants with my neighbors.”

After he saw one in use in a garden on the Island, Dean installed an automatic watering system that runs on a timer. It’s the only automatic system in The Woodlands gardens. While he may not have to worry much about watering,

Santa Lorch

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

his garden is far from carefree. For example, he says that in addition to planting, weeding and harvesting, “The soil seems pretty void of nutrients, and every fall I add a couple bags of composted cow manure and work it into the soil. During the growing season, I usually add commercial vegetable garden fertilizer to the plants as needed.”

Dean echoes Jerry’s opinion of Shell Point gardeners as friendly and helpful and willing to share their gardens’ bounty. “This year someone shared his kale with me,” said Dean. “I believe that next year, I will grow kale instead of collards.”

Sun-drenched Symmetry Santa Lorch’s (Parkwood) plot (#21) couldn’t be more differ- 21. ent from Jerry’s and Dean’s veggie gardens nearby. While all three of these 10-by-10-foot Woodlands gardens are carefully tended, Santa’s isn’t full of vegetables; it’s full of inspiration. Square planters flank the entrance, and a rock nearby is etched with the words, “Welcome – May you find peace, love, and laughter here.”

A large, traditional urn at the center rises above the surrounding plantings and forms a focal point with its burgundy ornamental grass. Radiating from the urn, stepping stones separate the space into quarters. Each section is delineated by curved metal edging that restrains plants, surrounded by just the right amount of mulch. The entire garden is ringed in a low, white picket fence. This is a much more symmetrical approach than in neighboring plots, and the effect is of an elegant, though miniature, formal garden.

“It was a challenge turning a small plot

into a garden that offers reflective moments of peace, love, joy and laughter,” explained Santa. “Harmony was the inspiration for the design.”

While vegetables aren’t the focus of her garden, Santa does grow celery and a mix of herbs. Silvery sage and lavender, dill, rosemary, and other kitchen-garden staples add textural appeal to the garden and supply the marvelous, heady aromas that fill the air on a warm, sunny day. They also flavor meals in the Lorch’s Parkwood home and in those of their friends and neighbors.

Santa pointed out another added benefit: “When the herbs bloom, the bees are very happy, and they create another level of interest in the garden.”

She and her husband, Edgar, moved to Shell Point three years ago. “We both enjoy planning and planting herbs and flowers,” she said. “He lends a hand when I need help with the heavy work. I visit the garden every day after my morning walk.

It’s a very healing exchange.”

Her selections include a mix of heat-tolerant plants and a few seasonal specimens to provide a welcome dose of color. “I love

roses and making arrangements to display at home,” she said. “Gardening is a passion that I’ve had for as long as I can remember.

I feel a special connection with all plants,” said Santa. “My love and respect for nature and the beauty of plants and flowers inspire me to be creative.”

On the Waterfront The garden plots on The Island are much more visible, offering a swath of color and texture to the casual passerby.

But anyone who takes a moment to linger will discover how much creativity and individuality is expressed through the gardens.

Each space has its own personality that is reflected not only through plant choice, but also through art, structures, stones, statuary and plaques. The array is endless, and with the dedication of Shell Point’s resident gardeners, it’s ever changing.

Continued on next page

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JoAnn Fagnan

BEAUTY MEETS BOUNTY Continued from page 13

1A.

A Canvas of Color

The garden many see first belongs to JoAnn Fagnan (Harbor Court). As the creator of Plot 1A, JoAnn takes an unusual approach: Her garden occupies two massive elevated wooden containers. She packs the six-foot long planters, which gardeners might call a giant trug, with her favorite flowering plants. Colorful pots overflowing with more favorites occupy ground-level space around the trug’s legs. Cement paving underneath it all serves as a blank canvas for a cheerful explosion of color.

Both JoAnn’s deep, dark wood container and the smaller ceramic pots around 14

it call for relatively little maintenance once planted – just a few hours a week to prune, water, deadhead, and on occasion, replace some plants. Her husband of 51 years, Don, sometimes helps with the watering.

With limited space, choosing what to plant can be a challenge, and JoAnn considers her selections carefully. She prefers a variety of colors and enjoys mixing and matching. “Bright and light pink, salmon, blue, yellow,” she said. “The foliage should be dark to light green, different shapes, and also silver. I like to use all kinds of colors together. Mixing them enhances the colors next to them and really makes the whole grouping stand out.”

JoAnn plans her purchases according to what might do best in the heat, especially in Florida’s summer months.

Nonetheless, even though they’re less heat tolerant, she’s partial to pansies

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

“because they each have a ‘face’ on them and come in so many different colors.” She added, “I like hydrangea and blue salvia, because they bloom on a spike and look great in flower arrangements, and zinnias.

Geraniums are wonderful, too. I love them all – it’s hard to just choose a few!”

She was exposed to the multitude of flowers that were part and parcel of her family’s longtime business, a funeral home.

But it appears that her grandmother was an even greater influence on her horticultural leanings. “She always had beautiful flower gardens, including roses,” JoAnn explained. “She would cut flowers and make lovely arrangements and place them throughout the house.”

Following in her grandmother’s footsteps, JoAnn likes to gather marigolds, zinnias, pansies, ageratum, and those spikey salvia to make arrangements of her own.

23A.

An Artful Garden

evolving, just like life and people. It’s like a canvas, where possibilities are endless.”

Christina attributes her unique garden to her 30 years in the wedding industry, which nurtured both her love of flowers and her design abilities.

She also credits her faith: “Being creative is a way of life, and imagination and creativity come from God.” She loves gar-

The small, polished stone at the threshold to Christina Bowman’s (Coquina) garden (#23A) is inscribed “PEACE.” At the back of her garden, nearly hidden under a small cement bench that backs up to a hedge, is a plaque that aptly reads, “Take time to stop and smell the Christina Bowman flowers.” In between, on either side of a winding path of bright white stones, is an eclectic display of art, geology, and just plain fun. There are geodes, including one that is over a foot high, white egrets painted on wood, a variety of sculpted animals, wind chimes, and, of course, flowers – lots and lots of flowers in mound after mound of color.

Bright bursts of yellow frame the entrance. Flanking the stone pathway are blossoms from cool, pure white, to orange and hot pink. Foliage runs the gamut, too, with silvery hues and sizzling patterns of large croton leaves. With plants both familiar and unique, it’s clear that Christina’s trips to her favorite garden center are quite an expedition.

It’s also clear that Christina puts a lot of thought into her garden. She savors the sensory experiences she finds there, and shared a quote from William Wordsworth that is near her heart: “Your mind is the garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest will be flowers or weeds.”

Christina is a sociable gardener – a trait she attributes to being “a true North Carolinian.”

She added, “Every day I’m there, which is about five times a week, I meet new friends.”

Christina believes a garden is a metaphor for life, and said, “We reap what we sow. A garden is always changing and

dening because, as she explained, “It brings you into the present moment. You’re not thinking about anything else. It’s a very positive experience.” People passing by her garden sometimes comment, “That looks like a lot of work.” Her reply? “I am restoring my soul.”

Continued on next page

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BEAUTY MEETS BOUNTY Continued from page 15

Warm and Welcoming

When Ann Cooper (Turban) 26A. tends her cherished garden space, she draws her inspiration from English cottage gardens she’s visited over the years. Her plot (#26A) exudes charm and reflects her warmth and sense of humor. A green picket fence encloses plants that ramble in every direction. A brief glance reveals a few ornaments, but a closer look yields bunnies, birds and butterflies galore. Some of the butterflies are real; her plants, including pentas, attract them from the butterfly house directly across the street. Ann’s blooming gaura, also known as the whirling butterflies plant, adds to the fluttery effect.

The garden is home to an egret ornament that bobs in the breeze and a pair of chunky gargoyles who look more pensive than perilous. One appears to be in a staring match with a cement rabbit on the opposite side of

the path covered in broad, shell-shaped steppingstones. There’s a rabbit perched on a yellow garden stool, and another at the feet of her statue of Saint Francis. “I’ve always had a Saint Francis,” she said.

Ann doesn’t mind if real rabbits scamper into her garden. She explained, “That’s fine with me. I don’t think about those things; I think about what’s pretty. My garden is a playground. I can be tired, and all I have to do is come out here to feel energized.”

Although she says she doesn’t grow rare specimens, there’s no need with all the abundant color and variety. Among the standouts is a massive bush covered in the tiny clusters of lantana and some intriguing succulents. When she lived in Evansville, Indiana, she tried to grow dill but couldn’t keep it going. “Then I discovered fennel,” she said. Now she grows both in her Shell Point garden. She also grows mint and “rosemary for remembrance.”

Ann’s garden is so densely planted that weeds don’t stand a chance. “I’m not methodical,” she says. “A true English cottage garden is not methodical. We love traveling and visiting gardens. England is our absolute favorite country; it touches my soul.”

Ann Cooper

BEAUTY MEETS BOUNTY Continued from page ___

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Ann and her husband, Lee, moved to Shell Point from Sanibel three years ago, and she was excited to learn about the resident gardens. Lee does some of the heavy lifting, and Ann selects the plants and decides where they’ll go. She gardens for the joy of it, and for the exercise. She also doesn’t allow her garden to cause her any stress. “If a plant doesn’t work, I pitch it,” she laughed.

The joy and whimsy found in Ann’s garden are matched only by the loveliness of the plants. An English major, she sums up her feelings by paraphrasing a line by the poet Robert Browning: “God’s in his garden, and all’s right with the world.”

A Gardening Twosome

Like many Shell Point gardeners, Anita and Bob Battaglia (Junonia), 31B. learned and practiced their horticulture skills up north – in their case, a Chicago suburb. Here, they’ve enthusiastically embraced the plants that thrive in our region, particularly hibiscus.

Anita and Bob Battaglia

They are members of the James E. Hendry Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society, and their love of these showy plants is evident throughout the length and breadth of their garden plot (#31B).

But theirs is not a one-species garden; far from it. They like to plant interesting bromeliads, including golden-hued varieties that glow in the sunlight. They grow vertically, too, by planting vines such as mandevilla and morning glory on trellises. The couple favors some colors over others. “We enjoy all of them – whites, reds, oranges and purples,” Ann explained. “But the pinks get the least amount of space.”

The Battaglias both work in the garden year-round. Bob does most of the watering and lifting, as well as deadheading spent blooms. Anita likes to rearrange the plants and manages other tasks such as fertilizing, mulching, pruning and repotting.

They’ve managed to create more than a

garden of subtropical plants, though. There are Adirondack chairs, tables, lattice walls, colorful containers, and a carpet of green “grass.” It’s a space where they can spend time savoring the surroundings they’ve worked so hard to create.

They have an emotional attachment to some of their garden’s decorative elements.

The kitten and angel sculptures have been in the family for more than 40 years. Two different metal waterlily sculptures started out as fountains. They found one in New Orleans 30 years ago, and the other, now the centerpiece of a birdbath, is a decade old.

The waterway just a few feet from the garden adds sparkle and movement in the daytime. In the evening, solar-powered lights extend the time the couple can spend in their outdoor room.

The Battaglias do whatever it takes to make their garden a cheerful space with a personal touch. Anita said, “We love flowers. We are inspired by the glorious, seemingly endless possibilities of plant life.

