November 2016 Events in Lebanon, PA: Cherish the Journey

Each November we turn our attention to Family with our Alive In All Seasons Theme: Cherish the Journey. We have always enjoyed helping our residents chronical their individual life journeys through journaling. In addition to keeping track of the daily happenings in our lives, journaling has surprising health benefits as well. University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. He also believes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of stress on your health. Other research indicates that journaling decreases the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientific evidence also shows that writing your thoughts down can help clarify your thoughts and feelings, help you to know yourself better, reduce stress, and problem solve more effectively. An additional benefit of journaling is that you are leaving a legacy for future generations. Review your journal together! Reminiscing about the events in one’s life is a way to affirm who they are, what they’ve accomplished in life and relive happy times. So, pick up a pen and Cherish the Journey, the benefits are endless!

Join our journey through November as we honor and celebrate family and the journey of life with our autobiographical journaling. Help us support our greater community with our annual Food Drive and our on-site support groups. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Our fabulous November 2016 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  4^th Annual Juniper Village Fall Food Drive as Juniper Village Residents are collecting canned goods and nonperishable food items for their Fourth Annual Food Drive, help us fill the empty baskets located in our entryways to donate to Lebanon County Christian Ministries by dropping off non-perishable goods anytime during the month of November.

§  Veterans’ Aid & Attendance Information Session because Veterans who qualify for the Aid and Attendance Program may find their financial situation actually improves, so find out if you qualify by attending this FREE informational session, which is open to all veterans and their families on November 9^th from noon to 1:00 pm. (RSVP by November 7^th by calling 717-272-8782.)

§  Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale when Juniper Village Residents, their Friends and Relatives will be selling handcrafted one of a kind items perfect for Holiday gifting, and we will also be having a bake sale with all proceeds going to Lebanon County Christian Ministries, so don’t miss this opportunity to get a jump-start on your holiday shopping in The Club of the Community House on November 12^th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

§  Farm-to-Table Series Cooking from the Heart with Kaitlyn Berkheiser, RD, LDN of WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, for a lunch experience that demonstrates how to prepare healthy alternatives to holiday favorites at this FREE informational session with a light lunch provided held in The Club of the Community House, so bring a guest and learn the value of working together to create healthy nutritious meals on November 16^th from noon to 1:30 pm. (RSVP by November 14^th by calling 717-272-8782.)

We look forward to sharing our November 2016 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as you Cherish the Journey.

Fashion Show at Lebanon Country Club

Several Juniper Village at Lebanon ladies (and one gentleman!) enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at Lebanon Country Club for lunch and a Fashion Show by Head to Toe Boutique in Annville.  The event was sponsored by The Woman's Club of Lebanon to benefit The Harmonia Music Association. It was a beautiful day for a bus ride to the country just outside of Lebanon.  There was an hour for shopping and purchasing raffle tickets, followed by a nice luncheon, and then the Fashion Show.  Over 150 items were shown by models of all ages and sizes.  Nearly everyone on our bus won a door prize or a raffle item, and some won two or three items! A few people also purchased items.  For many, it was the first time they had ever been to the Country Club, so it was an exciting and fun-filled afternoon for everyone.

Inaugural Balloon Volleyball Tournament!

The Juniper Village at Lebanon team was invited to a Balloon Volleyball Tournament held at Juniper Village at Mount Joy on October 11th.  Two other communities were also invited.  Two teams of three residents played each other, and the winner of those matches played each other for the championship.  We were proud that our team came in second by a very narrow margin!  Our players had some spectacular sets and spikes, and our cheering section did their best to encourage the players, but in the end, the home team at Mount Joy came in first. Everyone shook hands after the games were over and then enjoyed smoothies, snacks and special piano music.  We especially enjoyed the beautiful autumn scenery to and from Mount Joy.  Many thanks to Juniper Village at Mount Joy for hosting this memorable event!

A Trip Back in Time to Colonial Pennsylvania!

The residents of Juniper Village at Lebanon were recently treated to a special visit from Stew and Judy Walton.  Judy, dressed in Colonial attire, taught everyone how to make spatulas made from Pennsylvania cherry wood.  Everyone sanded and then applied mineral oil to make one-of-a-kind gifts for their family and friends.  Judy talked about how these spatulas would have been used in Colonial times, and she had several different types on display and for sale.  Judy's husband Stew serenaded us on the Musical Saw while we sanded and oiled.  Then we signed cards telling about the spatulas and put everything into clear bags tied with ribbons.  Everyone seemed very pleased with the end results!

Juniper Village Heart Walk Team Reaches Goal!!!

