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VETERANS DAY 2013

DR. RICHARD JONES JAMES KELLY LEO GIACOMINI

CASA  CONNECTION

Back  Row:  Axel  Larsen,  Victoria  Lindberg,  David  Middleton,  Frank  Dalton,  Albert  Muller,  Robert  Morgan,  Robert  Brown

Middle  Row:  Ernie  Gonsalves,  Betty  Ledsinger,  Marcus  Coffman,  Al  King,  Madeline  Cox,  Leroy  Datrice,  Charles  Haynes

Front  Row:  Johnny  Martin,  Manny  Pontes,  Ray  DeSoto,  Berry  Piper,  John  Jacowski,  Walton  Chin  

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OKTOBERFEST 2013BOY, WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIVES AT CASA SANDOVAL’S OKTOBERFEST 2013! HATS, FLAGS, AND PRETZEL MAKING, PARTYING, AND PHOTO TAKING. THE RESIDENTS WERE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF OKTOBERFEST!

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     I  was  born  in  Hopewell,  Virginia  in  1927.  There  were  seven  children  in  our  family.  At  age  17  I  went  off  to  Richmond,  which  was  19  miles  away,  and  enlisted  in  the  Marine  Corps.  Because  of  my  age,  I  had  to  have  my  father’s  permission  and  he  had  to  countersign  my  enlistment  papers.

     It  was  snowing  like  the  dickens  when  I  went  back  to  Hopewell  and  told  my  dad.  He  was  eating  dinner  but  pushed  himself  away  from  the  table  and  said,  “C'mon  let's  go  get  that  paper  notarized  right  now.”  He  didn't  even  Linish  his  dinner,  he  was  so  happy  to  see  me  get  in  the  Marines.  He’d  been  in  the  Navy  in  World  War  I  as  a  1st  Class  Carpenter’s  Mate.  I  was  a  punk  kid;  a  solution  for  everything  and  answers  for  nothing.  My  father  knew  what  it  took  to  build  character.  I  think  that  was  the  happiest  day  of  his  life.  I  was  inducted  June  1945  and  served  until  June  1949;  mostly  on  Treasure  Island  and  Yerba  Buena  Island.

     I  met  a  girl  from  North  Dakota.  Gerry  was  11  years  older  than  I  was  and  we  got  married  in  1948.  We  spent  52  years  together.  Sadly  I  lost  her  on  December  6,  2000.  We  had  three  children.  Two  girls,  Terinell  and  Marilee,  and  one  boy;  we  lost  Charles  in  1963  when  he  was  11  years  old.

     I'm  retired  from  the  railroad;  I  spent  39  years  with  Southern  PaciLic  and  was  a  conductor’s  union  representative  from  1961-­‐69.  I  represented  all  the  conductors  in  contract  matters  for  the  Western  Division.  I  retired  in  Jan.  1987  and  have  been  happily  retired  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  losing  my  wife.  We  traveled  quite  extensively  during  our  marriage.  All  of  our  vacations  were  spent  either  traveling  to  or  from  North  Dakota  or  Virginia.  My  children  have  the  distinction  of  having  traveled  across  the  country  on  a  train  seven  times.

     

     Now  I  live  by  myself  at  Casa  and  enjoy  every  minute  of  it.  Lots  of  very  nice  people  here  and  everything  has  turned  out  Line.  I  was  living  by  myself  for  12  years  in  a  4-­‐bedroom  home  and  my  oldest  daughter  lived  in  Oregon.  She  would  come  down  to  visit  but  it  turned  out  I  could  not  live  by  myself.  I  had  a  bleeding  ulcer  and  went  to  Kaiser  for  treatment.  While  I  was  there,  my  daughter  shopped  around  and  found  me  a  place  to  live.  Thank  God  she  found  Casa  Sandoval!  I'd  been  independent  all  my  life  but  now  that  I’m  a  

little  older  I  Lind  that  I'm  very  pleased  to  be  here.  I’m  very  comfortable  with  this  setting;  very  pleased  with  the  care  that  I  get,  and  the  attention  to  detail.        I'm  glad  where  I  am  and  very  pleased  with  the  life  I've  been  dealt.  I  thoroughly  enjoy  being  alone  and  reading.  I  didn't  learn  to  use  a  computer  until  I  was  84  years  old  so  I  spend  a  lot  of  time  emailing  friends  and  reviewing  stuff  that  I  took  when  I  was  in  the  union.  I  took  Industrial  Labor  Relations  courses  at  Cal  and  CCSF.  I  understand  a  little  more  about  law  than  I  did.  I  think  I've  matured  enough  to  know  when  I’m  right  or  wrong.  I  really  enjoy  my  life  at  Casa  Sandoval.  I  get  all  the  care  and  attention  I  need  and  plan  to  stay  here  for  the  rest  of  my  life.