All flowering plants give us a great deal of pleasure. When a picky hibiscus comes into

bloom, or the mandevillas are in full flower, we are delighted.”

They generally don’t cut their flowers; however, says Anita, “Occasionally, if there is an unusual hibiscus blooming, I will give it to a friend. They only last a day or two and don’t need water. Otherwise, they stay on the shrub. Bob will take a picture so we can enjoy it long after it’s finished, and we can remember it in case it’s reticent to bloom again.”

Anita and Bob are dedicated to maintaining their garden for several reasons. “It’s provided us with a great deal of pleasure, keeps us active and outdoors, and has connected us with many gardening friends and people who pass by regularly,” said Anita.

“It has been one of the joys of living here at Shell Point. We are grateful for our plot and, in spite of the work, we enjoy it every day. Thank you, Shell Point!”

If you’d like to learn more about gardening at Shell Point, contact Director of Resident Operations Laura Slack at lauraslack@shellpoint.org. n

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

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LEGENDS HONORED

Tribby Arts Center’s Inaugural Legacy Gallery Exhibition Showcases Arts Community Leaders

BY MARGE LEE (LUCINA)

Shell Point’s robust arts community counts more than 500 residents involved in some sort of artistic endeavor.

Some come to Shell Point as skilled artists, while others become involved in the arts only after moving here. Numerous arts groups serve as the backbone of this community by offering residents an opportunity to learn and create together. These groups are indebted to residents who serve in their various leadership roles, spending untold hours volunteering their time and talents to help fellow residents experience the joy of art.

As residents who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts community at Shell Point, Mike Klein (Nautilus), June Lockhart (Harbor Court), and Herb Sklar (Eagles Preserve) were honored in the inaugural Legacy Exhibition from May 6 through June 2 in the Legacy and Overlook Galleries

“June and I have been part of the Shell Point Pottery Studio for almost twenty years. In that time, I would guess we have taught several hundred residents, and many have become close friends. I think June would agree that we have gotten more out of it than we put in,” said Mike.

June Lockhart June Lockhart came to Shell Point as a professional artist with impressive training, having studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art; Chautauqua Institution; Penland School of Craft; and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. The acclaimed sculptor Marshall Fredericks (1908–1998) was one of her mentors. June founded the Canton (Ohio) Art Museum clay program, and she has created art for public spaces.

When June arrived at Shell

Mike Klein A physicist who helped develop night vision goggles, Mike Klein and his wife, Evelyn, first retired to Sanibel Island.

There, Mike helped establish BIG ARTS and served as mayor for two years. In 1996, the couple moved to Shell Point, which then included only The Island, where the midrise buildings did not yet exist.

“The Tunnel” and its Pottery Studio existed, however, and Mike, already an experienced potter, soon found it. Over the years since then, Mike has spent many hours there, potting and teaching his skill to numerous residents. He has also repaired studio tools and broken pottery owned by fellow residents.

Today, at 102 years of age, Mike has spent more than a quarter century here at Shell Point – and countless residents have experienced the joy of shaping art from a lump of clay as a result.

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

THE INAUGURAL

LEGACY EXHIBITION MIKE KLEIN

JUNE lockhart

HERB SKLAR

Point in 1998, she accepted the daunting volunteer task of reorganizing and revitalizing the Pottery Studio. Over the years since then, she has taught countless residents to create with clay.

June also works her artistic magic in paper. Throughout her career, she has created paper sculptures, from little to life-sized. The conductor in the Shell Point Train Station is an example of the latter, and many Shell Point residents have had the joy of receiving the former – her charming “Paper Capers” – in their campus mailboxes.

“The Pottery Studio brought me to Shell Point, and the Pottery Studio and the people who joined us there kept me happy and healthy for 20 years,” said June. “I do not think it is surprising that three of the regulars are over 100 years old and smiling. The new studio at The Tribby should attract both old potters and new ones. The joy of creating never gets old.”

Herb Sklar Herb Sklar and his wife, Sheila, moved to Shell Point in 2007 following his successful career as an art and creative director and then owner of an advertising agency in New York City.

After moving to Shell Point, he began teaching art classes through the Academy of Lifelong Learning.

Over his 11 years of volunteering for the

Academy, he taught more than 700 Shell Point residents through some 50 different classes on a wide variety of topics in art and photography.

Herb is especially associated with photography at Shell Point. He proposed the Photo Studio and was president of the Photo Club for ten years, during which time membership grew from 30 to 90 residents. In addition to teaching, Herb developed themes for Shell Point Photo Club members to explore and changed the Annual Photo Club Show and Contest from analog to digital entries.

Today, many Shell Point residents are better artists and photographers, thanks to Herb.

“What I’ve learned from my students is far greater than what I have taught,” said Herb.

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Exploring Our Military Heritage in Punta Gorda

BY ANETTE ISAACS, ACADEMY OF LIFELONG LEARNING

Freedom isn’t free – anyone who has ever served in the Armed forces or has lost loved ones while they were defending our freedom and democracy is painfully aware of this truth. The Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda made it its mission to honor all who served and ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten.

The Academy of Lifelong Learning supported this incredibly impressive museum by organizing a very special Academy on the Go trip with award-winning author Robert Macomber. One of Shell Point’s most popular instructors, the noted historian traded in his lectern at the Grand Cypress Room for a hands-on, full-day excursion to Punta Gorda.

After extensive renovations, the Museum opened its doors in 2019 in its new location just two blocks east of Fishermen’s Village. Together with two dozen Shell Point residents and history buffs, Mr. Macomber explored the new Military Museum’s expansive collection.

On the way to Punta Gorda, the group was treated to an exclusive lecture by Mr. Macomber, during which he explained nearly 500 years of Southwest Florida’s

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military history, starting with Ponce de Leon and the Seminole Wars up to the present day. Prior to touring the museum, the group enjoyed a delicious lunch at the local restaurant The Captain’s Table, which serves scrumptious food and offers breathtaking views of the Peace River.

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

After a short bus ride, the group arrived at the museum and was treated like royalty by the staff.

It was incredible: museum liaison Sarabeth had reserved the entire second floor exclusively for the Shell Point residents. That way, the group members were able to become part of history through using virtual reality goggles and flight simulators. Learning how to fly military aircrafts was definitely among the highlights of the museum visit.

The residents also thoroughly enjoyed meeting the veteran docents who are so integral to the museum’s success because they are providing the exclusive tours of the permanent collection which houses almost 30,000 artifacts.

Meeting these heroes gave the group a unique perspective and understanding of key moments in American history that cannot be obtained from a textbook.

After an eventful and moving day, the residents gained a new appreciation for the fact that the Military Heritage Museum is commonly known as Southwest Florida’s most treasured museum – deservedly so!

Dr. Crosby

Dr. Chapman

The Academy is thrilled to welcome two outstanding scientists from the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota: President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby and world renowned Shark expert Dr. Demian Chapman!

UPCOMING ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS These four Academy highlights illustrate a few of the amazing classes planned for September and October.

journey through the culinary wonders of her native country. Attendees will even have the opportunity to enjoy a slice of Germany’s most famous cake!

The Great Outdoors

On Thursday, September 16 join award-winning writer Penny Musco as she presents America’s Greatest Treasures: Fascinating Stories from our National Parks (FLL18). The talk, which is based on her recent book: Life Lessons from our National Parks, not only showcases the parks’ beautiful scenery, but also explores little-known stories about them.

Food and Culture

When thinking about German food, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and all kinds of breads are the first things that come to mind. German food and drink are wellknown and popular all over the world.

But there is so much more to this country’s cuisine, especially when one takes the regional differences into consideration. On Tuesday, October 5, join Anette Isaacs for Culinaria Germania: The Delicious Dish on German Food (FLL29). This is sure to be a fascinating, fun – and delicious –

Marine Science

It’s been the talk of the town for some time in Southwest Florida: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is expanding. On Tuesday, October 12, hear from Mote’s President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby and Dr. Demian Chapman, Director of the Sharks and Rays Conservation Program and leader of the international Global FinPrint Project, as they present Fascinating Insights into Mote’s Latest Research Projects (FLL32). They will share information about Mote’s research and conservation programs. As a highlight, they will take the audience on a (virtual) dive into Mote SEA (Science Education Aquarium), which features incredible displays of marine life, interactive technology, and windows into Mote’s amazing science.

Hidden in Plain Sight

We are all accustomed to appreciating the outward appearance of beautiful art and

objects, but what can we learn by looking below the surfaces of an 18th century polychrome chest, a painted sculpture, a modest Shaker chair, or a painted wooden bust?

Find out what lies hidden beneath the surface of artworks and objects on Thursday, October 28 as Dr. Susan Buck presents Art Under the Microscope (FLL42). Highly magnified images of tiny samples taken from paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts can provide critical information about how they were created, and how they might have discolored and degraded over time.

Dr. Buck’s compelling lecture will discuss how optical microscopy analysis has provided information about stolen paintings, about sculptures that have been repainted many times, about the deliberate alterations made to revered modern objects, and about how best to conserve or restore damaged surfaces.

Learn More

Please refer to the current Academy of Lifelong Learning brochure for a complete listing of classes, locations and fees.

Academy brochures are available at either Concierge Desk. See you in class!

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Epic Journeys TRAVEL Collection Shell Point residents have followed their passion and discovered new experiences at amazing destinations during more than 15 years of partnership between Shell Point Retirement Community and Isings Travel.

With the advantage of over 55 years of expertise, Isings Travel’s small group private travel program, the Epic Journeys Collection, provides incredible experiences with the highest quality in care and personal attention.

During these ever-evolving times, Isings Travel’s enhanced safety measures and protocols provide Shell Point residents the ability to travel on meticulously customized trips.

Now you can venture out with confidence and peace of mind through the care and thoughtfulness that goes into the creation of each trip.

Isings Travel thinks of everything that makes it easy for you, including door-to-door

transportation and a private tour manager who handles it all so you can travel worry-free! So pack your bags and join the fun on one of the new itineraries just announced

by Shell Point and Isings Travel’s Epic Journeys Collection.

Discover America’s most beautiful places from the soaring Rocky Mountains to the stunning Red Rock canyons. Cruise Mark Twain’s Mississippi; witness breathtaking Alaskan landscapes, glaciers and wildlife;

and marvel at the spectacular fall leaves in beautiful New England.

Experience extraordinary vistas cruising the Voyage of the Vikings through Norway with 4 days in Iceland and on to Greenland! Venture through Switzerland and Austria viewing beautiful Alpine Lakes, top-of-the-world glacial mountaintops and riding aboard the Glacier Express. Then explore musical Salzburg and experience the famous Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. Journey to France and be enchanted by the storybook Alsace Loraine region before boarding your luxury River Boat to cruise through the heart of Burgundy and Provence. Be captivated by the unbelievable wild kingdom on safari in exotic Africa, or the unique Galapagos Islands.

Contact Isings Travel at 1-800-5627672 for reservations on any of these Epic Journeys tours.

