The Informer November 10 2023

The Informer

November 10, 2023

Informer Updated Distribution Schedule

Please note: The Informer will move to a once-monthly edition starting in December 2023. The regular distributions will be sent November 10^th and November 24^th.

The monthly edition will be distributed on the last Friday of each month. Submissions will still be due, now to Joni Schmidt, the Friday prior to publication. The first monthly edition will be sent on December 29^th. No additional Informer editions will be sent in December or going into 2024. You can find the full schedule, per usual, at the bottom of this edition.

Halloween at Mayflower

“Trick or Treat” was hosted by residents of Watertower Square and staff. It was a chilly night with trick-or-treaters, all dressed up in their creative costumes, bundling up to keep warm.

Residents dressed up in costumes and trick-or-treaters came inside where it was warm to get a treat! Water Tower Square Residents, pictured from Left to right, are Nancy Agnew, Jo Bolton, Sis Vogel, Carolyn Roudabush, Sheila Gause, Suzanne Schwengels, Dan Agnew, and Lyle Roudabush.

Staff and residents dressed up for Halloween. Many trick-or-treaters came and visited the Health Center and Watertower Square. Below are some pictures taken around the Mayflower Campus during the Halloween festivities

-Joni Schimdt, Resident Services Coordinator

Halloween 2023: That’s a Wrap

It was a close contest! The nursing staff in Mayflower’s Beebe Assisted Living placed 1^st in the Annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest with their gnome entry. The Community Life department’s hungry caterpillar placed 2^nd. The other three finalists split the remaining votes. All the entries were fabulous! First-place prize for the Beebe staff? A Mayflower pizza party.

On the Saturday before Halloween, a number of Grinnell College student volunteers joined Mayflower residents in the Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living to decorate pumpkins. We are still not sure who had the most fun.

On Halloween day, Mayflower staff dressed in costume. Some were pretty scary. That evening, staff and residents hosted Trick-or-Treat tables in the Health Center and in the Watertower Square building.

Lot of fun and reminiscing marked yet another Halloween at Mayflower.

-Leslie Jaworski, Mayflower Community Life Director

Grinnell Children’s Choir Performs at Mayflower

On Friday, November 3^rd, the local, well-known Grinnell Children’s Choir performed in the Carman Center of the Mayflower Community. These kindergarteners through 5^th graders are accomplished and sweet-sounding. Under the direction of Erin Bustin, the Grinnell Children’s Choir has been engaged in “foundational musicianship and choral training” since 2017. In the attached photo, they are waiving to the audience (which included parents!) after their performance.

-Leslie Jaworski, Mayflower Community Life Director

MIND Diet:

Attention/Focus With Meredith Crow

Over the course of 2023, the connections between mental health, gut health, and diet have been explored across a variety of mental health diagnoses and diet-focused treatment approaches. Regardless of what causes suboptimal mental health, one’s ability to focus will often suffer. Focus and attention are common casualties of poor mental health, deficient gut health, or both. Some attention and focus concerns can be given a diagnosis, like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But often, lack of focus cannot be captured with a diagnosis. And, without the clarity of diagnosis, treatment can be tricky.

The good news is that dietary choices, alongside the timing of meals and snacks, can offer a profound, positive impact toward improved focus. The key is prioritizing protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruit at meals, with minimal servings of starches and wheat-based foods. A protein-rich diet of healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables promotes optimal blood sugar control. Stable and consistent blood sugar directly impacts focus, attention, and mental clarity. In contrast, excessive portions of starchy/wheat-based foods can cause greater fluctuations in blood sugar, which contributes to reduced focus, brain fog, and mood lability.

Foods that support attention, focus, and memory include eggs, cocoa cacao (avoiding refined sugar), almond or cashew butter, and apples. Herbs commonly used to boost attention include rosemary, sage, licorice root, and ginseng. Small amounts of stimulating foods (like coffee) can be helpful, but overuse or overstimulation can lead to exhaustion. The combination of a protein-rich diet, alongside small quantities of stimulating foods, can power you through the whole day.