Juniper Village at Lebanon co-worker Patty Spancake had a dream of reaching $1,000.00 for our team to be able to turn in at the annual Heart Walk that we have been participating in for the past four years. Even though we have been working all year long having various fund raising events such as The Big Yard Sale in May, bake sales, book sales and quarter raffles, it is doubtful that anyone thought we would ever reach Patty's goal for us.  But then WE DID!!!  Resident Mary Behney did the final count of the money, and she came up with around $850.00, well short of our goal.  That was our total even as we began to pick people up on our bus, which was full of residents ready to walk;  however, our Environmental Services Director, Jon Davies, pulled into the parking lot while we were still loading up our picnic lunch and gave us the rest of the money to reach our goal and even beat it by $1.00!  So we were able to turn in $1,001.00, truly a Juniper Village miracle!  Thanks for dreaming big for us, Patty!  And thanks so much to everyone who participated in one way or another throughout the year--every quarter and every dollar plus all of the many donated items helped us to reach our goal!  Get ready--we'll be starting in November with another quarter raffle to reach our goal for next year:$1,002.00!!!!!

The Joyful Noise Singers "Summer Tour"!

The Joyful Noise Singers were on the road a lot this summer bringing their singing talents to several area facilities.  First, they sang patriotic songs at the VA Hospital in Lebanon, which had some of the veterans in tears by the end!  Then they sang a complete set of familiar hymns at Countryside Christian Community in Annville.  Those residents commented that they were so happy to hear hymns that they could sing along with.  Then, just three days after that concert, the Joyful Noise Singers provided special music for Grace U.C.C., the home church for two of our choir members.  Later that same week, they did an encore presentation of the hymns concert for the residents at Juniper Village.  One resident in the audience commented that she thought it was their best performance ever!  They do seem to improve with each performance, and they always seem to do better in the actual concert than they sound at practice!  One singer was asked to put her autograph on the program when it was noted that she is a direct descendant of the famous hymn writer Fanny Crosby, who wrote one of the hymns that we sang.  We are all looking forward to our next concert in November at Juniper Village:  a Comedy Revue!  We have also been asked to do a Christmas program at The Lebanon Senior Center in December, so we have a lot of practicing ahead of us, which this group seems to enjoy as much as the show!

October 2016 Events in Lebanon, PA: Show Your Colors

As we say good bye to Indian summer, we welcome the cooler air and slower pace of the autumn season. From warm apple cider, everything pumpkin and end of season hiking trips, there are so many reasons to enjoy autumn. William Cullen Bryant says it best, “Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” With the seasonal changes now in full swing we see fall flowers appearing where summer blooms once stood and leaves changing into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. The evening air has a slight chill and carries the scent of campfires, leaves and cinnamon spice. Our activities turn from swimming and baseball to raking leaves and football. Not only is Mother Nature showing her colors, but we begin to show our team colors with a focus on sports! Join us throughout the month as we bond over sporting events while cheering on our favorite teams, complete with tailgate parties and snacks.

Throughout October we will show our colors as we sponsor and support local sports teams. We will honor our associates who show their colors by “nurturing the spirit of life” with The Juniper Spirit awards. Alas, October would not be complete without celebrating the season with our annual Halloween Costume Party, which is open to ghosts and goblins of all ages. Join us this month and Show Your Colors!

Our fabulous October 2016 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  Kidney Smart®... Learn How to Manage Your Kidney Health during this program, you’ll learn what causes kidney disease, diet resources that can help keep you healthy, and how to manage other related conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure because a kidney disease diagnosis may feel overwhelming, but early education can help you feel more prepared, and there is no cost to attend and a light lunch will be provided; this event will be held in The Club of the Community House on October 19^th from noon to 2:00 pm. (RSVP by October 17^th to 717-272-8782.)

§  Shoulder Pain Relief is Within Your Reach so don’t let chronic pain stop you from enjoying the activities you love; join Dr. Anthony Helwig of WellSpan Orthopedics to learn about current treatment options to help you find relief; there is no cost to attend this informational session and a light lunch will be provided; this event will be held in The Club of the Community House on October 28^th from noon to 1:30 pm. (RSVP by October 26^th to 717-272-8782.)

§  4^th Annual Family Halloween Carnival as all young children and pets are invited to participate in our Halloween costume party and trick-or-treat event; Juniper Village will transform into an old fashion carnival complete with fun carnival games and snacks; Juniper Village Residents will be handing out candy for the children and biscuits for the dogs; we look forward to seeing everyone there on October 29^th from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our October 2016 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as you Show Your Colors.