West Valley November 2022

Pat

NOVEMBER 2022

Melissa Whitton

melissa@thegrandseason .com

There is so much to be thankful for as we dive into the holiday season this year!

Happy Veterans Day to all of the Veterans who serve and have served to make our country great. It is because of people like you, we enjoy so many freedoms. Thank you for your service!

This month, I am especially thankful for my family. I married my best friend, Stephen Whitton, on October 2nd, and am blessed to have gained a son, daughter, daughterin-love, and three amazing grandchildren. We had an impromptu ceremony with family at our sides—I haven’t stopped smiling since.

Thank you for your support of our advertisers who make The Grand Season possible. We appreciate you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Melissa Whitton Editor/Associate Publisher

LOVE

KEYS TO YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

Happiness within a relationship is hard to define. Not only is each relationship different, but within each relationship, each person defines happiness in an individual way. Some people view happiness as a peaceful conflict-free life. For some, happiness involves a tremendous amount of fun, great intimacy or lots of laughter. Whatever your definition, it directly correlates to your expectations, desires, wants and needs—and those things can change over time.

If you work toward incorporating the following four keys into your daily life, you will experience greater joy and less conflict in your relationship.

1. Respect Every successful relationship is built on a foundation of respect. Respect means caring about your partner’s wants and needs, and always taking them into account before speaking or acting. The expectation is that your partner will follow the same guidelines.

2. Priority If you want to build a stronger positive relationship, let your partner know that he or she is a priority. Commit time and energy to talking and addressing each other’s wants and needs. Be sure that the two of you have “quality time” alone to connect and enjoy each other’s company.

3. Loving Gestures

The concept that “actions speak louder than words” is an important one when it comes to relationships. It is not enough to simply feel that you love someone, you must also show that you love that person. Use kind words, be physically affectionate, leave little love notes around the house… whether it’s a verbal gesture or a material one, make sure to let your partner know that you love him or her.

4. Focus on the Positives

Even the best of relationships have challenges and even the most wonderful of partners can have less-than-stellar moments. When times are tough, those who are seeking a happy relationship will combat the negative with a positive.

Thankfulness

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.

William Arthur Ward

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life, and into the lives of all those around you.

Eileen Caddy

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Albert Schweitzer

I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.

Will Arnett

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.

John Milton

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. Zig Ziglar

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melody Beattie

Dinner and a Movie!

puzzle

to:

Season Puzzle, P.O. Box 5474, Sun City West, AZ 85376

www.thegrandseason.com

October Winners!

Grand Prize Winner

Lundeen Surprise

Winners of Movie Tickets

1. Clara Schmucker, Buckeye

Karen Hagen, Glendale

Kristen Koziara, Goodyear

Judy Rapisardi, Litchfield Park

Jennifer Mastricola, Peoria

Debbie Langford, Sun City

Linda Knight, Sun City West

Julie Nalezny, Surprise

call 623-594-1630 ext 3070.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES: Solve the crossword puzzle and mail it in to win. The answers to all crossword clues will contain all or part of a company name found in this month’s Grand Season ads. Must be 21 or older to enter the contest. Employees of the Grand Season or its advertisers are ineligible. When entering an advertisers’ name, there are no spaces, no LLC, or Corporations. Example: C & R Plus II would be entered into the spaces as: C&RPLUSII Entries must be postmarked no later than November 23rd. A drawing will be held from all correct entries. One winner will receive a $50.00 Gift Card and 4 movie tickets, with a photo in our magazine. 8 winners will receive a consolation prize of a 2 movie tickets. Winners will be notified by phone, and prizes will be sent by mail. Winners will be announced in the December issue of the Grand Season.

(623) 594-1630

FLASHBACK

1. Which remarkably influential musician was the song “Sir Duke” written about?

2. Who was “Boxcar Willie” and what unexpected other line of work was he in?

3. Which group released “Nights in White Satin”?

4. Which song was David Bowie’s first U.S. No. 1 hit?

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “I heard the weatherman predict a sunny day, He did not mean to lie, I look outside it’s raining.”

A Message from Sue Royer

“I was born and raised in inner city Chicago, the sixth of eighteen children with fifteen brothers. Being the oldest daughter, I was always a caregiver which I believe influenced me to pursue work in the healthcare industry. Today, I have three daughters and five grandchildren.

Years ago, I volunteered for hospice and knew immediately that helping seniors was my calling. I was soon employed by hospice but I felt something was missing. I realized it was the limited time I was able to spend with my clients. Having my own business allows me to provide the intimate hands on service needed in our community. I am committed to our seniors throughout their lives and I thank the community for the opportunity to serve.”

RoyerDirector

About Us

Since 2002, AAA Senior Placement AZ has been offering FREE services helping seniors find safe, affordable and loving assisted living. When it becomes too difficult for you or your loved ones to safely manage daily living and/or manage medical needs, call Sue Royer for help navigating the many options available.

We are specialists in all levels of assisted living care resources with referrals to Arizona’s best:

Group Homes

Living Communities

Primary Care Physicians

Health Care Therapy

Duty

Care

6 Reasons You Should Call AAA Senior Placement AZ

We are well known and respected in the medical community.

