Royal Park Place | Life Style Newsletter | July 2022

Royal Park Place | Life Style Newsletter | July 2022

JULY 2022

ROYAL PARK PLACE

A Message from Jeff In case you haven’t noticed, there are quite a few new faces at Royal Park Place! Some are new to West

Food for thought by Jef Koert A new twist on an old favorite Before placing bacon on a baking sheet for the oven, hold each strip vertically and twist it. This will turn the strips into twists which will guarantee ultra-crispy bacon every time. No more gnawing through the floppy sections to get to the treasured crunchiness 😊 Plus, it’s space saver that’ll allow you to fit more on the pan! Never too much crisp bacon!

Michigan while others have lived here their entire lives. However, in either case,

these residents are new to our community and our “family.” It is my prayer that we all make these new friends feel welcome! Just think back to your first few days/weeks here and ask yourself what would have made your transition even sweeter. When you think of something special, go and bless one or more of our new friends. They’ll be happy you did, and so will you! A Message from the Maintenance Dept. There have been several issues with the shared laundry rooms where people using them have found a mess left by other users (spilled detergent, trash, lint screens not cleaned, etc.). Please be respectful of your fellow residents and keep these shared areas in good standing.

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

A Message From Chaplain Cindy Independence Day

One of us (ME!) traveling in the car knew that “Uncle Sam” meant “United States” while others were surprised to learn of that connection. But we still hadn’t answered the question about Uncle Sam’s birthplace. No one could guess so I flipped over the trivia card to reveal the answer: “Troy, New York.” . Just then, we realized we were driving right through Troy, New York! We even passed a huge sign declaring it the birthplace of Uncle Sam! It is one trivia answer we should never forget! As I thought of the “U.S” stamp on each barrel representing the “United States,” I was reminded of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3-4, where he tells the people of the church of Corinth: “ You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” The believers in Corinth didn’t need an outward stamp in order for it to be evident who they belonged to. They were so filled with the Spirit of God that everyone they met could tell. Their faith was even more real than the person of Sam Wilson. And no matter where they went, God’s spirit went with them. Is the same true for us? Can others tell we belong to Jesus? As we consider the freedom and hope found in Him at this time of year as we celebrate Independence Day, I pray you’ll know and feel His presence wherever you may go! May God’s identifying love be written on your heart!

is just around the corner. This day commemorates the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by

the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, leading to the establishment of the United States, the land of the free. Last fall my husband, Dave, and I, along with Dave’s brother, Ron, and his wife, Carol, drove to New Hampshire and Maine on vacation. I was reading trivia questions to pass the time during the long drive: “ What is the original birthplace of Uncle Sam?” Before anyone even attempted to answer, a number of other questions arose and we began looking the answers up on Google. Was Uncle Sam a real person? Yes, the name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. How did a meat packer become a symbol for the whole United States? There was a requirement at the time for contractors to stamp their name and where the rations came from onto the food they were sending. Wilson's packages were labeled "E.A.— U.S." When someone asked what that stood for, a co-worker jokingly said, "Elbert Anderson [the contractor] and Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson, though the U.S. actually stood for "United States".

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

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Life Enrichment Activities Help, I’m starting to forget things!

Wii Bowling

Experts share easy tweaks that are proven to dramatically boost your brain power and sharpen your memory at any age! Be social. There is no substitute to stimulating your brain better than a social atmosphere. Connecting with others stimulates every area of your brain! Curb multi-tasking. The more information we try to take in, the shallower our thinking, leading to errors, anxiety, and forgetfulness. Enjoy a stroll. One of the best ways to enhance brain function is exercise. Just 15 minutes of mild exercise a day triggers activity in the brain. Fuel your brain. The brain is 80% water. Therefore keeping hydrated has big benefits. In fact, studies show that drinking a tall glass of water before taking a test involving recall increases reaction times by 15%. Diet. Eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes. This diet has proven to add five years to your memory. Sleep. Sleeping activates pathways that rid toxins. Simply soaking up some sunshine in the morning for a few minutes a day will get your sleep/wake cycle sharp.

THURSDAY, JULY 7 TH 2:00 pm RED 3

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PURPLE BLACK

FRIDAY, JULY 8 TH 2:00 pm

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6 BLUE BURGUNDY 7

GREEN WHITE

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

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Royal Park Choir Practice Schedule Thank you, Thelma Hoekman, for all your energy in making this work for our community. New members are always welcomed.

Macatawa Full-Service Banking Now available the first and third Wednesdays monthly at 9am in the front left office:

• Wednesday, July 6, 2022 • Wednesday, July 20, 2022

• Thursday, July 14 - 3:30pm • Thursday, July 28 - 3:30pm

Grocery Run Reminder Reminder: Our bus will take you shopping: Meijer Every Tuesday, 9:30 am Aldi Sign-up required — No limit The first Friday of the month at 9:30 am Dollar Tree Sign-up required — No limit The last Friday of the month at 9:30 am

Come meet State Representative of the 90th District, Bradly Slagh July 14, 3pm Café

Beltone Audiology Clinic at Royal Park Place Sign up at the sign-up table. • Friday July 15

PLEASE NOTE: Community Prayer has been changed to Mondays at 10:45am in the Queens Room.

• Friday September 23 • Friday December 2

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

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Attitude (Submitted by Hazel Kuyper)

The 92-year-old petite, well-poised, and proud lady is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock. Her hair fashionably coiffed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move to a nursing home today necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a puppy. “Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged; it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed thinking about the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out bed and be thankful for the ones that do work. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in my life.” Remember this: old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from it what you’ve put in. Follow these five simple rules to be happy: Free your heart from hatred Free your mind from worries, live simple, give more, and expect less.

July Birthday Celebration

Featuring the fun and fabulous Fred Walker THURSDAY JULY 14, 6:30PM

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

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Father’s Day Fun

Deters and Sons

Degraaf and Dwarshuis Fun

Elzinga Crew

Grotenhuis Group

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

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Rietsma Clan

VerBeek Boys

Wyngarden Gents

Zuverink Men

www.RoyalParkPlace.com (616) 772-2224 | [email protected] | 500 Parkside Drive | Zeeland, MI 49464

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