The Isings Travel Epic Journeys Collection 2021 Nov. 20........ Thanksgiving Cruise on the NEW Celebrity Apex......................... 7 Nights Dec. 10....... Christmastime in Red Rock and Sedona Arizona........................ 5 Nights

2022 Mar. 16........ Grand Southern Caribbean Cruise on Nieuw Statendam......... 12 Nights Mar. 23........ South Africa, Victoria Falls, Safari and More.................................. 16 Nights Apr. 23......... Spring Flowers in the Smoky Mountains at Biltmore Estate......... 6 Nights May 12....... Colorado Rockies & Rocky Mountaineer Rail Journey!.............. 7 Nights June 20....... Grand Alaska Land & Sea with Denali National Park.................. 13 Nights July 14........ Voyage of the Vikings including Iceland & Greenland.............. 19 Nights July 21........ Majestic Canadian Rockies Plus Rail Journey............................. 9 Nights Aug. 11....... French River Cruise plus Alsace Lorraine....................................... 12 Nights Aug. 18....... Upper Mississippi River Cruise – St. Louis to St. Paul....................... 8 Nights Sept. 11....... Alpine Rails & Trails – Switzerland, Austria & Oberammergau.... 16 Nights Sept. 29....... New England Autumn Delights: Maine, NH & VT........................... 8 Nights

2023 Feb. 2.......... Galapagos Island Discover Cruise & Quito, Ecuador................ 10 Nights 22

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

2021 EMPLOYEE CHRISTMAS FUND

Expressing Gratitude To Those Who Serve Us B Y C O M M I T T E E C H A I R S P E T E A N D D AW N H E R R ( T U R B A N )

The calendar may tell us it’s early fall, but we know that all too quickly December will arrive – along with anticipation of the Christmas season. Each year, we give careful thought as to the gifts we will give to our family and friends. What a joyful time of year to celebrate all of the many good gifts we enjoy here at Shell Point!

The spirit of generosity here at Shell Point is truly amazing. We think of the friendly greeting we receive each week when our housekeeper rings the doorbell and steps inside to clean the apartment.

We are always greeted with a smile and wave from security at the Guard House.

Whether walking or driving in the community, employees on golf carts acknowledge our presence. Servers in the Island Café and The Crystal know our names and greet us like friends. And each operator at the invaluable #2190 “One Call Does It All” service line answers with pleasantness and helpfulness.

Our hope is that we all can make this an outstanding year of Expressing Gratitude to them and the many, many others who strive each day to make our lives at Shell Point so remarkably pleasant. Since they do so much for us all year long, let’s all take a moment to consider how we might tangibly thank them.

Wonderfully, a program is in place for all of us to use as we seek to express our gratitude to the many Shell Point employees we come in contact with on a daily basis. The Employee Christmas Fund is that program. When we stop to consider all of the ways the employees serve us, it is overwhelming: healthcare/medical, dining services, activities, classes, fine arts, entertainment, television programming, fitness and exercise, landscaping, and buildings and grounds, as well as all the ‘behind the scenes’ efforts that we so richly benefit from. All of those things make us want

to find an appropriate way to tell them “Thank You!” The Employee Christmas Fund gives each of us the opportunity to send a very tangible message of gratitude and thankfulness to each of the more than 1,200 employees for their service to us and the community as a whole.

THERE ARE THREE EASY WAYS TO GIVE TO THE EMPLOYEE CHRISTMAS FUND:

We encourage every resident to join us in Expressing Gratitude by giving to the Employee Christmas Fund. Please donate to the fund at whatever level you are able.

We know everyone is grateful for the faithful, competent work our employees do for us each day. We trust this will be a convenient way to express our gratitude to the employees and their families at this special time of year.

1. Write a check to Shell Point with “Employee Christmas Fund” in the memo.

2. Set up an automatic deduction by emailing chrisferrell@shellpoint.org.

3. Make a one-time or recurring donation online at www.shellpoint.net/ christmasfund.

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ACTIVE AGING WEEK 2021 Monday, October 4 through Saturday, October 9

Accept the Challenge…

Each year, the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) designates a special week to both celebrate and educate the world on the benefits of active living. Started in 2003, the goal of Active Aging Week is to promote wellness initiatives and to get our bodies up and moving as well as showcase the capabilities of older adults as fully participating members of society. Join us as we partner with the ICAA and hundreds of other senior adult living communities around the world to promote the positive benefits of having an active lifestyle and its ability to change the way we age.

Be ACTIVE!

“

You can’t help

getting older, but you don’t have to get old .

”

~ George Burns

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Mask requested

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Sign-up required; call a Concierge Desk: Island: 454-2282, Woodlands: 454-2054

WOODLANDS TRAIL WALK AND OUTDOOR WORKOUT

Walking required

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 • 8:30 A.M. CENTER COURT/WDL Join the fitness team for an invigorating trail walk and stop-n-go workout.

Starting at Center Court, residents will be led on a 1.5 mile walking course.

Expect brief stops along the way for strategically planned exercises. Grab a neighbor or friend and get an active start to your Monday morning.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 • 11 A.M. FITNESS CENTER/IS

PERSONAL TRAINING: DO I NEED IT? HOW DO I GET STARTED? TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 • 1:30 P.M. SOCIAL CENTER/IS This 50-minute presentation by Fitness Supervisor Deb Stapleton outlines the Personal Training Services that our Shell Point Fitness staff provide. Deb will present the many benefits of having a personal trainer who will plan and organize specific workouts to help you meet your personal fitness goals.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 • 11 A.M. SOCIAL CENTER/IS

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SHELL POINT WATERS CLEAN-UP WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 • 8:30 A.M. SUZY Q DOCK/IS It’s that time of year again! Come and support the Lee County Coastal Waters Clean-up by helping pick up trash and other debris in and around the Shell Point waters.

Residents will use kayaks to venture out and collect trash from our local waterways. The Suzy Q will also be used to help support the kayakers as they volunteer to take on this very important task.

KICKING THE SUGAR HABIT MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 • 1 P.M. SOCIAL CENTER/IS Many people regularly experience sugar cravings. Health professionals believe that this is one of the main reasons it can be so hard to stick to a healthy diet. Cravings are driven by your brain’s need for a “reward” – not your body’s need for food. Join us for this special discussion with Ashley Lovetere, a registered dietitian with Lee Health, about sugar cravings, why sugar is so powerful, and how we can break the habit.

DANCERCISE WITH “KARDIO KARI”

Let’s get on that dance floor with easy-to-follow dance moves ranging from Latin to modern to country. This low-impact class is suitable for all fitness levels. No jumping, hopping or other high intensity moves are required.

Come join the fun and get your groove on with Kari Fundingsland, known in the Fort Myers fitness community as Kardio Kari!

COUCH TO 5K PROGRAM

Shell Point Fitness Coordinator Amanda Spencer will introduce you to an easy-tofollow nine-week ‘Couch to 5K’ training program designed to help you build your stamina and endurance with three 20- to 30-minute workouts per week. You can also prepare to participate in the American Heart Association Walk on Saturday, December 11. Get ready to walk with us!

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NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER WALK ON THE ISLAND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 • 8:30 A.M. FRIENDSHIP POINT/IS Join Village Church Associate Pastor Don Pullen as he leads us in a time of prayer for our community and nation while also enjoying a scenic walk around The Island neighborhoods. No need to sign-up – just meet us at Friendship Point and we will begin the walk from there. What a great way to start your Wednesday morning!

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RESISTANCE BANDS H2O WITH MEL

Two Classes: The Island or The Estuary!

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 9 A.M. AT THE AQUATIC CENTER/IS 10 A.M. AT THE ESTUARY POOL

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 • 1 P.M. MANATEE ROOM/IS Self-reflection is a learned skill that can be beneficial to gaining a deeper awareness of our thoughts, feelings and actions. This is a helpful practice to use as we strive to reach our goals or better understand ourselves. Maybe you are interested in making lifestyle changes, such as being more physically active, learning new ways to manage stress or focusing on eating healthier. Research suggests that keeping a journal can help transform awareness into a goal-direct action. Many people also use journaling as a form of meditation and prayer. Join us to learn more about the benefits of journaling and how to get started.

Calling all pool enthusiasts!

Whether you swim laps, join a pool class, or do your own thing in the pool, using resistance bands can bring a new level of fitness training to your workout.

During this specialty class, you’ll learn moves to increase your strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. Resistance bands are an excellent tool to get the most out of your exercise program and maybe even more so in the water. So grab your sunshirt and some SPF and come meet Health Club Leader Mel Brod for this totally tubular and fun workout.

CAREFREE CONNECTIONS GROUP

KEEPING A SELF-REFLECTION JOURNAL

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JAZZ-N-STUFF PERFORMANCE “YESTERYEAR”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 • 10 A.M. MANATEE ROOM/IS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 • 2:30 PM CONNIE BROWN HALL/TRIBBY

Carefree Connections is a social group that offers caregivers and care partners of residents with dementia an opportunity to build authentic friendships while promoting a culture of wellness, community involvement, and a positive life experience for couples.

All are welcome to come and hear our resident jazz band in the Connie Brown Hall. Led by Cas Obie (Parkwood), this musical ensemble will perform a number of songs that will get you clapping your hands and tapping your toes. This hour-long concert will feature a variety of songs from “yesteryear,” like Young and Foolish, Younger Than Springtime, Those Were the Days, and Yesterday, When I Was Young.

Accept the Challenge…

Be ACTIVE! 26

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Mask requested

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Sign-up required; call a Concierge Desk: Island: 454-2282, Woodlands: 454-2054

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER WALK AT COASTAL LINKS AND THE WOODLANDS

Walking required

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 • 8:30 AM TRIBBY ENTRANCE Join Village Church Associate Pastor Don Pullen as he leads us in a time of prayer for our community and nation while also enjoying a scenic walk around the Coastal Links and Woodlands neighborhoods. No need to sign up – just meet us at the main entrance to the Tribby Arts Center and we will begin the walk from there. What a great way to start your Thursday morning!

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 • 10 A.M. GRAND CYPRESS ROOM/WDL Attend this Academy presentation to learn about palm trees. Palms differ greatly from broadleaf and coniferous trees in their overall form and external structure (morphology) and in their internal structure (anatomy).

Their morphology and anatomy determine how palms grow, function, and respond to external and internal stress factors. Stephen Brown, a Horticulture Specialist from Lee County and the University of Florida, will explain how palms are constructed.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 • 11 A.M. FITNESS CENTER/COASTAL LINKS

BOWLING AT GATOR LANES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 • 1 P.M. 12 / 12:10 / 12:15 / 12:20 / 12:25 P.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP COST: $18 Haven’t been bowling for a while? Well, that changes today! Get ready for some strikes, spares, and maybe even a few turkeys when we hit the lanes. Grab a few friends for an amazing time as we knock those pins down and spend the afternoon together at Gator Lanes.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 • 9 A.M. PARKING LOT/TRIBBY

PALM TREE MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY (FLL31)

DANCERCISE WITH “KARDIO KARI”

Let’s get on that dance floor with easy-to-follow dance moves ranging from Latin to modern to country. This low-impact class is suitable for all fitness levels. No jumping, hopping or other high intensity moves are required.

Come join in on the fun and get your groove on!