All clients are given a thorough assessment to determine proper placement needs.

There is never a fee charged to the senior or their family for our service.

• We are NOT contractually bound to any outside business. This allows us to serve our clients with only their interests in mind.

• Years of knowledge and experience in the field of senior care.

AAA Senior Placement AZ is family owned, allowing us to give you quality, personalized service.

resources

Care-ALTCS

YOUR BLESSINGS

The holidays are a reminder to take inventory of all the blessings we have in our lives. Making gratitude a habit can have positive benefits to your own happiness, as well as those around you, by creating stronger bonds in your relationships.

During this season of celebration, try some of these ideas with your family:

Amazing grace

The dinner table is a great place to reflect and reinforce our feelings of gratitude. Before you eat, start at one end of the table and encourage every person to share something they are thankful for in their lives.

Focus on what you have

Write down three positive things you are grateful for every night before you go to bed. Research shows that gratitude journaling can put you in a dramatically better mood and even prolong that feeling for weeks and months the more you practice. To beat the

negativity bias, gratitude opens up your brain to attract positivity like bees to honey.

The write stuff

Think of someone in your life who has made a significant positive impact and write a letter expressing how much that person means to you. If possible, meet this person face-to-face and read the letter aloud. Notice the person’s reaction and savor those moments to recall in the future.

Teachable moments

Try a new experience with the family such as volunteering at a food bank or handing out gifts at a children’s hospital. Sometimes, the best way to appreciate all of the good in our own world is to take a moment to bear witness to the situations of those who are suffering. Gratitude in the face of adversity can help us weather the storms, provide a greater perspective to the plight of others and strengthen social bonds.

FLASHBACK ANSWERS

FREE ESTIMATES

1. Duke Ellington. Stevie Wonder’s 1977 hit was a tribute to the Duke, who had died in 1974. Other jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Glenn Miller were also mentioned in the lyrics.

2. Boxcar Willie (born Lecil Travis Martin) was a country music singer and writer of hobo music. At the same time, he was a flight engineer in the U.S. Air Force.

3. The Moody Blues, in 1967. And yes, songwriter, Justin Hayward, penned the song after receiving a set of satin sheets. When it was released, the song only went to No. 103 on the charts. Four years later it climbed to No. 1 on the Top 100.

4. “Fame,” in 1975.

5. “This Time I’m In It For Love,” by Player, in 1978. Player’s version made it to the Top 10 charts, while previous versions (by Austin Roberts and Cyndi Grecco in 1976 and 1977) didn’t chart at all.

GROWTH

As Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little. Saying thank you, holding the door for someone, these little moments can change the tone of your whole day.”

One of the most powerful ways to rewire your brain for more joy and less stress is to focus on gratitude. Here are six simple ways to become more grateful:

1. Keep a gratitude journal. Establish a daily practice in which you remind yourself of the gifts, grace, benefits, and good things you enjoy. Recalling moments of gratitude associated with ordinary events or people you value gives you the potential to interweave a sustainable theme of gratefulness into your life.

2. Remember the bad. To be grateful in your current state, it is helpful to remember the hard times that you once experienced. When you remember how difficult life used to be and how far you have come, you set up an explicit contrast in your mind, and this contrast is fertile ground for gratefulness.

3. Share your gratitude with others. Research has found that expressing gratitude can strengthen relationships. So the next time your partner, friend or family member does something you appreciate, make sure to tell them.

4. Use visual reminders. Two primary obstacles to gratefulness are forgetfulness and a lack of awareness, visual reminders can serve as cues to trigger thoughts of gratitude. Often times, the best visual reminders are other people.

5. Vow to practice gratitude. Research shows that making an oath to perform a behavior increases the likelihood that the action will be executed. Therefore, write your own gratitude vow, which could be as simple as “I vow to count my blessings each day,” and post it somewhere where you will be reminded of it every day.

6. Go through the motions. Grateful motions include smiling, saying thank you, and writing letters of gratitude. By “going through the motions,” you’ll trigger the emotion of gratitude more often.

(623)

GRATITUDE CHECK

It’s that time of year when many people begin thinking about the things they are thankful for. Although it’s nice to count your blessings on Thanksgiving, being thankful throughout the year could have tremendous benefits on your quality of life. Cultivating gratitude doesn’t cost any money and doesn’t take much time, but the benefits are enormous. Research reveals gratitude can have these benefits:

1.Gratitude opens the door to more relationships. Not only does saying “thank you” constitute good manners but showing appreciation can help you win new friends.

2. Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people. Not surprisingly, grateful

people are also more likely to take care of their health. They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check-ups with their doctors, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.

3. Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

4. Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.

5. Gratitude improves self-esteem. Studies have shown that gratitude reduces social comparisons. Rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better jobs – which is a major factor in reduced self-esteem— grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.

6. Gratitude increases mental strength. For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. Recognizing all you have to be thankful for – even during the worst times of your life – fosters resilience.

Brandon