20300 Fort St. | Riverview | Michigan | 48193 (734) 479-1010 | Fax: (734) 479-6047 | [email protected]| americanhouse.com American House Riverview May 2016 OUR FRIENDLY STAFF Executive Director Jill Harrison Assistant Director Julie Seymour Life Enrichment Director Sherri Seiber Maintenance Supervisor Gary Gusler Office Managers Stephanie Panik Laurie De Poorter Culinary Supervisor Hailey Prusky Housekeeping Supervisor Sue Thomas IMPORTANT NUMBERS Front Office: (734) 479-1010 Medical Team: (734) 479-4319 Golden Shears Salon: (734) 626-9315 DTE: (800) 477-4747 AT&T: (800) 244-4444 Comcast: (800) Comcast SmartBus: (866) 962-5515 Trinity Cab: (734) 282-2222 John Ingison: (734) 558-0493 John is available to our community Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for medical (primary) and other (secondary) transportation. Please give him 24–48 hours’ notice if you need transportation. Tour of the Shrine of the Little Flower In April, residents and staff from American House toured the Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak. They were inspired by the beauty of the church and its interesting history. The church was begun in 1931 and finished in 1936. The entire church was built with Massachusetts granite and Indiana limestone interspersed with stone blocks from America’s states and territories. Each is carved with the state name and flower. A striking feature is the 104-foot Charity Crucifixion Tower. The group enjoyed the information provided by the tour guide and had the opportunity to enjoy the grounds a bit. On the way back, they stopped at a local favorite, Leo’s Coney Island.
IMPORTANT NUMBERSFront Office: (734) 479-1010Medical Team: (734) 479-4319Golden Shears Salon:(734) 626-9315DTE: (800) 477-4747AT&T: (800) 244-4444Comcast: (800) ComcastSmartBus: (866) 962-5515Trinity Cab: (734) 282-2222John Ingison: (734) 558-0493John is available to our community Fridays
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for medical (primary) andother (secondary) transportation. Please givehim 24–48 hours’ notice if you needtransportation.
Tour of the Shrine of the Little FlowerIn April, residents and staff from American House
toured the Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica inRoyal Oak.
They were inspired by the beauty of the church andits interesting history. The church was begun in 1931and finished in 1936. The entire church was built withMassachusetts granite and Indiana limestoneinterspersed with stone blocks from America’s statesand territories. Each is carved with the state nameand flower. A striking feature is the 104-foot CharityCrucifixion Tower.
The group enjoyed the information provided by thetour guide and had the opportunity to enjoy thegrounds a bit.
On the way back, they stopped at a local favorite,Leo’s Coney Island.
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Easter Brunch
Enjoying the Easter egg hunt.
Look who found an egg!!
Relaxing after the Easterbrunch.
Recognizing Our HeroesMay marks National Military
Appreciation Month, and the lastMonday of the month is Memorial Day.Here are some ways to honor thesacrifice of those who have served aswell as those who are still serving.
Wear an American flag pin or a red,white and blue ribbon throughout themonth of May.
Gather a group of friends and visit aveterans hospital to chat with residentsand play cards.
Cut coupons to send to militarybases overseas, where coupons can beused for up to six months past theirexpiration date.
Visit area monuments and memorialsthat honor military heroes.
Recite the Pledge of Allegiance everymorning or before club and specialinterest meetings.
Are you a veteran or a veteran’sspouse? Record your experiences in ajournal or via video to share withyounger generations.
Visit cemeteries on Memorial Dayand place flags and flowers on thegraves of fallen soldiers.
Hang a flag on your door or inyour window.
On Memorial Day, pause at 3 p.m.to participate in the National Momentof Remembrance.
What’s New inThe “View”
American House Riverview willhave lots going on in May. TheAnnual Mother’s Day Tea onFriday, May 6th, promises to belovely and well attended. Inaddition to a tea and a lightdessert, attendees will be treatedto entertainment by a surpriseentertainer.
