Conductorcise Coming to Holly Creek Retirement Community!

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Holly Creek will be hosting Conductorcise on Wednesday, June 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Relieve stress, build aerobic stamina, and shed unwanted pounds, while imagining yourself leading a symphony orchestra.

With CONDUCTORCISE®, you can strengthen your heart and open your ears. Maestro David Dworkin leads participants as they enjoy a natural, invigorating upper body workout, learn basic conducting techniques, improve listening skills, and find out about the lives and work of the great composers.

The uniqueness of CONDUCTORCISE® is born out of natural body movement and our physical response to music. Participants are made aware of rhythm, form, color through use of instruments, and the creative process. The music ranges widely, from marches by John Philip Sousa and Johann Strauss to beloved concert, ballet, and operatic classics of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Dvorak to brilliant showpieces by Offenbach, Rimsky-Korsakov and Copland.

Source: www.conductorcise.com

RSVP today at 720-266-5611 or at hsalazar@clcmail.org.

Holly Creek Hosts 'Age to Perfection'

Record Crowd Gathers to “Age to Perfection!”
By: Pam Sullivan


Centennial, CO – More than 320 supporters joined Christian Living Communities (CLC) on April 28 to enjoy healthy foods and wines aimed to help guests Age to Perfection while raising money for a worthy cause. The event of the same name celebrates area seniors, who like a fine wine, improve with age.

The evening at CLC’s Holly Creek began with an inspiring program honoring two individuals who perfectly exemplify the active and involved senior lifestyle as CLC bestowed the Community Enrichment Award upon Dr. Richard and Mrs. Marilyn Anema. The lively couple has a lengthy volunteer career in disaster response management and helping people in need while volunteering with organizations such as the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee and Volunteers in Action. At 81 and 80 years old the volunteering duo has no intention of slowing down saying they hope to continue “Aging to Perfection” by helping others as an extension of their faith.

The Anemas then kicked off a fierce 45 minutes in which four teams competed for year-long bragging rights in the Aged to Perfection Cooking Competition. AMG National Trust Bank, HUB International Insurance, Senior Care of Colorado and a team sponsored by the CLC Board of Directors paired with Executive Chef’s from CLC’s three senior communities to vie for top honors. Each team was tasked with creating two appetizers and one dessert; one of which had to include the secret ingredient – healthy grains.

After a flurry of activity, team cheers and all around good fun judges selected the “Men in Black,” a team comprised of CLC Board members paired with the Executive Chef and Associated Executive Director of The Johnson Center and Village CLC community.

The evening wasn’t just about sampling more than 25 delectable gourmet, healthy hors d’oeuvers and a wide area of elegant wines– it was also filled with fund raising as guests enjoyed their own competition for that special silent and live auction item they just couldn’t leave without. The event netted $34,000- earmarked to construct a new Adult Day Service at Christian Living Communities Clermont Park campus in southeast Denver. Adult Day Services provides purpose-filled days for seniors and respite for family caregivers; it is often a more affordable care option.

Omnicare Pharmacy lent their support as Presenting Sponsor bringing CLC a bit closer to its $350,000 goal needed to build the new Adult Day Service.

Christian Living Communities is a not-for-profit senior care organization touching more than a 1,000 senior lives at three communities and through Home Care and Adult Day Services. For more information regarding Christian Living Communities, please call 720.974.3555 or visit www.ChristianLivingCommunities.org.

A Health Club for the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Older Adult Lifelong Learning:
A Health Club for the Mind, Body, and Spirit
by Nancy Merz Nordstrom, M.Ed.

Imagine the excitement of exploring the historical and cultural treasures of the Tuscan countryside, the thrill of taking part in a lively discussion about the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh, or the satisfaction that comes from helping a reluctant student discover the value of education. There's no doubt such experiences would spice up your life. The good news is that all this can be yours by indulging in lifelong learning.