Charlie Haynes: Mature After All These Years?

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VETERANS DAY      We  are  extremely  proud  to  say  that  nearly  three  dozen  military  veterans  call  Casa  Sandoval  their  home.  It’s  a  privilege  to  serve  the  ones  who  served  the  United  States  and  defended  freedom  during  the  last  eight  decades.      The  years  are  going  by  quickly  and  the  populaCon  of  America’s  World  War  II  veterans  is  rapidly  dwindling,  which  makes  it  all  the  more  special  that  so  many  are  in  the  Casa  Sandoval  family.

     The  biggest  conCngent  is  from  the  Navy.  As  you  can  see,  we  almost  couldn’t  zoom  out  far  enough  to  capture  them  all!    

 

           The  Marines  are  represented  by  David  Middleton  and  Charles  Haynes  (see  arCcle  on  Page  3).

When  it  comes  to  defending  the  ground  and  skies,  we  have  a  

strong  group  of  Army  Air  Force  veterans,  including  Roy  Meyer,  Willie  Louie,  Robert  Brown,  Manny  Pontes,  Axel  Larsen,  and  Al  King.  Also  in  that  group  are  Albert  Muller,  Victor  Jackson,  James  Kelly  and  John  Jacowski.

   

       Harlan  Smith  was  our  lone  representaCve  of  the  U.S.  Coast  Guard.  Sadly,  we  said  farewell  to  “SmiXy”  earlier  this  year.  We  are  also  represented  by  Sam  Ezrol,  who  sailed  the  AtlanCc  with  the  Merchant  Marines.  

     A  unique  member  of  our  WWII  veterans  is  Victoria  Lindberg  who  served  in  the  BriCsh  Royal  Navy,  our  biggest  Allies  in  the  war  against  Nazi  Germany.        We  also  felt  the  loss  of  six  other  WWII  vets  this  year.  Our  sincere  condolences  go  out  to  the  families  of  Ole  Sousa,  Ney  Landry,  Edna  Smith,  Becky  Draper,  Leonard  Bailey,  and  Richard  Ah-­‐Tye.  Each  of  them  greatly  exemplified  the  character  and  spirit  of  what  many  call  “The  Greatest  GeneraCon”.        We’ll  honor  the  Casa  vets  who  served  our  country  with  a  one-­‐hour  documentary  about  their  service  at  6:00PM  on  Nov.  11th.  

WORLD WAR I I

U.S . ARMY

U.S. NAVY

U.S . ARMY AIR FORCES

U.S . MARINE CORPS

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CASA VETERANSON THIS PAGE ARE MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO SERVED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DURING WAR AND PEACE TIME. WE HONOR THEIR SERVICE AND KNOW THAT THIS COUNTRY

WOULD NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT THEIR SACRIFICES AND DEDICATION.

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Sit & S - t - r -e - t - c -h

Know Your Beach BallHow  well  do  you  know  your  beach  ball?  The  second  Lloor  residents  at  Casa  Sandoval  have  engaged  in  a  fun,  new  activity  that  is  physically  and  mentally  stimulating.  

Plus,  it  leads  to  a  bundle  of  laughs.      Stop  the  spinning  beach  ball  with  your  Linger  and  read  the  question  that  comes  up.  Then  it’s  your  turn  to  answer  questions  such  as  “Where  were  you  born?”,  

“What’s  your  favorite  Llower?”,  and  “Where’s  your  favorite  vacation  spot  of  all  time?”      The  questions  are  easy  and  the  answers  are  sometimes  funny,  sometimes  nostalgic.                                                                                                    

Either  way,  they  certainly  help  everyone  get  to  know  each  other  better  and  create  a  sharing  environment.        “How  Well  Do  You  Know  Your  Beach  Ball?”  is  on  

the  Assisted  Living  calendar  each  Wednesday  morning  at  10:30AM.  Join  Cassandra  and  Anna  for  lots  of  fun!    