Meal and snack timing is equally important as the foods chosen for stable, attuned focus. Most people benefit from a meal or snack every 3-4 hours, a frequency necessary for blood sugar stability. Could you ensure a meal rich in protein and healthy fats is eaten within the first 90 minutes of rising for the day? Skipping this first meal sets up the day for poor focus, as the body and mind are running with low to no fuel. For those who struggle to eat first thing in the morning, even something small makes a significant difference. Try pairing an egg and an apple for a quick, easy-to-eat, portable mini-meal. Even better, both are focus-promoting foods. As always, small, consistent changes accumulate significant benefits for diet and food choices.

-Meredith Crow, MA, RD, LD, Mayflower Dietitian

Mayflower Pumpkin Contest

Mayflower Community Staff had a pumpkin competition last week.

Staff from five departments designed pumpkins into a gnome, an inch worm, witches brew, Oscar the Grouch, and an excuse, from facilities, which was posted onto the pumpkin.

The gnome created by the Beebee Nursing staff received the most votes, and therefore, won the competition. As part of their winnings, Beebe nursing staff will receive a pizza party provided by Mayflower's food service.

Thank you to all who participated.

-Joni Schimdt, Resident Services coordinator

No Room in The Inn

Grinnell community members, including Mayflower residents, are invited to display your special nativity sets for the annual “No Room in the Inn,” event.

The viewing will be held Friday, December 1^st from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the St. Mary Parish Center, 1002 Broad Street. There is no admission charge. Refreshments will be served. Donations will go to St. Joseph’s Family Shelter, MICA, and area Ministerial Associations. For information call Lynn Cavanagh (641-236-6882).

Computer Tips from the MRA Information Resources Committee

Tip #3

Have you been in the Buckley Dining Room and cannot connect to the internet, even though you had done so previously? Changing the Mayflower password for all common areas to “#mfhomes” may be the source of your problem. Your device may be remembering the prior password that it saved. You will want to forget or remove that network connection and add it back with the new password. Here are suggestions for doing this on three common devices used by Mayflower residents.

On an Apple device, go to “Settings.” Then tap on “Wi-Fi" to see the available networks. For the network you want to forget, tap the circle with an “I” in it, and you can choose “Forget this Network.”

On a computer with a Windows 10 operating system, click on “Settings,” then “Network and Internet,” then “Wi-Fi.” You will then be able to choose the option “Manage Known Networks.” Click on the network you want to remove, and you can choose to “Forget.”

On a Samsung Android phone, go to “Settings,” then “Connections,” and under “Wi-Fi," press and hold on the network connection you want to change. The screen that opens will have another symbol for settings for that network. Click on that symbol, and you will have an opportunity to delete that network.

You also may want to forget networks you have accessed in public places (coffee shops, motels, airports) so that your device does not try to connect automatically anytime you are in that vicinity.

-Jack Mutti, MRA Information Resources Committee Chair

Well Being

At Mayflower Campus, we offer well-being services from many providers.

A beautician/barber is also available on campus that has yet to be listed.

To schedule an appointment, please get in touch with Lynette Harris at 641-485-7727.

Resident News

MRA Forum

“Prairie Restoration”

Sandy Moffett and Bob Kessler

Tuesday, November 14, 2023. 2:00-3:30 pm.

Kiesel Theatre

The Mayflower Residents Association sponsors a monthly Forum where information of interest to Mayflower residents is presented and followed by a question-and-answer time. The presenters for November’s Forum will be residents Sandy Moffett and Bob Kessler. They will talk about their involvement in prairie restoration.

-Bob Butterfield, MRA Events Committee Chair

Pat Groth Funeral Mass

Pat passed in Mayflower’s Health Center on September 28, 2023 at the age of 93. Her service will be Saturday, November 18^th at 10:00am in the Nativity Church of Mater Dei Parish, Sioux City, Iowa.

November 2023 Armchair Travels

Armchair Travel videos (Kiesel Theatre; 2:00-3:30pm)

November 16^th

U.S., Virginia, Robert E. Lee

November 30th

U.S., Pennsylvania, Gettysburg Stories of Valor

Greece, the City States

December 7th

U.S., Hawaii, Pearl Harbor: The Arizona

U.S., Arizona, Phoenix

-Shane Estes, Resident

Kiesel Theatre Movie Showings

Saturday Afternoon Movies Are Back (2:00 pm)

November 11^th: Billy Elliot (2006). This is a heartwarming story of a young boy from a working-class family who discovers a passion that will change his life forever. Eleven-year-old miner’s son Billy is on his way to boxing lessons when he stumbles upon a ballet class. Billy secretly joins the class. Under the guidance of his teacher, Billy’s raw talent takes flight. But when his father discovers his son’s ambition, Billy must fight for his dreams and destiny: r, English subtitles, 111 minutes.

