the monthly newsletter for rivercourt residences

other’s Day HistoryMother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holi-day’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day most commonly falls on the second Sunday in May and traditionally involves presenting mothers with flowers, cards and other gifts

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their

“mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940sThe roots of the modern American Mother’s Day date back to the 19th cen-tury. In the years before the Civil War (1861–1865), Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized

“Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activ-ist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize

ContactsSusan Whitty-Kennedy ext. 242Executive Directorskennedy@rivercourtresidences.com

Sharon Amadon ext. 234Resident Care Directorsamadon@rivercourtresidences.com

Kim Landi ext. 227Reflections Program Director klandi@rivercourtresidences.com

Karen McKenzie ext. 222Director of Marketingkmckenzie@rivercourtresidences.com

Trisha McCaig ext 223Office Managertmccaig@rivercourtresidences.com

Cheryl Young ext. 240Activity & Volunteer Directorcyoung@rivercourtresidences.com

8 West Main StreetGroton, MA 01450www.rivercourtresidences.comp: 978-448-4122 f: 978-448-4133

May 2015The

Leatherboard

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Madeline, Joe, and Dot J. work on their spring tree art project.The residents worked with recycled Easter cards to create decorative door hangers for their rooms.

Reflections: Art Projects

In, Out, and AboutApril luncheon at the Ninety-Nine restaurant.

April’s bowling trip, Joe was the big winner scoring an 88! Fun was had by all.

Madeline sings with Kat.

Lois gets licks of love from Mr. Wilson.

Jessie loves how soft his fur is.

Kat and Martha play a flute duet during AlzAlive.

The Easter Bunny was welcomed by everyone. Who knew who was smiling under those whiskered cheeks?

Susan’s Corner

Do you see the similarity? What a wonderful nursery rhyme which reminds me of my childhood. As your executive director I have been called, “Mom” by many of you—as I am not a “Mom” it has always warmed my heart. I laugh because I look at all of you as my “Mom” and a great source of comfort. Spending time with you at certain times during the day is always fun and is the reason that I love this job.I wish you all a wonderful “Mother’s Day.” Enjoy the day with your families.

Exploring the AreaGroton Historical Society & Museum172 Main St. 978-448-0092Kimball Farms400 Littleton Rd.,Westford 978-486-3891Gibbet Hill Barn, Trails, and Restaurant61 Lowell Rd.Fitchburg Art Museum,free passes available at front desk978-345-4207 Carter Myseum of Groton HistoryLone Lane 617-823-5757 The Natural Market148 Main St. 978-448-5075Bliss Bakery134 Main St. 978-855-7562The Herb Lyceum (New American)368 Main St. 978-448-6499Filhos Cucina (Italian)235 Main St. 978-448-5664Main St. Café(Friday Night Entertainment )159 Main St. 978-448-9634

Local Girl Scouts presented a skit writ-

ten by all the ten year old girls about the

difficulties and sensi-tivities felt by being a new arrival in a new

country.

Staff Profile: Talita LimaTalita Lima has embraced several life changes in just the past few months. She joined the house-keeping team here at RiverCourt in March, moved from her native Brazil, and continues on a hon-eymoon after her wedding there joining she and husband Pablo just four months ago. Talita was born April 30, 1990, adding to her family of three

sisters and one brother growing up in the state of Minas Gerais. Talita’s sister Andrea has lived in the States almost twenty years, and Talita would vacation regularly to see her. Talita loves to travel and has a goal to visit a different area every year. Another goal of hers is return to school to finish her degree in civil engineering. Previous exposure in the construc-tion business as well as her love of math feed this desire.In their free time Talita and Pablo enjoy dining out, going to the movies, and talking with family back home.

Art in Bloom at the newly rejuvenated Fitchburg Art Museum was a real treat. It is a hidden gem in our own back yard.

Monthly CraftThe ladies had a bloomin’ good time making flowers for our French theme day. After three dozen or so we finally got the bugs worked out. Now we’re ready for taking on Cinco de Mayo décor.As a ladies’ treat we headed to Devens Grill, a local favorite, for an enjoyable lunch.

When you meet Hester Newbury you will no doubt meet Abia, her faithful service dog. Abia has been at her side for over eight years now, especially at times when she may lose her balance and be at the ready to support her. Hester has lived with Multiple Sclerosis since the age of thirteen, although it was not definitively diag-nosed until she was in her forties. The disease never held her back from exploring and pursuing all that intrigued and interested her. Hester was born in Brookline, MA, in 1943, her father a psychology professor at Harvard University and her mother who instilled the lesson of life that it is all about experiences and placed “no rules, no bounds, and no critiquing” on Hester and her two brothers. Hester recalls spending summers at Mount Monadnock as a five year old, exploring the mountain on her own while on summer family vacations. Hester would attend Boston University and later Les-lie College where she earned her degree in social work. Hester worked for many years at Sherrill House in Jamaica Plain and spent time in Honduras as a mis-sionary through the Episcopal Church.

