Visiting Angels - July 2020

Visiting Angels - July 2020

July 2020

5274 Scotts Valley Dr., #102 Scotts Valley, CA 95066 831-430-0616 www.VisitingAngels.com/CentralCoast 229 Reindollar Ave., Suite E Marina, CA 93933 831-392-0876

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Celebrating Friendship

Who Are Your ‘Heart Friends’?

“Friends are the family you choose for yourself.”

As we get older, making friends becomes a bit more difficult if we aren’t proactive. When I think

July 30 is International Day of Friendship. This is a day to celebrate our friends and how friendship can bring people together. In my life, I have experienced firsthand just how valuable friendships really are. My closest friend is someone I have known since our kids were 5 years old. We did a lot of things together when the kids were little. We each were Girl Scout leaders for our daughters and did a lot of family camping and hikes together. When my friend’s mom passed away, I attended the memorial. My friend spoke during the service, and her words really stuck with me. “My mom said that in your lifetime, you can count on one hand the number of friends you can call ‘heart friends,’” she said. “Those are the people who are always with you. Your friendship supports one another, and they are there when you need them. I am lucky to have my heart friends here today.” We all have a lot of acquaintances, but when it comes right down to it, who are the people who are there for you when you really need someone? Who are your heart friends? These are the friends who will stick with you forever, even if you can’t often spend time together in person. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve really identified who my heart friends are. There are many people I can’t spend time with right now, but we made a point to keep in touch and check in regularly through Zoom. When we talk, an hour goes by before we know it because there’s a connection there. We just want to hear about how each other is doing.

about the struggle of making friends as an adult, I think about my daughter. She’s a quiet, shy person,

but she’s never had a hard time joining a new group. When she moved to Southern California, she didn’t have any friends living nearby, so she joined a couple of young adult groups at her church. My daughter met some great people very quickly, many of whom have become her really good friends. I’ve seen how the world can become a lot smaller for our seniors. We all reach an age where our friends start passing away and our social circle keeps shrinking. Though we can never replace the friends we have lost, it’s important to keep friendship in our lives. To do this, we have to find places where we can meet new people. For seniors, that might mean going to a senior center, sitting with someone new in the dining room at a senior housing facility, taking a class, or volunteering with an organization you’re passionate about. You can find a new friend anywhere, and when you meet someone you connect with, you feel it instantly. Friendship is one of the most essential things in life. Take time to celebrate your friends this year, and look for opportunities to make new friends. You never know who will turn out to be your heart friend.

Cindy Saunders, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As children, we can so easily become best friends with another child on the playground, even if we’ve never met them before.

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Feel Bad About Throwing Away Photos?

4 Rules for Guilt-Free Photo Downsizing

Rule No. 3: Edit Well If you have a lot of photos from a specific event or part of your life, think about how long each “chapter” of your life story would be. How

If you’ve reached a point in your life where you’ve started to downsize, then you’ve likely grappled with the difficult task of getting rid of photos. After decades of life, how are you supposed to choose which memories are important enough to keep and which aren’t? These four rules can help make this daunting task easier. Rule No. 1: Cut Scenic Views You don’t need dozens of photos of that campsite you went to on vacation one summer. If a location was really meaningful, like the beach at your honeymoon, then keep a few, but pictures of the places you’ve been to are far less special than pictures of the people you love. Rule No. 2: Tell a Story When you look at a photo, does it make you want to tell a story about the people or places in the image? Could you share plenty of stories about riding around in Dad’s old truck or about how funny your best friend from college was? Keep those photos. Pictures of people whose names you can’t remember or blurry photos you can’t make out can all go.

much time would you spend writing about your cousin’s wedding or high school prom? If a

certain event didn’t have that much meaning in your life, why dedicate pages and pages of a photo album to it?

Rule No. 4: Throw Photos Away If a photo isn’t important enough to put in an album or frame on the wall, then it doesn’t need to stick around. Don’t put them in a box you’ll have to sort through later. Let the rejects go. After all that hard work, treat yourself to a photo album shopping spree so you can start organizing the meaningful photos you have left.

BEWARE OF THESE CORONAVIRUS EMAIL SCAMS

They’re Still Around!

Suspicious Links and Email Addresses During the past few months, people’s email inboxes have been littered with advertisements for fake coronavirus tests and cures, fake alerts from government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and fake coronavirus updates. If you get an email containing an unusual link in your inbox, do not click on it — even if the email address looks legitimate. Scammers use links to spread malware on computers, which helps them get your personal information. Spelling and Grammar Mistakes This is usually a dead giveaway. While genuine, official updates about the coronavirus will be meticulously checked for spelling and grammar, scammers aren’t as careful. Missing periods, misspelled words, and wacky syntax errors are all hallmarks of scam emails. Make sure you carefully read any email you’re not sure about. If you can spot spelling and grammar mistakes, delete the email. Much like the coronavirus will remain in the American psyche long after cases and deaths have peaked, scammers will continue using it as a means to steal from honest, hardworking Americans. But, if we keep our guard up, we can make sure they get absolutely nothing from their efforts.