INTRODUCTION TO FRISBEE GOLF

Want to try something new? Participate in a strategy and skills clinic on how to play Frisbee Golf. Jon High will use his coaching skills and demonstrate how to play this fun recreational sport. Participants must be able to walk on their own for an extended period of time.

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BEACH WORKOUTS AND LUNCH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 • 9:30 AM COST $5 LUNCH ON YOUR OWN Join us as we whisk away to Bowditch Point on Fort Myers Beach for a few hours of beach, sun and exercise. You will have two workouts from which to choose: Beach and Yoga is a gentle and relaxing class to help soothe stress and tension away. Beach Boot Camp includes up-tempo circuit-training exercises that will challenge your overall fitness. Following the exercise classes, we will take a short walk and grab lunch at the Pink Shell Resort.

Transportation will be provided via the Suzy Q and/or Shell Point bus, and will be announced following sign ups.

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Accept the Challenge…

Be ACTIVE! Mask requested

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Sign-up required; call a Concierge Desk: Island: 454-2282, Woodlands: 454-2054

UCLA COGNITIVE HEALTH PROGRAM OVERVIEW FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 • 10 A.M. GRAND CYPRESS ROOM/WDL Connections Program Coordinator, Emily Reese, will present an overview of the UCLA Cognitive Health Programs, including Memory Training, Memory Fitness, and Brain Booster classes. Come and learn more about what’s on the menu of cognitive health here at Shell Point!

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LET’S TALK HAIR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 • 1:30 PM GRAND CYPRESS ROOM/WDL Join Robyn Church, Salon & Spa Manager to learn some hair styling tips for women. Robyn will ask several women attending to take the stage and model how a “little of this” and a “little of that” can make all the difference in how a hairstyle fits and flatters the shape of the face.

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BEAN BAG TOSS COMPETITION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 • 9 A.M. SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS/IS Looking for something fun to do on Saturday morning?

Come out and show off those tossing skills and enjoy a little competition with your fellow Shell Point residents. This classic game has made a resurgence and is now a popular recreational activity. Grab a partner, or we will provide one, and let’s get the day started off right with this fun-filled activity.

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Walking required

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TABLE TENNIS COMPETITION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 • 2 P.M. MANATEE ROOM/IS Calling all tennis, pickleball, and ping-pong enthusiasts!

Let’s put those eye-hand skills to the test in a friendly, action-packed, and fun table tennis competition. Whether you play on a regular basis or haven’t played for a long, long time, come join us being active together.

ACTIVE AGING WEEK ASSISTED LIVING EVENTS During Active Aging Week, special activities planned for Assisted Living residents will touch on each dimension of wellness.

PHYSICAL MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 BOWLING AT GATOR LANES EDUCATIONAL TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 UNTYING THE KNOT STRESS WORKSHOP SPIRITUAL WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 OUTDOOR PRAYER AND WORSHIP NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 SUZY Q RIDES AT 10 A.M. AND 1 P.M. COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 CANVAS PAINTING ACTIVITY

Investing In the Age of Artificial Intelligence Sanibel Captiva Trust Portfolio Manager and Director of Research Timothy Vick probes the timely topic of artificial intelligence.

• What is AI and how is it being implemented?

• How is it changing our lives and our economy?

• What opportunities is AI creating?

• How is it changing the world for investors?

Timothy Vick

Learn some of the fascinating ways AI is creeping into our everyday lives, and how it is uprooting traditional practices of great investors.

Monday, October 11 10 a.m.

Grand Cypress Room The Woodlands Presented by Timothy Vick of Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Sign up at either Concierge Desk

Fall into Season at the

Shell Point Golf Club Shell Point Golf Club’s ladies and mens leagues will be kicking off in early October. Be sure to stop by the Pro Shop – you’ll find a new selection of Shell Point-branded gear to help you start off the new season in style!

FineMark: Dedicated to Serving Shell Point My name is Anna Smith, and I am the Managing Executive of FineMark National Bank & Trust’s Shell Point office. I would like to introduce you to FineMark. We operate a full-service bank and trust company, comprised of highly experienced financial professionals, dedicated to serving our clients.

FineMark provides personal and business banking services, investment services, and trust and fiduciary services. Since opening our Shell Point office on The Island in 2009, we have come to know many of the

residents – and we are honored to serve this great community.

RELATIONSHIPS. We believe that the best way to serve you is to truly know you. We’re committed to earning your trust and understanding your goals. We take time to build relationships by listening and asking questions. We’ll always be there to help you whenever and wherever we can.

SERVICE. Our commitment to providing exceptional service is at the core of who we are. With our personalized, one-onone service, no task is too big or too small.

Our clients come first, and we always work to exceed their needs and expectations.

TRANSPARENCY. We believe in

full transparency. We’ll never hide our actions or decisions, and we hold ourselves accountable for the choices we make. You can trust that we’ll always do what’s right, and we’ll always act in your best interests.

I encourage you to stop by the office and say hello. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

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September & October LifeQuest Happenings Six Dimensions: Physical • Emotional • Spiritual • Educational • Community & Social • Natural Environment CHECK THE WEEKLY REMINDER FOR UPDATES ON ANY CHANGES TO THE PROGRAMS LISTED IN THIS CALENDAR AS THINGS MAY CHANGE. For questions about upcoming events or activities, please contact any concierge desk. Unless otherwise noted, sign-up for each event will begin on the first business day of the month. If you are unable to attend a program that includes a fee, five business days’ notice is required to receive a refund.

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COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE LABOR DAY WEEKEND SALE

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 AND SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 9 A.M. – 4 P.M.

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FRIDAYS, SEPTEMBER 3, 10, 17, 24 7 A.M. MEDICAL CENTER BUS STOP/IS Lace up your walking shoes and join Shell Point’s physicians every Friday morning in an exhilarating 1.5-mile morning walk around the beautiful Island neighborhood.

You will have the opportunity to learn about the medical staff while also getting physically fit together.

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

FRIDAYS, SEPTEMBER 3, 10, 17, 24 4:15 P.M. MEDICAL CENTER BUS STOP/IS Hop on your bike and join Shell Point’s physicians every Friday in an approximately five-mile ride around the beautiful Shell Point campus. For your safety, helmets are required.

Enjoy a 75% off storewide Labor Day Weekend sale to honor the contributions and achievements of American workers.

WALK WITH THE DOCS

BIKE WITH THE DOCS

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LABOR DAY LUNCH BUFFET MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 11 A.M. – 2 P.M. CRYSTAL DINING ROOM COST: $20 (PLUS GRATUITY) Celebrate Labor Day at the Crystal Dining Room! A scrumptious buffet will feature chargrilled black angus hamburgers, kosher all-beef hotdogs, baked salmon, and sweet and tangy BBQ chicken, along with summer corn salad, tomato chickpea salad, and bacon ranch potato salad! To top it off, how about an All-American dessert spread? Reservations are required, so please call the Crystal at (239) 454-2199 to book your spot today!

Mask requested

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Sign-up required; call a Concierge Desk: Island: 454-2282, Woodlands: 454-2054

LUNCH AT ELLA MAE’S DINER FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 10:30 / 10:40 / 10:50 / 10:55 / 11 A.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP COST: $5 (LUNCH ON YOUR OWN)

Walking required

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Daniels Marketplace has so much to offer for your shopping pleasure, including Whole Foods Market, White House/ Black Market, Chico’s and Soma. You can even pick up some gourmet dog treats at Pet People! A selection of eateries await for lunch, including Zoë’s Kitchen, Uh-Maze Bowls, Panera Bread, Mellow Mushroom, and Keke’s Breakfast Café.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 10:30 / 10:40 / 10:50 / 10:55 / 11 A.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP LUNCH BUFFET: 11:30 A.M. SHOW: 1 P.M. RETURN: APPROXIMATELY 3:30 P.M. COST: $64 (INCLUDES BUFFET LUNCH, SHOW AND TRANSPORTATION) This all-new musical revue features the best of Broadway, combining favorites from the past along with the most recent musical hit sensations. The bright lights of Broadway will shine on the stage with show-stopping numbers and some of the greatest Broadway songs of all time. You’ll enjoy songs from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, CATS, Oklahoma, Wicked, 42nd Street and more!

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SHOPPING EXCURSION TO DANIELS MARKETPLACE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 10 / 10:10 / 10:20 / 10:25 / 10:30 A.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP APPROXIMATE RETURN 3 P.M. COST: $5 (LUNCH ON YOUR OWN)

Located in the new Luminary Hotel in downtown Fort Myers, Ella Mae’s is a classic but modern diner where everyone is welcome! Sit and stay awhile in this neighborhood gathering spot, where the hospitality is genuine and the good feelings are mutual. Enjoy abundant flavors showcased in diverse offerings of traditional dishes, prepared with a lighter touch. Prices range from $10 to $20, and you can order breakfast or lunch. Check out LuminaryHotel. com/taste/#ella-maes-diner to view the menu.

BROADWAY PALM DINNER THEATRE: A NIGHT ON BROADWAY

Stairs

A DAY IN MATLACHA VIA SUZY Q WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 DEPART: 9:30 A.M. RETURN: 3 P.M. SUZY Q DOCK/IS COST: $10 (LUNCH ON YOUR OWN) Hop aboard the Suzy Q for a day in Matlacha. We will dock at Leoma Lovegrove’s art gallery and garden, which is located close to the Blue Dog Saloon and Olde Fish House Marina Restaurant. Join Capt. Russ for a fun, quirky, unique shopping and dining experience. Due to the length of time it takes to get to Matlacha, to obtain speed the trip is limited to 18 people, so sign up as soon as possible.

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FARM TO TABLE AT THE CRYSTAL

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 4:30 – 6:30 P.M. COST: $30 PER PERSON ALL INCLUSIVE Join us at The Crystal for a healthy “Farm to Table” buffet prepared by our very own Chef. More menu details to follow, but you can look forward to a buffet featuring fresh organic items, fresh vegetables and fruits, a selection of healthy protein items, plant-based dishes, and even healthy desert options! Join us for a delicious heart- and brain-healthy buffet!

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 2:15 PM SOCIAL CENTER/IS

FRIDAYS, OCTOBER 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 7 A.M. MEDICAL CENTER BUS STOP/IS Lace up your walking shoes and join Shell Point’s physicians every Friday morning in an exhilarating 1.5-mile morning walk around the beautiful Island neighborhood.

You will have the opportunity to learn about the medical staff while also getting physically fit together.

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BEACH DAY AT DELNOR-WIGGINS PASS STATE PARK TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 8:30 / 8:40 / 8:50 / 9 / 9:10 A.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP RETURN: APPROXIMATELY 3:30 P.M. COST $20 (ICE CREAM ON YOUR OWN) It’s time again to soak up the sun and ride the waves! We will head to Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park for a relaxing day on the beach. Bring a lightweight chair and your personal beach supplies. Your programming staff will serve a tasty fried chicken lunch with sides for you to enjoy, along with lemonade and iced tea. On the way home, we will stop at the Royal Scoop for a refreshing treat!

Debby Topliff (Turban) will do a reading from her book Hiding, which addresses complicated issues many families face and features a nicely orchestrated and unexpected ending.