The Lovely Ladies Club will bedecorating cupcakes at theirMay 20th meeting, as well asdiscussing the Memories ofMom. The ladies are encouragedto bring a picture of their motheras well as a memento of her.
The Men of American Housewill be stepping up again toprovide grilling services! They willbe assisting maintenancedirector Gary in cooking hot dogsand hamburgers for the MemorialDay Cookout on Friday,May 27th.
Lunch out this month will be atOlive Garden, always a populardining spot, on Tuesday the 17th.
The “Creaky Joint Splash,”aka “Arthritis Swim,” at Flat Rocksenior center, is on Friday the13th of May, but that creepy dateshouldn’t keep anyone fromgrabbing their swimsuit andtowel and joining Sherri for a dipin the pool.
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F LO W E R O F T H E M O N T H | MAY
Lily of theValleySweetness and humility
Eat Sweet Potatoes forGood Health!
By Brian K. Rosso, R.D.Sweet potatoes are a great
addition to any meal. I hope youfind the information in this articleinformative and interesting.
• Sweet potatoes can bepurchased year-round.
• In 1920, the average Americanate 31 pounds of sweetpotatoes per year. In 2007, theaverage American ate 5.3pounds.
• Forty percent of the sweetpotatoes grown in the UnitedStates come from NorthCarolina. The crop grows bestin warm climates with plentyof sunshine.
• Most sweet potatoes aregrown without the addition ofany pesticides.
• Individuals living in Taiwanprepare and eat the leaves ofthe sweet potato plant.
• Street vendors in China sellbaked sweet potatoes to thepublic during the winter months.
• Three-fourths of a cup of sweetpotato provides 155 calories, 0grams of fat, and 3 grams ofprotein. It’s also a great sourceof vitamin C, fiber andpotassium.
Sweet potatoes are on theAmerican House menu.
They are served baked, mashed oreven in a pie.
Stop by a local American Houseand enjoy some sweet potatoes.
Wit & Wisdom
“The best way to findyourself is to lose
yourself in the serviceof others.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
“The life of a manconsists not
in seeing visionsand in dreaming
dreams, but in activecharity and in
willing service.”—Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
“Let us go forwardin this battle fortified
by conviction thatthose who labor in
the service of a greatand good causewill never fail.”—Owen Arthur
Memorial Day 308:00 Coffee and Chat (DR)9:00 Banks Closed Today
11:00 Movie Marathon: Green Berets12:30 Movie: Gettysburg
2:00 Bingo (DR)2:00 Movie: Sailor of the King3:30 Color Me Calm (LO)6:30 Bible Study (CH)7:00 Cards (LO)
318:00 Coffee and Chat (DR)
10:00 Resident Monthly Meeting(DR)
1:00 Pinochle (L)2:30 Crafts 3rd Floor North6:00 Sing Along (LO)7:00 Cards (LO)
12:00 NEXT MONTH MEN’S CLUBWILL BE ROMEO CLUB-Retired Old Men Eating Out
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Talk About It
SnapshotMemories
Photographscapture specialmoments in ourlives, freezing them intime so we can lookback at them later.Use the followingquestions toreminisce with friendsand family about yourphoto memories.
What is the firstcamera youremember seeingor using?
Did you own yourown camera? If so,how old were youwhen you got it?What kind was it?
Who or what wasyour favorite subjectto photograph,and why?
Were familyportraits a regulartradition in yourhousehold?
Did you take acamera on familyvacations? If so, whatwas your favoritetravel destination thatyou photographed?
Do you have afavorite personalphotograph? Whatabout it makes itspecial to you?
May Birthdays5/1 Mary M.5/2 Jean D.5/4 Sarah Y.5/4 Mary R.5/4 Michael C.5/5 Ed P.5/5 Joann M.5/16 Janet B.5/18 Fred S.5/19 Fran P.5/21 Ida S.5/24 Grace P.5/25 Marie N.5/28 Roy B.5/29 Joe R.5/31 Thomas I.