Thanks to a vast array of opportunities available in the lifelong learning world today, older adults now have the chance to make their later years far more exciting than they ever dreamed possible. Incorporating lifelong learning into the "After-50" years means minds will be more stimulated, bodies more active, and spirits more fulfilled.

A healthy Mind/Body/Spirit connection is critical to getting the most out of life at any age. As people age, however, this connection becomes even more important. Lifelong learning, as older adults are discovering, can help strengthen that connection.

A study conducted for AARP by Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc. in 1999 bears this out. It showed that over 90% of surveyed adults age 50 and over do plan to continue learning as they age. When asked why, participants said they wanted to keep up with what's going on in the world. They also wanted to continue their personal and spiritual growth, and have fun by learning something new.

Although informal lifelong learning takes place regularly, this article focuses on three of the more structured or formal ways to reap the numerous benefits of lifelong learning. For example, older adults can take non-credit classes on almost any topic at local lifelong learning programs. They can also learn and explore the world through educational travel programs. Or, they can choose to give back to their communities by using their skills and experiences to help enrich the lives of others through meaningful civic service. Lifelong learning is really all about ways to keep the mind, body, and spirit stimulated, challenged, and fully engaged in the "After-50" years.

There are good reasons to do so. Research during the 1990s, a decade of pioneering brain research, proved that a stimulated mind promotes a healthy brain. The studies were conducted at many research facilities including Harvard, Duke, and Johns Hopkins Universities and showed that keeping brains stimulated helps retain mental alertness as people age. The brain's physical anatomy actually responds to enriching mental activities. Scientists have discovered that the brain, even an aging brain, can grow new connections and pathways when challenged and stimulated.
These studies point out the value of incorporating lifelong learning into later lives. Albert Einstein, Claude Monet, Arturo Toscanini, Hume Cronyn, and Pablo Casals, as well as many others, were all productive and vibrant well into old age. Every day that they used their skills and talents to produce great works, they were learning.

In the words of Dr. Paul Nussbaum, Director of the Aging Research and Education Center in Pittsburgh, PA, "Every time your heart beats, 25% of that blood goes right to the brain. But while exercise is critical, it may be education that is more important. In the 21st century, education and information may become for the brain what exercise is for the heart." Just like the human heart, brains need to be nurtured. Lifelong learning, then, is like a health club for the brain.
Finally, lifelong learning engages the spirit. It provides the needed social interaction that is often lacking as people age. Older adults join lifelong learning programs as much for the social aspects as for the learning. Outdoor programs, field trips, luncheons, parties, and travel-far and near-give mature adults the opportunity to make new friends, engage in stimulating give-and-take discussion, and share in life's ups and downs with like-minded people. Life gets a little overwhelming at times. How better to get through those challenges than by sharing them with other lifelong learners?

Making lifelong learning part of one's later years also fosters a sense of personal empowerment and, increased self-esteem. It ensures continued growth and intellectual stimulation, leading to a more fulfilling, enjoyable, and enriched lifestyle. So, lifelong learning is truly a health club for the spirit as well.

Lifelong learners discover that their intellectual, social, spiritual and physical horizons have expanded beyond any previous expectations. David, a lifelong learner from New York, concurs. "We have a fantastic program for personal discovery," he says. "We base everything on the belief that our capacity to learn and grow does not decrease as our years increase. In fact, through learning and the adventures we embark on, we actually embrace self-fulfillment."

Lifelong learning after age 50 is vitally important. It helps develop natural abilities, immerses people in the wonders of life, stimulates natural curiosity about the world, increases wisdom, enables people to use their experience to make the world a better place, and helps older adults face the inevitable changes of society.

Without a doubt, lifelong learning is truly a health club for the mind, body, and spirit. Using this health club every day ensures that older lives will be richer and more fulfilled.