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FRIDAYS, OCTOBER 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 4:15 P.M. MEDICAL CENTER BUS STOP/IS Hop on your bike and join Shell Point’s physicians every Friday in an approximately five-mile ride around the beautiful Shell Point campus. For your safety, helmets are required.

SHELL POINT LIBRARY BOOK TALK

WALK WITH THE DOCS

BIKE WITH THE DOCS

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COMMUNITY-WIDE FOOD DRIVE FOR SOUTH FORT MYERS FOOD PANTRY OCTOBER 12 –19 Let’s help stock the South Fort Myers Food Pantry shelves, Shell Point! The October community-wide food drive is for healthy dry breakfast cereal and cereal bars.

Bring your donation to The Village Church and drop it off outside the front doors. There will be collection bins for your donations. Let’s fill those bins for a great cause! Contact Carol Sperlak, volunteer coordinator at (239) 454-2290 for information.

Mask requested

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Sign-up required; call a Concierge Desk: Island: 454-2282, Woodlands: 454-2054

Walking required

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50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SHELL POINT LIBRARY CELEBRATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13 10 A.M. – 3 P.M. LIBRARY LOUNGE/IS

SHOPPING EXCURSION TO FISHERMEN’S VILLAGE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 9 / 9:10 / 9:20 / 9:25 / 9:30 A.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP COST: $10 (LUNCH ON YOUR OWN) RETURN: 4:30 P.M.

Please join the Shell Point Library volunteers for a day of celebration! Light refreshments will be served. The Shell Point Library was started with donated books residents could not fit into their new apartments. The community stocked the shelves of its very first library in an empty apartment on the second floor of Macoma. The then-200 residents made weekly visits to the bare room equipped with only a table, chair, lamp and sign-out book. In 1971, with an appointed volunteer librarian in charge, the “book nook” moved to a new, expanded space in the Island Commons where the library still resides. The generous donations by residents on an annual basis have kept the library stocked with the most up-to-date books and video items for all to enjoy. Much has changed in the community over the years, but the library remains one of the most popular Shell Point amenities.

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Stairs

Join your friends for a fun day at Fisherman’s Village.

Located along the Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda, this area offers more than 30 waterfront shops and restaurants including Turtle Bay, The Captain’s Table, Village Fish Market and The Pier, with plenty of fresh seafood options. Many shops offer resort wear for both gentlemen and ladies, as well as jewelry and handbags, specialty gifts, and personal accessories. Join us for a lovely day at Fisherman’s Village!

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OCTOBER FALL HARVEST DANCE PARTY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 7 – 9 P.M. GRAND CYPRESS ROOM/WDL COST: $10

KEVIN LAURENCE IN CONCERT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 6 – 7:30 P.M. FRIENDSHIP POINT/IS Mark your calendars to attend an award-winning concert with pianist and vocalist Kevin Laurence. If you’ve heard Kevin perform at Shell Point before, you may remember his songs from the 40’s through today! You’ll be clapping, dancing and swaying in your seats to a wonderful array of songs he’s arranged just for you. Kevin has a thriving YouTube channel with more than 3 million views, and his internet popularity even landed him a guest appearance on The Martha Stewart Show! There will be a southern-style menu served in The Crystal from 4 to 7 p.m., so make a night of it with dinner, followed by music in our beautiful amphitheater.

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The residents’ dance committee has planned a special harvest-themed dance party featuring our own Shell Point “DJ” Russ Sampson. In the past, Russ has inspired attendees to try line dancing, singing the “YMCA” song, and enjoying dancing to the music of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Everyone is welcome! Refreshments are served at intermission, and those attending are encouraged to bring a snack to share with their table. Reservation and payment forms can be picked up at either Concierge Desk. Space is limited, so send in your reservation forms early!

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Mask requested

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Sign-up required; call a Concierge Desk: Island: 454-2282, Woodlands: 454-2054

WALKING FOR ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS

SHELL POINT LIBRARY BOOK TALK TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 2:15 P.M. SOCIAL CENTER/IS Sandy Ehlers (Oakmont) will review A Promised Land by Barack Obama, a detailed presidential memoir of history in the making and the inner workings of our government’s Executive Branch.

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AN EVENING IN GERMANY AT THE CRYSTAL

Stairs

German. You will be transported to the stunning streets of Germany without boarding an airplane! Feast on delicious food with German flair. The menu includes soft pretzels, German potato salad, pickled beet and sweet onion salad, and German cucumber salad for starters. The entrées include pork schnitzel with potato pancakes, sauerbraten, caper-buttered cod, bratwurst and sauerkraut, and sweet and sour cabbage. Save room for a delicious dessert of apple strudel or Black Forest cake! Accordionist Phil Hilton (The Springs) will provide music to accompany this funfilled evening. Please call The Crystal at (239) 454-2199 to book your reservation today!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 7:30 / 7:40 / 7:50 / 8 / 8:05 A.M. IS / WDL / EST / ENC / EP Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The walk will begin at 9 a.m. at Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. If you would like to attend, please register at a Concierge desk. Need a “Shell Point Cares” shirt to wear on the walk? Contact Jon High at (239) 454-2254.

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Walking required

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TRENDY TOURS CRUISING TO CABBAGE KEY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 8:45 / 8:55 A.M. WDL / COASTAL COMMONS COST: $139 (ESCORT, BOAT RIDE, LUNCH AND TRANSPORTATION) Widely believed to be the inspiration behind Jimmy Buffet’s song Cheeseburger in Paradise, Cabbage Key is a classic old Florida hideaway. After we arrive by boat from Captiva Island, we will enjoy a casual, delicious lunch at the Cabbage Key Restaurant, where the walls are lined with signed dollar bills! There is also a short nature trail and water tower to climb during this fun, relaxing day.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 4:30 – 6:30 P.M. THE CRYSTAL/IS COST $30 PER PERSON ALL INCLUSIVE Willkommen all! Join the Resident Programming team and The Crystal staff for an enchanting evening with all things

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At the Tribby As the summer season winds down and we start looking ahead to fall, there is lots to do and see at The Tribby – from movies, live concerts and Music on Mondays, to screenings, gallery exhibitions, shopping and more.

BY MICHAEL WEISS, FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS MANAGER

ART EXHIBITS SPARKLE: FLOWERING FORTH NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 15 THE SHELL POINT GALLERY TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M. Whether in spectacular mass or as a single stem, flowers make us smile. This exhibition displays many depictions of flowers, rendered in paint, clay, photography, textiles, glass, wood and more. Flowering Forth also has meaning beyond the petal, as evidenced by a line of colorful birds and even a musician who reminds us of the days of the flower child.

SPARKLE: IN THE ABSTRACT SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 20 THE SHELL POINT GALLERY TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M. Concepts can be abstract, people can be abstracted, and even nature presents images in the abstract. Art is abstract when it uses shapes, colors, and

forms to evoke its effect rather than depict a reality. Some artworks here are abstract, some are partially so or not at all, and the contrasts are intriguing.

SMALL FORTUNES Works by Shell Point writers are presented in the style of fortune cookie “fortunes.”

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

SPARKLE: IN FUNCTION OCTOBER 28 – NOVEMBER 24 THE SHELL POINT GALLERY TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M. Presented as art, such things as teapots, beach paths, weathered fences, wooden kegs, worn gears, and more are transformed.

Pitchers and plates, bowls and boxes: all appear here in a different light. Fabric becomes collage, utensils are in balance, and tiny jars are meant to hold dreams.

TRIBBY CHALLENGE EXHIBITIONS: PART II NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 20 THE LEGACY AND OVERLOOK GALLERIES TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

ROUND AND FOUND Works by Shell Point glass artists incorporate found items, with at least one round object.

Three dimensional works by Shell Point crafters depict or are inspired by birds.

TRIBBY CHALLENGE EXHIBITIONS: PART III OPENING OCTOBER 28 THE LEGACY AND OVERLOOK GALLERIES TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

ABOUT FACE Shell Point potters were challenged to create works that incorporate or suggest faces.

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Shell Point painters were challenged to create a small (8” x 10”) painting or drawing.

MOVING FORWARD

Shell Point woodworkers were challenged to create kinetic sculptures.

Continued on next page

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At the Tribby ARTS ACTIVITIES THE ARTS LIBRARY THE LITERARY LOUNGE Continuing the Arts Library’s monthly focus on parts of its 1,500-volume collection, September and October will feature books on two iconic periods in European art.

September’s featured book is The Renaissance in 15th Century Florence. The Renaissance had its birth in 15th century Florence, where an unparalleled period of prosperity and focus on humanity inspired such artistic giants as Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

THE LITERARY LOUNGE October’s featured book is 17th Century Golden Age of Dutch Painting.

The tiny but wealthy nation of Holland enjoyed a Golden Age in the 17th cenTHE ILLUSIONISTS CLUB tury that inspired artistic icons like Vermeer, Rembrandt, EVERY MONDAY Hals, de Hooch, van Ruisdael and Steen. Residents may sign 3 P.M. out the featured books at the end of the months.

CONNIE BROWN HALL

JAZZ N’ STUFF EVERY WEDNESDAY 2:30 P.M. CONNIE BROWN HALL FREE Shell Point’s resident big band offers free concerts every week in Connie Brown Hall. Upcoming concerts are sure to get your feet tapping!

September 1 – Movie Themes September 8 – Broadway Shows September 15 – Guys & Dolls Part 1: Dolls September 22 – Guys & Dolls Part 2: Guys September 29 – Animal Songs October 6 – Yesteryear October 13 – 40s Songs October 20 – 50s Songs October 27 – 60s Songs

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Come and try your hand at slight-of-hand. All levels of experience welcome – from newbie “Abracadabblers” to seasoned Houdinis. Contact Warrin Myers at (239) 770-6016 or warrinmyers@gmail.com.

PERCUSSION WORKSHOP EVERY MONDAY 10 A.M. INTERMEDIATE 11 A.M. BEGINNERS: DRUM FOR FUN CONNIE BROWN HALL $60 FOR FOUR CLASSES DRUMS PROVIDED Under the instruction of professional percussionist Isaac Fernández Hernández, residents learn rhythm patterns and technique while playing on tubano and djembe hand drums, as well as hand-held percussion instruments. Sign up at either Concierge Desk.

SHELL POINT PLAYERS FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAYS 2 P.M. CONNIE BROWN HALL Twice a month, the Players meet for live script readings.

Come and get in on the action, or just relax in the audience and enjoy the play. Contact Kate Sullivan at (941) 286-8056 or katem3252@gmail.com.

WRITERS GUILD AUTHOR TALK: CHILDREN’S STORIES WITH HELEN KETTEMAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 3 – 4 P.M. THE LITERARY STUDIO FREE (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) Spend a delightful afternoon with Helen Ketteman (Eagles Preserve), the author of 27 books for young readers. Her books have won numerous awards and recognitions, including three State Readers’ Choice Awards, an American Library Association “Pick of the Lists,” and a Jr. Library Guild Selection. Helen will share insights on her career, discuss writing for children, and answer questions from the audience. Sign up at the Concierge Desks.