Welcome New ResidentsEvelyn D. Paul T.Maggie M. Loralee W.Mary W. Joe M.Lenore F. Josephine Z.Sam C.
Bible StudyMondays at 6:30 p.m.
in the Chapel
Rosary/CommunionFridays at 10 a.m. in the Chapel
Church ServicesSundays at 3 p.m.
In the Chapel
Dr. Attois here on
Wednesday AfternoonsDr. Cohen
is here every other Thursday
Oakwood DRCL LabWednesdaysMay 4 and 18
at 8 a.m.in the Chapel (CH)
Roast Beef Dinner @ FirstUnited Methodist Church
@ 4 pm Wednesday,May 18. Cost $8
Albertine’s 100th Birthday Celebration
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STAFF PROFILE:SUE THOMAS
Sue Thomas began work atAmerican House Riverview as ahousekeeper ten years ago. Shebecame the department supervisorfive years ago. She is, in the words ofJill Harrison, Executive Director, “Oneof our outstanding employees andsupervisors. Sue is very tenderheartedwhen it comes to doing her job, and avery caring person.”
Sue is a graduate of TaylorKennedy and has been a Taylorresident her entire life. She is themother of a twenty-six-year-olddaughter. In her free time, shewatches her daughter drag race, orspends time at her place nearGrayling. She loves the movie “SteelMagnolias,” which makes her cry, andthe song “We are Family” by SisterSledge. She makes an amazingbanana pudding dessert for staffbirthdays. She is a Red Wings fan andattends games whenever she can.Sue says what she loves best aboutworking at American House is “theresidents. I love working with themand helping them.” Her philosophy ofbeing a supervisor is “to see a lot ofteamwork. It is better to work withstaff than against them.”
Residents, visitors and familymembers frequently comment on thecleanliness of the building. Thehousekeeping staff is always willing togo the extra mile for residents andother staff, so clearly that focus onteamwork is paying off. We saluteyou, Sue Thomas!
The American HouseSenior Prom
What do you remember aboutyour senior prom? Veronicaremembers that hers was, “quiet, notlike they have now.” Mary M. didn’tgo to her own prom, but she didattend her boyfriend’s at theRoostertail. She loved her dress; “itwas pink and it had spaghetti straps.”Cheryl B. says the most memorablepart was the beautiful white dress shewore. “it had layers of lace withchiffon roses all the way down theback.” Patricia P. also wore a prettywhite dress with pink roses. Sheremembers the dress, but nothingabout her date!
There are others who didn’t attenda prom. Helen went to work on a farmprior to graduation. Bernice leftschool to care for her sister’s children,moving from Big Rapids to Muskegon.Dorothy M. got an office job she wasglad to have, and left in twelfth grade.Henry M. went to work at the WillowRun plant, building B24s in the 1940s.
Well, whether they went to a promor they didn’t, they have theopportunity to attend one now! TheAmerican House Senior Prom isJune 2. Residents will have theopportunity to dance the night away,even if it is in a wheelchair, to somegreat dance music. Families, this isyour opportunity to gussy up yourfamily member. Please, if you can,help them select their best duds andsome fancy, sparkly jewelry, and do itup big. Families are also invited.
Laugh Lines
Start YourEngines!!!
This Memorial Dayweekend will bringhigh-octane thrills torace fans. TheIndianapolis 500,called “The GreatestSpectacle in Racing,”will celebrate its100th running at theIndianapolis MotorSpeedway, inSpeedway, Ind.
The IndyCar racefeaturesopen-cockpit,open-wheeled,turbocharged cars,similar to FormulaOne automobiles.
It is the world’slargest single-daysporting event, withmore than 350,000fans following theaction from thespeedway’s viewingstands and infield,and millions morewatching the event’slive TV coverage.
The winner, whoearns a prize of $2.5million, famouslychugs a bottle of milkin victory lane, andlater kisses the fabledYard of Bricks thatmarks the race’s startand finish line.