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, M.Ed., is the author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years, available in July, 2006 at local and online booksellers. For more information, visit www.learninglater.com. Nancy also directs the Elderhostel Institute Network, North America's largest educational network for older adults. More than 350 lifelong learning institutes with over 150,000 members are affiliated with the Network.
http://www.seniorcitizensguide.com/articles/activities/lifelong_learning.htm

Holly Creek Seniors Share Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage

When you add the combined total number of years three couples from the Holly Creek Retirement Community have been married, you get a nice even and big number: 200.

The adage “with age comes wisdom” was put to the test as these three couples were asked to share their thoughts and insights on the secrets to a long and happy marriage.

Sylvia and Frank Velzen are the “newlyweds” of the group. They have only been married for 63 years. Audrey and Jim Watson follow with 67 years of marriage, and Jenot and Sandy Mills lead the pack with 70.

In a day and age when getting divorced is as easy and almost as common as getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks, the Velzens, Watsons and Mills share their experiences and wisdom that can only be gained by 200 years of marriage.

Shared Experiences
“It hasn’t always been peaches and cream,” recalls Jenot Mills. “Raising a young child alone while Sandy was serving in the war was tough, but we got through it and we’ve been blessed many times over.”

World War II it turns out was a pivotal event for all three couples. The men all served during the war, while Jenot and Audrey, married at the time, managed their homes back in the states. The dangers these men faced while in the service weighed heavily on the minds of their ladies.

In the case of Audrey and Jim Watson, who married after Jim finished basic training, the dangers of war were all too real. While flying a mission over Berlin, Jim, who was a bombardier on a B-17, was struck by shrapnel from an anti-aircraft shell. Severely injured, he spent the next 14 months in a hospital.

Another common denominator all three couples share is the growth of their families post-war.

Jim and Audrey have two children, a son and daughter, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In fact, they moved to Holly Creek to be closer to their children.

Frank and Sylvia have three children: two sons and a daughter, and now have four grandchildren.

Sandy and Jenot have two daughters and two sons. They have been blessed with 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A third similarity of these three couples is they have stayed active during retirement, and have traveled extensively.

Jim Watson, who retired from Toro after 45 years to start a turf-consulting business, has the most miles under his belt.

“I’ve been to practically every country in Europe as well as Australia, South Africa, Japan and China. Where ever there is a golf course, I’ve probably been there.” Audrey has accompanied or met up with Jim on post-retirement trips to Australia, Greece and Germany.

Frank and Sylvia lived in Panama and Portugal after Frank retired from a 37-year career with Keebler. “If you want great food and great views, visit Portugal,” said Sylvia.

Sandy and Jenot spent many miles on the road visiting their children and grandchildren across the country. Although they no longer travel, they enjoy the frequent visits from family who visit them at Holly Creek.

Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage
So what are their secrets to a long and happy marriage?

“There are no secrets,” said Audrey Watson. “It takes a lot of tolerance and a lot of luck. If you don’t have tolerance, you’re in trouble.”

“It doesn’t hurt to have a sense of humor,” added Jim Watson.

Jenot agreed. “Having a sense of humor is probably the most important thing to staying married 70 years.”

According to Sandy Mills, “respect your spouse and don’t be critical of one another. Be sure to notice the little things your spouse does. Don’t say, ‘Gee honey, that’s a lousy looking hairdo.”


For Frank and Sylvia Velzen, their faith in God has always been the cornerstone of their relationship.

“You must love and care for each other in good times and in difficult times,” said Frank.

“It’s also important to live within your means and budget for the things you truly need,” added Sylvia.

By Chuck Montera


Located in Centennial, Colorado, seniors have been calling the Holly Creek Retirement Community home for more than five years. Holly Creek offers both independent and assisted living, along with a variety of health services including skilled nursing and memory care support. For more information, visit www.hollycreekretirementcommunity.com or call 303-713-9004.