     Aging  brings  about  many  physical  changes  as  muscles  tend  to  weaken,  body  movements  become  slow,  and  flexibility  of  the  muscles  decreases.  Seniors  can  improve  their  mobility  power  and  maintain  their  muscle  health  through  stretching  exercises.  Here  are  some  exercises  we  lead  you  through  each  morning  here  at  Casa  Sandoval:

Lower  Back  Exercises  and  Stretches:  Back  pain  is  the  most  common  problem  in  almost  all  seniors.

Hip  Stretching:  Strengthening  the  hips  is  important  to  improve  the  mobility  of  the  body.

Leg  Stretching:  Weakening  of  leg  muscles  is  a  problem  that  results  in  loss  of  walking  ability.

Upper  Body  Stretching:  Stretching  the  upper  body  muscles  is  just  as  important  as  for  all  other  parts.

Arm  Stretching:  Arms  include  the  biceps,  triceps  and  the  wrist  muscles.

Neck  Stretching:  Seniors  suffer  from  neck  aches  but  stretching  helps  to  lower  the  pain  intensity.

Quilting DayNov. 14, 2013

Are your favorite quilts gathering dust in your closet? Would you like to learn the art of quilting?

Join Casa resident Gail Moore for this half-day activity in the Auditorium. Gail will share her techniques and showcase some of her original creations. Gail is an award-winning quilter who has judged and tutored

many men and women through the years. Bring your favorite quilts and have them evaluated by one of the Bay Area’s top experts. Most of all, come for the fun, creativity, and camaraderie associated with quilting.

Veterans Day DocumentaryMonday, Nov. 11, 2013

6:00PM Casa Sandoval Auditorium

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Trick or Treat and Halloween Haunted HouseThank You All Saints K-3rd graders!

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An Ode to Footballby Jean Rolf

When I married I thought my husband was unattached. I didn’t know his other love was a ball men snatched. It was a game that kept him on the edge of his seat, glued to the radio or TV, no one could complete. Football was not something I would dislike, but I’d rather go for a hike.

And then came the Oakland Raiders, the team played across the Bay until later. In time I decided to make a friend of the pigskin and soon I became a fan through thick and thin. There were games in San

Francisco at Kezar Stadium and the baseball park, then Youell Field in Oakland, they were all a lark.

Then the new Coliseum with such enormity, we sat down near the field to show our loyalty. Trips to San Diego to see our team, the victories caused us to beam. But all too often we were disappointed with their attempt, our Super Bowl victories were just dreamt.

Went to the games with Florence and Jack, had many a good time rootin’ for the Silver & Black. We stopped at the Madonna Inn to see Christmas trees much more than ten. After the game parties to cry in our beer or raise a toast, for the Raiders team that became winners we could boast.

It was off to Miami for the Super Bowl, the year was ’68 and to win was the goal. The young team we watched made a poor try, but we two in Florida had fun, that’s no lie.

We flew to the Bahamas to take a look. Bernie and I saw every cranny and nook. We drank, danced, and dined at every fancy place we could find. Now it’s only fond memories that I share, ‘cause the sons of that man now sit in his chair.

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VICTOR JACKSON

IF YOU ASK VICTOR ABOUT GOLF, BE READY TO GET A FREE LESSON. DURING HIS TIME IN THE ARMY, HE WAS AN ATHLETE AND CAN STILL RIP A TEE SHOT 200 YARDS! VICTOR SAYS HE’S STILL WORKING OUT THE KINKS IN HIS SWING, BUT HE SURE KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND THE GOLF COURSE.

MADELINE COXMADELINE AND HER HUSBAND WERE BOTH IN THE NAVY AND TRAVELED TO 49 STATES; ALASKA WAS THE ONLY ONE THEY DIDN’T GET TO. SHE GAVE BIRTH TO THREE SONS IN THREE DIFFERENT STATES AND AFTER THE SERVICE WORKED AT MT. EDEN HIGH AS AN ATTENDANCE CLERK.