November 18^th: Casablanca (1943). Casablanca: Easy to enter but hard to leave, especially if your name is on the Nazis’ most-wanted list. Atop that list is Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose holy hope is Rick Blane (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one, especially Victor’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. So, when Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo’s safe transport out of the country, the bitter Rick must decide what’s more important—his happiness or the countless lives that hang in the balance: PG, B&W, English subtitles, 103 minutes.

November 25^th: Angel (2006). A teenage girl with a vivid imagination knows what she wants and fearlessly goes after it. Angel Deverell (Romola Gari), the daughter of a grocer, fantasizes about living in the town mansion, Paradise House. She interests a London publisher (Sam Neill) in her romantic novel, and he manages to turn the over-the-top melodrama into a bestseller, allowing Angel to buy Paradise House and pursue the man of her dreams, a painter (Michael Fassbender) struggling for his own big break. NR, English subtitles 119 minutes.

The Mayflower Community Celebrates All-Saints Day

Remembering with joy, those who have gone before us

November 1, 2022 - October 31, 2023

On October 30 (2023), during the Weekly Devotions, residents of the Mayflower Community, along with many family members, remembered and celebrated the Mayflower residents who have died during the past year.

This Service of Remembrance was led by the Mayflower Residents Association Spiritual Life Committee chaired by Pat Lipton, with all Committee members participating in the service, including Dot Anderson, Carolyn Runyan., Ed Phillips, Dorothy Noer, Jo Entwisle, and Bonnie Lipton.

Leslie Jaworski, Community Life Director, developed a beautiful PowerPoint presentation to enhance the Service and honor the 20 residents who've passed. Those residents remembered for this event, are Joan Mohan, Betty Anne Francis, Luther Erickson, Doug Caulkins, Rudi Munitz, Barbara Rosfjord, Gene Rohr, Dorothy Christinson, John Saxton, Pasha Buck, Harley Henry, Pat Cushing, Pat Groth, Jeanette Tisdale, Chao Huang, Gayle Strickler, Dottie Blazek, Dwight George, and Delores Montgomery.

The Service began with a beautiful rendition of “On Eagles Wings” played on the piano by Dot Anderson, who shared the music for the hymn “For All the Saints.” Rev. Bonnie Lipton delivered a short devotion entitled “Remembering...With Thanksgiving.” In her presentation, she talked about all of the saints in our lives who have influenced our faith walk or life’s journey. These personal saints may include big-name saints like Mother Teresa, Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, or our spouses, parents, teachers, friends, or even strangers whose faithfulness encouraged us on our journey in one way or another.

We were reminded that God still forms saints, and they might just be sitting next to you . . .As the names of the 20 residents were read, their photo was displayed, and a family member or close friend was invited to receive a flower, which was then included in a community vase, and then the bell was rung.

Following the recognition of the Mayflower residents, those in attendance were invited to come forward to receive a flower in memory of someone they had lost over the years, and it was on their hearts that day. It was an engaging time to be in the community as we remembered with thanksgiving those who have lived among us and touched our lives in unique ways.

-Rev. Bonnie Lipton, Spiritual Life Committee

Mayflower Worship Opportunities

These two worship opportunities are offered by the Mayflower Residents Association Spiritual Life Committee:

Weekly Devotions. Tuesdays. 11:00 – 11:40 a.m. Carman Center. Prayer, scripture, stories. Relax, reflect, renew—leader: Rev. Bonnie Lipton. No registration is required.

Bible Study. 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays. 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Health Center Fireside Room (2^nd floor). Leader: Rev. Anne Sunday. All are welcome; no sign-up required.

-Pat Lipton, MRA Spiritual Life Committee Chair

“People of The Bible” Discussion Session

Resident Marilyn Schuler is leading a session entitled, “People of the Bible,” on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. 11:00-11:45am. Fireside Room (2^nd floor of the Health Center). All are welcome. Please contact Marilyn Schuler (641-891-7760 or mschuler107@gmail.com) with questions.

-Rev. Anne Sunday, Resident