WRITERS GUILD WORKSHOP: POETRY WORKSHOP WITH NICK RANSON TUESDAYS SEPTEMBER 7, 14, 28, OCTOBER 26 AND NOVEMBER 2, 9 3 – 4 P.M. THE LITERARY STUDIO FREE (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) Nick Ranson (Periwinkle), retired professor of English at the University of Akron (Ohio), will serve as the workshop leader for active poets. Nick will also host poetry readings in the Library Lounge once a month in September, October and November. Sign up at the Concierge Desks.

WRITERS GUILD WORKSHOP: “YOU WROTE WHAT?” WITH ROGER PALMS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 3 – 4 P.M. THE LITERARY STUDIO FREE (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) Roger Palms (Lucina), an experienced editor, will lead a workshop entitled “You Wrote What?” How to Avoid Common Writing Mistakes. Along with helping writers recognize and overcome errors, the workshop will give participants helpful insights about how to write clear, concise, and inspiring sentences and paragraphs. Sign up at the Concierge Desks.

WRITERS GUILD WORKSHOP: “LET’S WRITE TOGETHER” WITH DEBBY TOPLIFF TUESDAYS OCTOBER 5, 12, 19 3 – 4 P.M. THE LITERARY STUDIO FREE (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) In this three-session course, each participant creates brief, impromptu writings in a friendly environment. Debby Topliff (Turban) will facilitate this class, bringing ideas and objects as springboards for timed writing pieces. All levels of experience are welcome. Sign up at the Concierge Desks.

SERENDIPITY: THE SHOP AT TRIBBY ARTS CENTER TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M. TRIBBY ARTS CENTER Located inside the Shell Point Gallery, the shop features works by Shell Point artists and craftspeople.

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At the Tribby Upcoming Concerts AMERNET STRING QUARTET

An Evening of Schubert, Schulhoff and Brahms Thursday, September 9 at 7 P.M. Connie Brown Hall Tickets: $30

Praised for their “intelligence” and “immensely satisfying” playing by The New York Times , the Amernet String Quartet has garnered recognition as one of today’s exceptional string quartets. The ensemble won the gold medal at the Tokyo International Music Competition and placed first in the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition.

Schubert - String Quartet No. 10 in E flat Major

Erwin Schulhoff - Five Pieces for String Quartet

Brahms - String Quartet No. 1 in C minor

“One of America’s finest ensembles.”

— Cincinnati Enquirer

RASTRELLI CELLO QUARTET

From Grieg To Hollywood Saturday, October 9 at 4 P.M. Connie Brown Hall Tickets: $30

“Rastrelli Cello Quartet dazzles.”

– Palm Beach Daily News

Formed in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2002 and now based in Germany, this internationally-acclaimed ensemble has been thrilling audiences with performances that mix classical repertoire with popular selections. The quartet has performed at festivals, with orchestras, and in major concert halls worldwide, including Lincoln Center, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Beethoven Festival in Bonn, Rheingau Music Festival in Germany, and the Linköping Music Festival in Sweden. The program includes: Grieg’s excerpts from Peer Gynt; Piazzolla’s Oblivion and Libertango; Badelt’s theme from Pirates of the Caribbean; Williams’ Hedwig’s theme from Harry Potter; Mancini, Pink Panther and Moon River; and Norman’s James Bond Theme.

Tribby Box Office • Tuesday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. • (239) 415-5667 38

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Our Biggest Season Ever!

2021|2022

SHELL POINT CONCERT SERIES

Big Band, Swing & Jazz • Pop • Classical Bluegrass • Folk & Country • Faith Shell Point’s biggest concert season ever presents 17 shows in Connie Brown Hall, plus the Southwest Florida Symphony’s annual Holiday Pops concert in The Village Church. The diverse line-up is sure to offer something to suit everyone’s musical taste! Subscriptions and individual tickets are on sale now at the Tribby Box Office, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; phone (239) 415-5667.

Tiffany Mann From the Broadway productions of Be More Chill and Waitress

Two es! nc Performa

Keith White From the Broadway production of A Bronx Tale

CHARLIE ROSEN’S BROADWAY BIG BAND Thursday, November 4 at 7 P.M. and Friday, November 5 at 7 P.M. in Connie Brown Hall TICKETS: $45 Residents / $55 General Public be heard in recent Broadway proBroadway goes Big Band ductions, including Be More Chill, in this concert created Prince of Broadway, Honeymoon in

by Tony Award-nominated Vegas, and Moulin Rouge. He has Broadway Music Director, also done orchestrations/arrangeArranger and Orchestrator, ments for concerts at Lincoln Charlie Rosen.

Charlie Rosen Center and Carnegie Hall, as well Charlie Rosen is one as for the Boston Pops; Neil Patrick Harris’ of Broadway’s fastest rising talents, and Best Time Ever on NBC; the Williamstown has become one of the most sought after Theater Festival; the Public Theater; and orchestrators and arrangers. His work can

The Kennedy Center.

His Broadway Big Band has sold out engagements at NYC’s premiere nightspot Feinstein’s/54 Below.

Get ready for an evening of big band arrangements of some of Broadway’s most popular tunes, including selections from Anything Goes, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Hello, Dolly!, Kiss Me Kate, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, and more.

Tribby Box Office • Tuesday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. • (239) 415-5667 Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

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Music

on

Mondays

A series of world-class performances by renowned artists, Music on Mondays is presented on the big screen in Connie Brown Hall at Tribby Arts Center on Mondays at 1 p.m. and broadcast on SPTV Channel 12 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

Semyon Bychkov conducts

Dvořák, Smetana, and MartinůCzech Philharmonic

September 13

In this concert commemorating 100 years since the establishment of Czechoslovakia (19181992), the orchestra presents a slate of works that examine the question of “national” style.

Smetana’s overture for The Bartered Bride is seen as an important contribution toward a specifically Czech operatic idiom, and Martin’s frenetic Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani evokes both Czech folklore and the 18th-century Italian concerto grosso.

Finally, inspired by Native American and African American melodies, Dvorák’s extraordinary “New World” Symphony No. 9 further complicates the notion of national music, creating a symphonic bridge between the two continents.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Masaaki Suzuki conducts

Bach’s St. John Passion Bach Collegium Japan Bach’s Passio secundum Joannem (St. John Passion) was composed and premiered in 1724 at the Good Friday Vespers in Leipzig’s St. Nikolaus Kirche. Few master Bach as Suzuki does, and the exquisite interpretation captured during a concert at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo in July 2000 offers listeners a wonderful introduction to this masterpiece.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 11

Kurt Masur Anniversary Gala with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

October 11

In 1970, Kurt Masur was appointed musical director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, a position he would hold for 26 years. Over the decades he brought his technical discipline and irreproachable expertise to concert halls all around the world, but it was to Leipzig – and to the ensemble that became one of the world’s best under his baton – that he chose to return, this time as conductor laureate, for a celebratory concert in honor of his 80th birthday.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25

Jacques Loussier October 25

“Play Bach and More”

In 1959, Jacques Loussier hit upon the idea that was to make his international reputation, by combining his interest in jazz with his love of Bach. He founded the Play Bach Trio, which used Bach’s compositions as the basis for jazz improvisation. This performance by the Jacques Loussier Trio was taped at the St. Thomas Church of Leipzig – the city where Bach composed many of his most famous works – on the 254th anniversary of Bach’s death. In addition to pieces by Bach, the program also features works by Debussy, Satie, and Ravel.

Music on Mondays is underwritten by the Friends of the Tribby.

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Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Shell Point Film Society presents

Movies

at The Tribby MONDAY NIGHT MUSICALS 7 P.M. in CONNIE BROWN HALL ALSO ON SPTV/CHANNEL 12

HELLO, DOLLY! (1969)

Monday, September 6 This film version of Jerry Herman’s long-running Broadway hit stars Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau, with Michael Crawford and Tommy Tune. Directed by Gene Kelly, Hello, Dolly! won three Academy Awards, including Best Score.

KISS ME, KATE (1953)

Monday, September 20 Starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and Ann Miller, Kiss Me, Kate is the delightful tale of quarrelsome thespian exes who are reluctantly reunited to star in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Directed

by George Sidney, this MGM adaptation of the hit 1948 Cole Porter Broadway musical features tons of Porter classics, including Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Too Darn Hot, So in Love, and Wunderbar, to name a few.

MARY POPPINS (1964)

Monday, October 4 Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke star in this enchanting Disney musical fantasy directed by Robert Stevenson. With songs by the Sherman Brothers, Mary Poppins received 13 Academy Award nominations and won five, including Best Actress; Best Original Music Score; Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” Keep an eye out for a touching cameo by The “Bird Lady,” Jane Darwell who won an Oscar for the role of Ma Joad in Grapes of Wrath.

FLOWER DRUM SONG

(1961) Monday, October 18 Adapted from the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, Flower Drum Song was the first major Hollywood feature film to have a majority Asian American cast in a contemporary Asian American story.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, the film stars Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Benson Fong, and Juanita Hall and was directed by Henry Koster.

SUNDAY CINEMA MATINEES 3 P.M. in CONNIE BROWN HALL ALSO ON SPTV/CHANNEL 12

DREAM HORSE (2020) Sunday, September 12 Based on a true event, the film tells the story of a horse named “Dream Alliance” bred by a small-town Welsh bartender.

With no experience, the bartender convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise the horse in the hopes he can compete with the racing elite. Starring Toni Colette and Damian Lewis and directed

by Euros Lyn, this heartwarming film won over critics worldwide.

VERTIGO (1958) Sunday, September 26 One of Hitchcock’s best, Vertigo appears frequently on The American Film Institute’s lists of the best films, including ranking as the ninth-greatest American movie of all time, and the number one mystery film of all time. Starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, Vertigo is well worth watching again … and keep an ear open for the masterful score by composer Bernard Hermann.

PILLOW TALK (1959)

Sunday, October 10 This movie launched a trio of romantic comedies starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day. With Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter, and directed by Michael Gordon, the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for Best Actress (Day), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Ritter), and Best Score.

BABE (1995)

Sunday, October 24 This hit comedy-drama charmed audiences with its endearing tale of a pig who discovers his talent for herding sheep. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Starring James Cromwell and Magda Szubanski, Babe features the voices of Miriam Margolyes as Fly, the Border Collie, and Roscoe Lee Brown as the Narrator, and Christine Cavanaugh as Babe.

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CAREGIVERS CONNECTION

Patience is a Virtue:

Repetitive Questioning Patience is a virtue that some caregivers are naturally endowed with, while other caregivers find they need to cultivate a more patient attitude. Even the most patient caregiver can find their patience waning with repetitive questions from a spouse with dementia. A caregiver shared the following “jewel.” “One thing I’ve learned that I wanted to share is not to tell your loved one that you’ve already told him or her that. I’ve learned to just repeat it, no matter how many times it’s necessary. For example, my spouse may ask me what time we

are leaving. I tell him, and a half-hour later he asks me again. I simply repeat it, knowing that he doesn’t remember and it’s not his fault or that he wasn’t listening. As a teacher, I always said, “There is no stupid question,” and I try to remember that with my spouse too.”

Repetitive questioning is one of the most trying challenges for a caregiver because of the patience required. Recognizing that the person with dementia simply cannot recall the information due to the disease is the first step to cultivating patience. Taking a deep slow breath before responding can help you

respond calmly and pleasantly. Self care as a caregiver is also important; being well rested and nourished, both physically and emotionally, helps keep our patience stores high. On those occasions when you may lose patience, give yourself credit – not guilt – for all the times you are patient, and recognize that you are human and not perfect!