AXEL LARSEN

AXEL IS A TALL, STATELY GENTLEMAN FROM THE MIDWEST. HE SERVED IN THE ARMY-AIR CORPS IN WORLD WAR II AND STILL WEARS HIS PBY HAT PROUDLY. AXEL IS ONE OF THE KINDEST MEN YOU’LL EVER RUN ACROSS AND HAS A PUN OR TWO READY FOR ANY OCCASION.

Champion for Seniors

Mike Clauser of Premier Pharmacy spoke at our October Champion for Seniors seminar. His talk focused on Managing Your Medications and he introduced a few important facts. Mike said that seniors encounter more issues with drugs and, by taking a friend or advocate with you to see the doctor, you will better remember the possible negative interactions. One of the most helpful tips was a reminder that we should all bring a list of questions to our doctor. We should know the names of new medications, what the side effects might be, how long we’re to take the medicine, and any other concerns. Plan ahead when you need refills. Your doctor may have higher priorities but you don’t want to be left without your regular supply. Another concern might be pain relievers and their side-effects. Check with your doctor to make sure what you’re taking to relieve pain doesn’t counteract your regular medications. If you miss taking your medicine one morning, Mike says not to panic. If it’s a 3-times-per-day dose, just get back on schedule. No need to double up. But if it’s a one-time-per-day dose go ahead and take it when you can. Of course, check with your doctor to make sure. Lastly, Mike said many people stop taking their medication when they feel better. However, the reason they’re feeling better is because they’re taking their medicine. Don’t stop until your doctor says it’s OK. You can view Mike’s presentation on the Casa Sandoval YouTube channel.www.youtube.com/user/casasandovalonline.

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Dearest Residents, What comes to mind when you think of the month of November? For me, it’s about Harvest and Thanksgiving! I’d like you to take a moment to list the things you’re grateful for.

It could be the delicious meal you just had, the family you love, your children, grandchildren, great (and even great-great) grandchildren, your Casa home, those who support you every day, the many years you’ve lived and the many more ahead, your country and the people who risked their lives and died for the freedom we enjoy…the list goes on.

Wow! Isn’t that an impressive list? We have many more reasons to smile and be joyful than frown and complain, don’t we? We have more reasons to thank God for our blessings; plenty of reasons to hope for a brighter future. We have every reason to rejoice, be grateful, and be joyful.

My Dad, Gerry, passed away in 2010 as I was going through my painful divorce. I’ve been crying out his name recently, perhaps because I feel the void that’s left in my heart. With all the challenges I’m going through, I know he’d be a strong shoulder to cry on and a calming voice in my life. During the past few days, I’d been focusing on the fact that he’s no longer physically here. But then I realized that he’s now with our Father in Heaven, and looking after me better than ever. He’ll always be my hero.

Speaking of heroes, thanks to all our veterans for your bravery and sacrifice for our country. Rick Chavez has prepared an awesome documentary featuring our Casa Veterans. I took a sneak peak and was blown away. I can't wait to see your reactions. Please invite your family and friends to our Veterans' Day celebration on November 11.

I am grateful for you dear residents, our staff, Management Team, and Mr. Chang. I’m grateful for my children who have been selfless and allowed me to dedicate my time here at Casa. When we fill our hearts and pray with gratitude and thanksgiving, our harvest will be full. So let’s set our eyes on the prize and be grateful for everything. Be joyful! I am eternally grateful to our God and I thank Him for all of you.

Love,Ann

Meril Johnson 11/03 Gwen Mayne 11/03 Hortense Treadway 11/05 Fem Agostini 11/07 Victor Jackson 11/07 Amy Houseman 11/07 Sam Ezrol 11/10 Dorothy Hicks 11/17

Thomas Bullock 11/18Mary Martin 11/19Barbara Giacomini 11/22Manuel Rego 11/30Mavis Royer 11/30

Casa ContactsAnn Villapando

Corporate Executive Director

Tess BarretoChief Financial Officer

Rick ChavezCommunications Director

Claude TroskaExecutive Chef

Lilia SenoAdmissions Counselor

Rosana FriasHR Director

Patricia SilvaFacilities Manager

Mark AmandeDining Room Supervisor

Cassandra Ornelas/Anna AcostaActivities Coordinators

510-727-1700www.casasandoval.com

Facebook: Casa-SandovalRCFE #015600073

Hi Casa Family! Happy Birthday!