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BY CAROL AFFOURTIT
As we enter into the middle of summer, let us pause and relish in the fact that we have been blessed with such lovely weather.
Life in our Eden Alternative Community is blessed as well. Under the guidance and loving arms of our administrator, Laurie Blatt, our home is a place to cherish.
Our Eden bulletin board displays ``Life’s Simple Pleasures’’ on which staff and residents have put together a collage of what we hold dear as pleasures to us.
In our community, such delights as the love and companionship of a pet, fondness for gardening and bird watching, music and laughter, the liveliness of children and the peacefulness of sitting on our many porches, enable our residents and staff to enjoy those pleasures.
For me, my simple pleasure is hugs. My mantra is ``at least three hugs a day keeps the blues away!’’ Whether a hug is to say hello, offer support, share a joy or sorrow, or just show you care, it is one of the simplest actions, but can mean so much to the giver or receiver. In my 23 years at the Thanksgiving Home I can’t fathom the amount of hugs I have given or received, buteach and every one holds a special place in my heart and has made my life so rich and fulfilled.
The mission of our Eden Home is to offer our residents a community free of the plagues of helplessness, loneliness and boredom.
When you see the vision of camaraderie and love shared by residents and staff, you can only think, ``family.’’ As we visit together, day by day _ sharing life stories, enjoying activities, meals, joys and sorrows, you can’t help but know the Thanksgiving Home is truly special.
Throughout the years, I have come to know the families and friends of our residents. When these people visit our home, they know their loved ones are in a truly special place and are cared for by staff who love what they do. We are a family in every sense of the word, and meet the needs of each and every resident as if they were our own parents or grandparents.
The past two weeks many residents enjoyed visits from family and friends. MarthaQuinn enjoyed visiting with the Doyle’s from Maine, lunch out with granddaughter, Bridget and dinner with two dear friends, Lucille Gilchrest and Betty McCarthy. A new great grandson, Grayson, born June 30th added to her joy.
Pat DeBaun has had a busy summer with daughters Laura and Ellie, going out for dinner and sailing on the boat.
Art and Natalie Laidlaw had a lovely visit with Mary and Peter Clark. Veronica Seaver took Fannie Navarra and Julia Gil to the Blue Mingo for lunch and Dot Gardner had lunch with her son Mark.
July 21st, Sara Siegel, Max Ofer and Renee Freidman put on a skit depicting the history of the Braille System, their way of celebrating History Day. July 22nd, staff and residents took off for Camp Minnetoska for our annual summer picnic and July birthday party.
The cake, artfully decorated by Darcey Schilling, was a replica of a picnic blanket, decked out with food, goodies and even ants!
We had a wonderful time and provided our own entertainment by singing summertime songs.
July 29th, Janet Saporito led ``Laughlines,’’ a get-together for jokes and laughter. Later that afternoon, ``Tea and Sweets’’ brought residents and staff together to celebrate our cat Ginger’s 6th birthday. Iced tea, lemonade and molasses cookies were served.
Columns
Home Notes: A place to cherish
- Columns
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Attack on Sacket's Harbor
Sacket's Harbor, near the beginning of the St. Lawrence River from Lake Ontario, was the principal American naval base on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812.
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Once again, hope springs eternal ...
We are happy to report that although Mother Nature did her best to thwart the annual Upper Pioneer Street Block Party, she was not successful.
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Local performs costumed recitations of Casey at the Bat
Since 1996, I have had the privilege of doing costumed recitations of Casey at the Bat as part of my job at the Baseball Hall of Fame. I’ve performed the poem an estimated 2,000 times in 22 states, at ballparks, conferences, classrooms, Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies, weddings and other events.
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E-readers come in handy when traveling
I recently took a trip to California and it was the perfect time to make use of my e-reader. While I'm still devoted to actual books, I must admit that traveling with a thin, lightweight computerized device beats dragging along one or two bulky hard copy titles. The only issue is finding the right e-books to take on the airplane
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Arriving at the last bend in the River
The month of May is the height of the summer in India, a time best spent indoors with a good book and a sliced mango for company.
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Cooperstown election and law
On Tuesday the 18th inst. [May], the following persons were elected officers for this village for the ensuing year: --
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Exchange has taught me to love my flaws
Hello from Germany! I'm currently on my second Euro Tour visiting and exploring most of Europe.
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Passing along advice of seeing the humor
The best advice given to me many years ago when I started teaching had nothing to do with my discipline, English. Rather, a former mentor insisted on the necessity of having a sense of humor
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The week that was ...
For a number of years now, we have not been in Cooperstown for the spring season. And we must admit that we had quite forgotten what it is like. But since we decided that travel was not on the docket for this year, we have become reacquainted with the Cooperstown spring. And we must say we rather enjoyed it with the possible exception of occasional uncalled for snow and seemingly frigid temperatures.
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Mother's visit was a benchmark for this year
Last week, my mother made the 25-hour plane trip out to Thailand to visit her son, me, after nine months of having only choppy Skype sessions and scattered emails to give her an idea of what I look and act like since having left home last August.
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: World traveler calls Euro-Tour experience of a lifetime
While I've had a great time throughout my entire exchange, I can say hands down that the month of April brought me the best memories of my exchange if not some of the best of my entire life. What kind of wonder would bring me to say this? Simple. Euro-Tour.
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Maryland port attacked
Havre de Grace, May 3. "This morning, a little after the break of day, a British armed force, under cover of armed vessels which anchored in front of this town ... landed below a small breast work which had been roughly thrown up, and in which were one 9 and two 4 pounders, manned by 50 militia.
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Memoir reflects on 'roller-coaster life and career'
Apparently, the third time wasn't the charm. The way Reynolds described him, the third husband was worse than the first two combined and that's saying a lot. Eddie Fisher literally walked away from Reynolds and their two infant children to chase a sex goddess. At least he got his just desserts when Elizabeth Taylor tossed him aside for Richard Burton.
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Imagine what might have been ...
A while back we got a telephone call from a reader of this column wanting to know why we had not written a column in support of Otsego Manor continuing to be owned and operated by Otsego County. And even though we have followed the debate over this issue in the newspaper, we readily admitted we did not feel we knew enough about the situation to take a stand.
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Herpes virus brings harness racing to a halt
I've been going to harness horse race tracks my entire life. My family has been in the business for years.
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Time, if not traffic, moves on ...
It is with sadness we note the passing of two people who we have known since moving to Cooperstown in 1982.
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Canadian capital captured
Dear Sir, I have just returned from Fort Niagara, where I saw a Captain of the United States' navy. He is just from little York, the capital of Upper Canada, and gives the following account, which is confirmed in official dispatches from Gen. Dearborn to Gen. Lewis ...
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Local Voices From Around The Globe: Exchange is like a life in a year
All exchange students realize the credibility of this statement. Like all lives no exchange is the same, all are incredible unique exchanges. The metaphor of life, from baby to old age, extends to every part of the exchange.
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Movie depicting legendary Jackie Robinson does not disappoint
Going to the movies is not something I do often. I can count the number of times I have gone on my fingers, unless you include trips to the drive-in. And even so, it took me years before I made it to one of those -- going for the first time two summers ago.
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'Dubious' about weather, Hawkeyes 'suitable' nickname
Unfortunately, it seems to us that this spring has, thus far, been anything but spring like. In fact, we are still more than happy to stay bundled up in our polar fleece.
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Attack on Sacket's Harbor