While it seems like the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic might be behind us, that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down completely — especially when it comes to internet scams designed to prey on the fear and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. It’s no surprise that scammers have found ways to use the coronavirus scare as an opportunity to steal personal information from the vulnerable. Fortunately, you can spot coronavirus scammers using the same techniques that help identify otherwise run- of-the-mill phishing scams.

Requests for Personal Information When the federal government started distributing relief

checks, several scammers sent out unsolicited emails, disguised as legitimate instructions, asking for personal information from people in order to

receive their $1,200. Since many people have now received their checks, this particular scam may become less common, but always be suspicious of emails that ask for personal information, no matter the circumstances.

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S ince attending a small school in the village of Yeli in Northeast China, Jia Haixia and Jai Wenqi have been close friends. Today, the two are inseparable and work together to plant trees on a plot of land they lease from the local government in their small village, a task they’ve been doing for the past 13 years. However, the duo is far more than a team. When Wenqi was 3 years old, he accidentally touched an unprotected electric cable that was laying on the ground, and he lost both of his arms. Having no recollection of life with his upper limbs, Wenqi grew up playing like the other children in his village, and, as he started to work, he used his neck, shoulders, legs, and feet to complete his tasks. His best friend, Haixia, was unable to see out of his left eye when he was born due to a cataract. Then in 2000, a piece of stone was tossed into his right eye, leaving him completely blind. At first, Haixia says it was extremely difficult to adapt, and he felt depressed because he could no longer work, losing his family’s sole income source. His wife was unable to work due to an illness. His Arms and His Eyes The Journey of Planting 10,000 Trees

Wenqi graduated school in 1976 and, with some help, managed to get a job on the local forestry team. Looking after the local fruit gardens and watering trees, his knowledge and experience in horticulture expanded tremendously. In 2000, shortly after Haixia’s accident, the two were reunited. Together once more, they were able to provide the support the other needed to prosper, and the two close friends began their journey of planting as many trees as they could just outside their village. Many thought this task was impossible. The land they were given had been barren for many years, so people thought it was unlikely any trees would grow there. Over a decade later, however, they’ve successfully grown over 10,000 trees and are busy planting and nurturing even more. Wenqi, now 58 years old, and Haixia, 59 years old, work in perfect harmony, crossing the river, making cuttings from trees, and ensuring each tree is watered daily. Together, they do what one alone could not.

“I am his hands. He is my eyes,” Haixia says. “Together, the two of us planted these trees.”

Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites

SUDOKU

There’s nothing quite like a refreshing treat on a warm summer’s day. Mix up this cool appetizer for your new favorite snack.

Directions 1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, paprika, and Tabasco. 2. Flake the salmon into large bite- size pieces. 3. Add the salmon, shallots, chives, salt, and pepper to the Tabasco mixture and combine. 4. Cut the cucumber into 3/4-inch slices. Ingredients • 1/4 cup paleo mayonnaise • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika • 1/4 tsp Tabasco, or to taste • 1/2 lb salmon, cooked • 1 tbsp minced shallots • 1 tbsp chopped chives

• Salt and pepper, to taste • 1 English cucumber, peeled • 4 cherry tomatoes, quartered for garnish

5. Using a melon-baller, scoop out the center of each cucumber slice but leave the bottom fully intact so the filling doesn’t fall through. 6. Divide the salmon mixture and put dollops into each cucumber slice. 7. Garnish with cherry tomato.

Inspired by NomNomPaleo.com

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Scotts Valley Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday–Friday

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Inside

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A Friend in Need

4 Steps to Finally Sort Through Old Photos

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How to Spot a Coronavirus Scam Email

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A Friendship of Unwavering Support

Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites

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Best Virtual Tours

Fun at Home VIRTUAL FUN FOR EVERYONE!

T hough many local events have been canceled or postponed, modern technology has opened the door to fun virtual experiences! Here are a few great virtual recreation experiences provided by the City of Santa Cruz. Gentle Yoga

COVID Chronicles Website: Bit.ly/COVIDChronicles

The global crisis has left many people feeling like they have less creative energy. The City of Santa Cruz wants to help people tap into their creativity by sharing stories about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected them. Writers of all skill levels are encouraged to share their experiences through poetry, memoirs, or personal essays. Download the submission form at Bit.ly/COVIDChronicles. Monterey Bay Aquarium Livestreams Website: Facebook.com/montereybayaquarium/ Want to change your scenery to something more peaceful? The Monterey Bay Aquarium regularly shares livestream videos of their colorful,

When: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; 10–11:30 a.m. Website: Bit.ly/ SeniorsGentleYoga

It’s important to keep moving, even

when spending more time at home. Yoga is a great way for people of all fitness and experience levels to stay active. These free

calming exhibits. Watch playful otters with the otter cam, find your Zen at the kelp forest, and check in with your favorite aquatic creatures. Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium Facebook page to see all their wonderful videos.

virtual classes, taught by the Yoga For All Movement, emphasize maintaining physical and mental balance. Find a link to the online Zoom classes under the “Fun For Seniors” tab at Bit.ly/SeniorsGentleYoga.

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