Do you have a caregiver tip or “jewel” to share with others? Whether you think your tip is a diamond, emerald or ruby, all are valuable, so share the wealth! Please send your tip to Emilyreese@shellpoint.org.

Managing Stress Untying the Knot Workshop October 22 B Y C H A N N E L L E B A S T A R D O , M S W , H E A LT H Y L I V I N G C O O R D I N A T O R

Stress, in its various forms, is ever-present in our lives – whether it be the stress from planning the trip to attend your granddaughter’s destination wedding, or the stress one feels surrounding their health concerns. By learning to effectively manage stress, you can gain control of how you allow it to affect you.

The first step is to learn to recognize what stress looks and feels like in your life. For example, you may notice you are more irritable, experience poor concentration or tension headaches, or feel heart palpitations when you are under stress.

Once you can recognize your symptoms of stress, you can focus on techniques and practices that work best for you.

Triggering the relaxation response can help regulate your body’s physiological and physical stress symptoms. Some relaxation 42

self up for success. Therapy can be very effective for those who need assistance with identifying negative thinking and replacing it with a more positive, healthier way of thinking. This can also be known as reframing. Residents may schedule an appointment with a Behavioral Health specialist to aid them in their journey to better stress management. techniques include guided imagery, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and meditation.

Other ways to effectively manage stress may include journaling, practicing effective goal setting, or even meeting with a behavioral health specialist. Setting goals in different areas of your life can be beneficial for your stress levels. By setting smaller, more attainable goals, you are setting your-

Shell Point Life | September/October 2021

Untying the Knot For further information on stress management, please keep an eye out for Shell Point’s “Untying the Knot” stress management workshop taking place on Friday, October 22 in the Banyan Banquet Room. To sign up, please contact either Concierge Desk.

GRIEFSHARE

Support Groups ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS THURSDAYS, SEPTEMBER 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; OCTOBER 7, 14, 21, 28 4:30 P.M. IN SABAL ROOM/WDL This is a fellowship of those who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other to solve their common problem and help others recover from alcohol addiction. This meeting welcomes those who struggle with alcohol issues. For information, call the intergroup phone number (239) 275-5111.

CONNECTIONS CIRCLE - CAREGIVER SUPPORT WEDNESDAYS, SEPTEMBER 15; OCTOBER 20 10 A.M. IN SPRINGS COMMUNITY ROOM This group offers support for residents or family members who are caregivers for someone with dementia. Connect with fellow caregivers to share ideas and discuss the challenges and rewards of providing care for a loved one. If there is a need for respite, a coinciding group offering supervised activities for your loved one with dementia is available. Pre-registration is required. Contact Emily Reese, Connections Program Coordinator, at (239) 454-2134 or Healthy Living Coordinator Channelle Bastardo at (239) 433-7974 to register your loved one for the supervised activity program.

COPD SUPPORT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 1:30 P.M. IN OAK ROOM/WDL The objective of this group is to provide information and discussions that will be relevant to individuals with a range of breathing problems as well as those dependent on supplemental oxygen. This group meets quarterly. Call Ken Peterson for information at (239) 482-3779.

DIABETES SUPPORT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 1 P.M. IN SOCIAL CENTER\IS Anyone impacted by Diabetes or looking to learn more including spouses or family members are invited to attend this support group.

Each meeting covers a different topic and includes an open discussion and an opportunity to share. Call Healthy Living Supervisor Vivian Ciulla (239) 225-2929 for more information.

FRIDAYS, SEPTEMBER 17, 24; OCTOBER 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 1:30 P.M. IN SABAL ROOM/WDL This 13-week program provides help and encouragement after the death of a loved one. GriefShare is a special weekly seminar and support group designed to help you rebuild your life. We know it hurts, and we want to help. Led by Jim and Judy Mayer (Junonia).

Call them at (239) 454-3139 for additional information.

HEARING ENRICHMENT WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 1:15 P.M. IN SOCIAL CENTER/IS Poor hearing can affect many aspects of one’s life. This group seeks to help residents cope with hearing loss, share information, learn about services and products that may help and offer support to each other. This is a great opportunity to try out the assisted listening devices available in the Social Center.

For more information, call Healthy Living Coordinator Robert Torres at (239) 433-7975.

HEART HEALTHY MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 10 A.M. IN MANATEE ROOM/IS This group aims to provide support and educational information to individuals living with heart disease. The goal of the group is to allow members to share their experience, fears and solutions in an effort to help everyone from the newly diagnosed to those managing heart disease for many years. For more information, please contact Healthy Living Coordinator Nola Mokeyane at (239) 433-7976.

PARKINSON’S ENRICHMENT TUESDAYS, SEPTEMBER 7; OCTOBER 5 10:15 A.M. IN SOCIAL CENTER/IS The Parkinson’s Enrichment Group aims to provide support and educational opportunities to those affected by Parkinson’s disease as a patient, caregiver, family member, or friend. Meetings include speakers, group discussions, and emotional support. For more information, call Healthy Living Coordination at (239) 454-2299.

VISION ENRICHMENT TUESDAY OCTOBER 12 2:15 P.M. IN SOCIAL CENTER/IS This group provides educational opportunities and support for those individuals dealing with low vision. Discussions may include the emotional aspects of vision loss, investigating solutions, helpful tools, and sharing resources. At every session, you will learn a “quick eye exercise” that you can utilize at home and share with others. Please join us to share your story, your knowledge, as well as your experiences with other residents. For additional information, contact Katy Quinones, Healthy Living Coordinator at (239) 454-2101.

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Out & About Tea Time Inspired by the May trip to Brambles Tea House in Naples, Turban residents Jeanne Carguilo, Karen Schrader and Nancy Richardson agreed it would be fun to host a June tea party for the ladies of Turban. Invitees responded enthusiastically, offering their finest teapots and cups, silverware and linens, and many arrived early to help set the tables in style. Guests shared assorted teas and a delicious array of tea sandwiches, scones with jam and lemon curd, lemon squares, and brownies. Nearly 30 ladies spent a lovely afternoon together, catching up over a cup of tea and enjoying each other’s company.

Organizers Jeanne Carguilo, Karen Schrader and Nancy Richardson

Sandy Boler, Melissa Butler, Kathy Rossie and Mary Hohulin

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Beanie Cudahy and Micki Smith

Lee Belanger, Dixie Oliver, Ann Cooper and Dawn Herr

Elizabeth Swift, Judy Kaplan and Judy Brusslan

In Full Bloom On an early summer morning walk, Tom Kelly (Nautilus) was delighted to be greeted by a vine that Steve Morton, Director of Landscape Operations confirmed as the plant commonly known as “Night Blooming Cereus.” Some of the species of this distinctive vine are native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

“The plant looks sort of “blah” most days,” said Tom, “so it was interesting to catch it in full bloom during the daylight hours.”

Rack ‘Em Up Calling all pool sharks! Mike Klein (Nautilus) who has enjoyed playing pool at the Island Commons for several years, recently donated a new table for all to enjoy.

He played the inaugural game on the new table with Donald Schorr (Cameo) and Ray Nandal (The Arbor). The trio regularly gather on Mondays to enjoy camaraderie and fun.

Taps Across Shell Point If you were on campus on Memorial Day afternoon, you most likely heard the solemn sound of “Taps” echoing across Shell Point’s neighborhoods in honor of those who made the supreme sacrifice for our country.

The Musicians’ Guild Brass, which includes Byron Black (Cellana), Herb Clark (Oakmont), Fred Henry, (Coquina) Jerry Ingalls (Eagles Preserve) Cas Obie (Parkwood) Don Schnef (Sundial) and Susan Sharp (Turban), is available to play Taps at funerals or memorial services of Shell Point’s veteran residents who served our country.

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Jan VanLaer (Lucina) and Judy Burged (Lucina) and Shelly

United We Stand On Monday, July 5, Shell Point’s Resident Life team coordinated a special Independence Day celebration with the theme “United We Stand.”

The exciting day kicked off with the community’s traditional golf cart and bicycle parade around The Island.

Residents donned their red, white and blue best and gathered to cheer their neighbors on as they rode by!

A highlight of the day was a concert in the Village Church, where Suncoast Brass Band entertained us with patriotic tunes like I’m Proud to be an American and You’re a Grand Old Flag, along with foot-tapping Sousa marches and renditions of ragtime favorites.

Suncoast Brass also performed a medley of marches honoring the United States Armed Forces, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Residents who served or who have family serving our country were invited to 46

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Skip Gray (Macoma) and Marvin Ball (Macoma)

Right: Joni and Don Steenhoek (Lucina) Far Right: Mae and Don Olson (Eagles Preserve)

Carol Lindquist (Coquina) and Marjorie Hitselberger (Coquina) Alvin WIlliams (Lucina)

Candy and Jim Atchison (Parkwood)

stand and be recognized when their branch’s song was played. The concert concluded with a spirited singalong to America the Beautiful.

Next up was a delicious BBQ lunch at The Crystal, with traditional picnic fare including everything from ribs, burgers and hotdogs, to corn on the cob and salads.

And of course, no 4th of July feast would be complete without a delicious slice of pie!

Shell Point’s proud, patriotic spirit was on full display during this festive, All-American celebration of our country’s birthday.

L-R: Honey Leveen (Royal Bonnet), Bobbi Brown (Nautilus), Jo Klenk (Royal Bonnet), Joanne Daveys (Royal Bonnet), Tim Klenk (Royal Bonnet) and Jim Goodale (Royal Bonnet)

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FALL MISSIONS FOCUS

OCTOBER 29-31

WELCOMES RUTH HUBBARD

BY PETER NANFELT (TELLIDORA)

You have probably heard of Urbana – sister city to Champaign in central Illinois and home to the University of Illinois, with a student population in excess of 40,000. The city has its share of impressive academic buildings and commodious sports arenas, similar to other university towns across the country. But if you were to ask any of hundreds of individuals who serve in multiple countries all across the world what Urbana means to them, their answer may surprise you. They probably would not have much to say about any of the city’s attractions or any of the university’s outstanding qualities. Instead, many would tell you about an event that took place at Urbana that changed their lives.

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Ruth Hubbard Have you ever heard of a conference, designed primarily for college students, that focuses on world missions, of all things – a conference that regularly attracts an average of 15,000 eager participants? Well, there is one! The official name of the event is “InterVarsity Urbana Student Missions Conference,” but to most conference participants, it is known as just “Urbana.”

For almost 75 years, the conference has been convened triennially for a five-day period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. For a major part of the conference’s history, the University of Illinois at Urbana has been the venue, and even though the convocation

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moved to larger facilities at America’s Center and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in 2006 – and will move again in 2022 to Indianapolis – the Urbana label has stuck.

Since its inception, Urbana has impacted the lives of over 300,000 people. Young men and women from all across America, and from dozens of countries, have made decisions at Urbana to dedicate their lives to God for cross-cultural missionary service.