Holly Creek Residents interviewed for Te Ata Fisher Documentary

Film to Profile Famous Native-American Storyteller Te Ata Fisher

Most family trees contain a famous ancestor somewhere along the branches of time. But how many of us can say we are directly related to one of the most famous and prolific Native-American storytellers of the 20th century?

That’s a claim two Holly Creek residents can proudly make. First cousins Taloah Thorpe and Dorothy Powell are the nieces of Te Ata Fisher, a member of the Chickasaw Nation who entertained President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King George VI of Britain through song, dance and storytelling. The current movie, “The King’s Speech” is based on George VI.

Born in 1895, Te Ata, which means “Bearer of the Morning” in Chickasaw, spent much of her 99 years telling the stories and folklore of her people to local and worldwide audiences.

Te Ata shared her gift of storytelling on the Chautauqua circuit in the 1920s – a lecture circuit used by entertainers, politicians and religious leaders before the advent of widespread radio broadcasts. Her marriage in 1933 to Clyde Fisher, a naturalist and eventual curator of the Haden Planetarium, brought her into the elite social circles of New York. That same year, Te Ata performed at President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first state dinner. That same decade, she toured Europe and performed for royal families and heads of state.

In early January, a Chickasaw Nation documentary film crew travelled to Holly Creek to interview Taloah and Dorothy on their recollections of Te Ata.

“We are trying to interview all of Te Ata’s living relatives and acquaintances in order to tell the story of this remarkable woman,” said documentary producer Joey Lansdale.

“It wasn’t until high school when I realized the significance and importance of my aunt,” said Taloah. “Traditional American-Indian life was a beautiful life, and my aunt educated many people about our ways through stories, songs and dance.”

According to Lansdale, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby has been instrumental in making Te Ata’s documentary possible.

“Governor Anoatubby has been a champion of this project since day one and his support helped make this documentary possible,” said Landsdale.

Lansdale plans on interviewing 12 more people this year, as well as reviewing film and photos of Te Ata’s performances. When finished, the documentary will be made available to public broadcasting stations and The History Channel. The Chickasaw Nation is also planning a motion picture on Te Ata, with hopes of production beginning this year.

“My aunt wanted me to follow in her footsteps and also become a storyteller, but there is only one Te Ata,” said Taloah. “She was an inspiration to everyone she met, from heads of state to the little girls who called her aunt.”

According to Taloah, which means “Song Bird” in Chickasaw, both she and her cousin Dorothy did follow in their aunt’s footsteps.

“Dorothy has a wonderful imagination and was a great creative writer,” she said. “I think she got that from Te Ata. I attended the Oklahoma College for Women, which is the same university Te Ata attended. She instilled in me the value of education and sharing knowledge to improve the lives of others.”

Story submitted by Chuck Montera

Masterpiece Living at Holly Creek Retirement Community

Time to Take Charge
By Teresa Amaral Beshwate, MPH

An author whose name is unknown to me wrote, "If there are no defined goals for improvement, then the expectation is decline." This concept is at the core of Masterpiece Living philosophy. Standing still is not possible - we are either on a path of improvement or decline, and the choice is ours each day.

The MacArthur Foundation researchers proved, over many years and with a great deal of scientific research, that it is never too late to shape your future, to be old is not to be sick, and successful aging does not depend on genetics alone. In short, research says that older adults can grow, and how successfully we age depends primarily on the choices we make today.

What choices will you make today? What change have you been thinking about making to your daily routine but just haven't taken action yet? What is your conscience saying that you ought to do this week - or better yet, your friends and loved ones?

Many residents who have participated in the Masterpiece Living Lifestyle Inventory have mentioned "It is interesting to see myself on paper" and "I know I need to...(eat more vegetables/sign up for fitness classes/stretch my muscles more often/find a new volunteer opportunity etc.) and just hadn't gotten to it yet." Participating in the Masterpiece Living Lifestyle Inventory is a unique opportunity to see where you are, compare it to where you want to be, set specific goals, accomplish your goals and re-assess in a year's time.