As Dr. David Howard, a former director of the event and a current Shell Point resident, said in a 2013 interview, “For almost 66 years, Urbana has been the premier student missions conference in the world.” And, as its leaders emphatically affirm, “Urbana continues to focus intentionally and unapologetically on the intersection of students and God’s global mission, longing to mobilize the next generation into a lifetime of engagement with God on His mission.”

The Village Church Welcomes Guest Speaker Ruth Hubbard The Village Church is pleased to announce that Ruth Hubbard, the current Director of Urbana, will be the featured speaker at this year’s Fall Missions

Focus that will take place the weekend of October 29 to 31.

Having participated in five Urbana events herself, Ruth describes the conference as “A catalytic event that brings together a diverse mix of college and graduate students, faculty, recent graduates, pastors, church and ministry leaders, and (representatives of) missions organizations and schools.” She goes on to say that Urbana provides “…A discerning space that has mobilized generations of students into God’s global mission since 1946.”

Ruth is well positioned to share with our community the impact this unique event has had on the lives of so many people who have gone across the world to fulfill the calling of God on their lives. She has been on a number of short-term missions trips to places like Ukraine and Costa Rica and spent a summer with English Language Institute in Zhengzhou, China. She also served with Wycliffe Bible Translators for fifteen years, where she became a member of the executive team including six years as Senior Vice President.

When appointed to this position in 2007, Ruth’s leadership portfolio expanded to include marketing, public relations, community and government relations, and Wycliffe’s diversity initiative. Ruth took

on her leadership responsibilities with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA in 2016 when she became a vice president of the organization and Director of Urbana. A graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a degree in graphic arts and journalism, Ruth also holds a Master of Arts degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Her church background includes associations she has had in faith communities that identify as Baptist, Evangelical Free, non-denominational, and Presbyterian.

Friday, October 29 The Fall Missions Focus program will include five sessions, during which Ruth will speak on a variety of topics.

Beginning with an Academy class on Friday, October 29, she will address the topic “Connecting Across Generations.”

That evening, Ruth will be at The Village Church to give a more personal reflection, which she has entitled “One Woman’s Lifelong Journey to Live Up to Her Name.”

Saturday, October 30 On Saturday morning, October 30, there will be an informal gathering at The

Village Church that will include a light Continental Breakfast. During this event. the focus will turn again to today’s college campuses as Ruth speaks on the subject “Longing for Revival: What is God Doing on Campus?”

Sunday, October 31 Ruth’s Sunday morning message on October 31 has the challenging title, “You Are My Witnesses: Considering What It Means to Be Whole-Life Whole-World Disciples.” The final session of the weekend will be at 6 p.m. Sunday, when our speaker will present information about the upcoming Urbana Conference, with the message “We Need You!: An Invitation to join the Urbana 2022 Community.”

Whether you have followed the development of the Urbana Student Missions Conference over the years, or you have never heard of Urbana and would like to be better informed, you will want to mark the 2021 Fall Missions Focus on your calendar for Friday, October 29 through Sunday, October 31.

Come learn the most current information available and hear about what to expect in the future of one of the most unique, ongoing events of the past 75 years.

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My Story for God’s Glory

PRESENTED BY WOMEN’S CONNECTIONS

You are invited to come to The Village Church on Wednesdays, October 6, 13, 20 and 27, to share your story and hear some of your friends and neighbors share theirs.

“One of the reasons for the hope I have within me is … ____________.”

We will begin with the prompt,

Refreshments will be served at 9:30 a.m. The program is from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Sign up after church on September 12 and 19, or call the church office at (239) 454-2147.

Bless a Child This Christmas

B Y D O N P U L L E N , A S S O C I AT E PA S TO R , T H E V I L L AG E C H U R C H

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about how you can fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Each year, thanks to the support of Shell Point residents, The Village Church contributes hundreds of shoeboxes toward this effort.

A ministry of international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child collects gift-filled shoeboxes that are delivered to children who have been affected by war, poverty, natural disasters and other crises in third-world countries. Each box – packed full of fun toys, school supplies and personal hygiene items by a family or individ-

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ual – is sent with prayer that the child who receives it will experience God’s love through their simple gifts.

Are you ready to bless a child at Christmastime? Whether it’s a theme box or a collection of miscellaneous items, you can brighten the faces of countless little boys and girls across the world! Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes will be available in The Village Church lobby after Friday, October 15 and should be returned to the church no later than Sunday, November 14.

If you have any questions, visit www. samaritanspurse.org/occ or call the church office at (239) 454-2147.

THE CREATIVE IMPULSE

BY REV. AND REW HAWKINS, P H . D. , S E N I OR PASTOR, T H E V I LLAG E CH URCH

“You shall make them for glory and beauty” (Exodus 28.40) The creative impulse can be delayed but never denied. That’s the message of the Tribby Arts Center opening. Like so many things of late, we can blame it all on Covid. It was a long time coming, but the artists are in the studios and a full season of concerts are slated for Connie Brown Hall. Jazz, pop, classical, country, Christian – all lined up for 2021-2022. Finally! Along with the exhibitions and movies, the arts are exploding.

Just the way God intended. The first people said to be filled with the Spirit of God were filled for the purpose of artistic expression.

At the entrance of the studio wing of the Tribby, where so much resident creative

expression takes place, is a wall that quotes Exodus 28.40: “You shall make them for glory and beauty.” It summarizes the purpose for the human creative impulse.

The glory of God is Shell Point’s mission. Artistic expression is one dimension of that mission. Artistic expression glorifies God because God is THE Creator.

Technically, we humans are re-creators.

Taking the materials that God has created, we create. We re-create. We recreate. And in whatever way we engage in recreation, we display something of the nature and character of God. And beauty. They say beauty is in the mind of the beholder. Not exactly.

Relativism easily devolves into chaos

Tribby Arts Center Prayer The prayer shared by Pastor Andy Hawkins on February 10, 2021 at the dedication of the new Tribby Arts Center provided meaningful recognition of the Divine inspiration that guides us here at Shell Point.

Our Heavenly Father, God of all creation, whose Spirit hovered over the surface of the deep breathing over the matter which You created ex nihilo, out of nothing; who brought order out of chaos, and beauty out of confusion and disarray. Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and for whom all things were created, and through whom humanity was created in the image of the invisible God; We thank You and praise You that You implanted Your creative impulse into Your human creatures, gifting, enabling, inspiring us to echo the order and beauty that You have infused into Your creation, compelling Your divine assessment of its inherent goodness.

We thank You that this creative

and disarray. But the statement is true in this way: Beauty is in the mind of THE BEHOLDER. There is One who sees all, appraises all, judges all. He is The Beholder.

There are objective standards for beauty.

When we create elements of beauty, we reflect the beauty of God. He is Altogether Lovely. And we are to behold that which The Beholder appraises as worthy: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4.8) May we fulfill the creative impulse – and do it all “for glory and for beauty.”

of Dedication

Center to the glory of God, our Creator God, so that we might all find expression for our creative impulses.

Our prayer is that we would discover in this place that which is true, that which is honorable, that which is just, that which is pure, that which is lovely, that which is commendable, that which is excellent, and that which is worthy of praise; and that all of us would find ourselves thinking about such things, meditating upon such things; and in so doing, have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the mind to understand, and the wisdom to see Andy and Jean Hawkins through these creative works the God of all creation whose beauty is facility where artistic creativity might flour- overwhelming, whose artistry is captivatish, be shared, and enjoyed, and treasure — ing, and whose nature we seek to emulate.

May this place be the sacred playground by our community and beyond.

This community, dedicated as it is to of the Divine creative inspiration, and so, the glory of God, has once again devoted like our community, dedicated to Your itself to seeing Your glory displayed in the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” beautiful expressions of its artists.

(Allusions to Philippians 4:8, Psalm 19:1, Exodus 28:40) And so we dedicate the Tribby Arts impulse is alive and well at this place, at Shell Point, and that You have inspired, gifted, and enabled those who have been captivated by the good, the true, and the beautiful to have provided such an exquisite

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Natu re’s Noteb ook

BY STEVE MORTON, DIRECTOR O F L A N D S C A P E O P E R AT I O N S

F

Synchronicity

rom the grainy, colorless museum image, I could discern this was a place of com-

merce. The ancient photograph revealed the clues like the interpretation of a Van Gogh painting. The thin, dark slash with a black blob on top was a merchantman in a dark suit and hat. The lighter, stockier grey pixels crowned with white were working Stevedores in straw hats. In the background was an expansive bay called a bight, filled with hundreds of vertical sticks that depicted the masts of ships.

There were yawls, sloops, schooners and ketches, all anchored and aligned in harmony with the breeze.

Jean Rabin was born into wealth on the Caribbean island of Haiti. His father, sensing unrest, moved his family and small son back to France. Later, as a young man, Jean was sent to live in the United States.

He thrived in the forests and streams of Pennsylvania and soon learned English, changing his name to the anglicized version of John. He became enthralled with nature and learned to sketch the woodland creatures in his notebooks. His frequent observations allowed him to portray wildlife in natural stances.

Leaving the museum I walked east on Greene Street, and I heard a natural sound above the din of the city. It sounded like an Owl “coo-coo-co-wooo,” but rather it was plaintive, as the syncopated sobs of an abandoned lover. The despondent creature was

a slate grey bird with an odd white patch on top of his head, more pigeon than owl.

After turning right onto Whitehead Street and reaching my destination, I looked up at a magnificent Classical Revival mansion.

The commercial shipping activity in Key West Bight in the early 19th century was commensurate with Florida’s wealthiest city. The overseas railroad connecting the Keys to Miami had not yet been built, and all goods came and left by ship. Due to the treacherous offshore reefs, men known as wreckers salvaged the goods from unfortunate ships that ran afoul. Unlike piracy, wrecking is a legal and regulated business, and Captain John H. Geiger was among the best of them.

I stared at the tree as if an arriving pilgrim to the Holy Land. Perhaps only 25 feet tall, it was less than awe inspiring.

Yet, small orange flowers populated the tree in a pleasing array. Roundish, white fruits replaced the flowers, and some of these orbs had fallen to the ground. I picked up one of the fruits and rolled it between my thumb and forefinger. When bruised, the fruit emanated a pleasant aroma not unlike ripe bananas. I could see that birds had been feeding on the fruit, and a gray bird nearby viewed the interloper with suspicion. I grasped a leaf of the tree and recoiled from the unexpected sensation of sandpaper. On April 25, 1832 circumstances and people came together as a happy coincidence, or

as the philosopher Carl Jung described, synchronicity. Late in the afternoon, John James Audubon stepped off a small boat in Key West Bight with intent to sketch birds.

Some years before while hunting, Captain Geiger transplanted a small tree for his backyard garden. He hoped his wife would appreciate the flowers.

As a guest of Captain Geiger, Audubon enjoyed the gracious home and gardens and soon discovered that he could find birds literally in the backyard. He sketched a pair of White Crowned Pigeons in the tree the Captain had planted. The tree is now known as the Geiger Tree or Cordia sebestena. The drawing appears in Audubon’s groundbreaking publication of Birds of America.

Shell Point naturalists can find the Geiger Tree in numerous locations on the property, but a couple of nice specimens are located on the boardwalk directly behind Parkwood near the small ponds. Don’t forget your sketch book and easel.