After moving from Beacon Hill to Harvard and then Groton, Hester found the area and people she most enjoyed. She volunteered for many years at the Groton Senior Cen-ter continuing her love of “care-giving.” (Another area of care-giving is immediately obvious in Hester’s apartment, that being her large collection of mature tropical plants she has nurtured for years.)Hester is very proud of her daughter, Hester “Katrina” Newbury, working as an art conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts as well as the important job of raising her two grandchildren, Gillian and Benjamin.Hester is very much enjoying the next chapter of her life here at RiverCourt, referring to it as her “final rest-ing place” and also adding a favorite quote, “It doesn’t end when it ends.”

Resident Profile: Hester Newbury

May BirthdaysMarjorie Faunce May 10Virginia Kratkiewicz May 14Frances Gibson May 16Katherine Gallagher May 18Lois Gilmore May 26Virginia Warren May 30

Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun!

–Kahlil Gibran

Norman

Judy

GinnyDot H.Anna

Assisted & Independent LivingOur monthly theme day took us to France in April. We enjoyed a reper-tory of music with a French theme and then feasted on duck l’orange, beef ten-derloin Diane, and chocolate silk pie. Ooh, La, La!

Très Bien!

MaySpecial Events and Entertainment at

RiverCourtRiverCourt Open House .................................... Sun, May 3, 11–2 pm

Jewelry by Diane ..........................................Mon, May 4, 10–3:30 pm

Watercolor Painting with Denise .......... Wed, May 6 & 20, 10:30 am

Resident Council Meeting ................................ Wed, May 6, 2:00 pm

Spanish Guitarist, George Parker ......................Tue, May 6, 3:00 pm

Pianist , Steve Staines ..........................................Thu, May 7, 2:30 pm

Mother’s Day Brunch ....................................Sun, May 10, 11 & 1 pm

Ceramics with Diane ............................Wed, May 13 & 27, 10:30 am

ZUMBA with Sharon .............................. Thu, May 14 & 28, 2:30 pm

Ladies Lunch Out ....................................................Fri, May 15, Noon

The Music of Andy Ross ..................................... Fri, May 15, 2:30 pm

Groton School Service Day .............................................. Sun, May 17

Woman’s Auxiliary Meeting ............................... Mon, May 18, 2 pm

Pianist, John D’Ambrosio ................................. Tue, May 19, 2:30 pm

Gay Nineties Celebration .................................... Wed, May 20, noonat Groton Country Club

Italian Theme Day:

Music of The Crooners, Mark Stanzler ............Thu, May 21, 4 pm

Special Italian Dinner ...................................Thu, May 21, 5:30 pm

Men’s Lunch Out ..................................................... Fri, May 22, noon

Birthday Party with Heather Marie ................Tue, May 26, 2:30 pm

Facts on Lyme DiseaseLyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a bac-terium called Borrelia burgdorferi. This disease became apparent in 1975 when mothers of a group of children who lived near each other in Lyme, Conn., made researchers aware that their children had all been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This unusual grouping of illness that appeared “rheuma-toid” eventually led researchers to the identification of the bacterial cause of the children’s condition, which was then named “Lyme disease” in 1982.The only vector for Lyme disease in the U.S. is the deer tick. These ticks are carriers of the Lyme disease bac-terium in their stomachs. The ticks then can transmit the bacterium to humans with a tick bite. The num-ber of cases of the disease in an area depends on the number of ticks present and how often the ticks are infected with the bacteria. In certain areas of New York, where Lyme disease is common, over half of the ticks are infected. Lyme disease has been reported most often in the northeastern United States, but it has been reported in all 50 states, as well as China, Europe, Japan, Australia, and parts of the former Soviet Union. In the United States, it is primarily contracted in the Northeast in the states from Maine to Maryland, in the Midwest in Minnesota and Wis-consin, and in the West in Oregon and Northern California.Lyme disease occurs most frequently in children 5–14 years of age and adults 40–50 years of age. The most substantial risk factor for Lyme disease is expo-sure to the ticks located in the high-risk areas of the country listed above. Additional risk factors include recreational and occupational exposure to ticks and outdoor activities, including gardening, in woods and fields in the high-risk areas.

Lyme disease affects different areas of the body in varying degrees as it progresses. The site where the tick bites the body is where the bacteria enter through the skin. Days to weeks later, as the bacteria spread in the skin away from the initial tick bite, the infection causes an expanding reddish rash which resembles a bulls-eye that is often associated with “flu-like” symp-toms such as generalized fatigue, muscle and joint stiffness and pain, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and less often fever. Later, it can produce abnormali-ties in the joints, heart, and nervous system. The redness resolves, without treatment, in about a month. Weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin the bacteria spread throughout the body. Most cases of Lyme disease are curable with antibiotics. There-fore, if a person finds a typical bull’s-eye skin rash developing in an area of a tick bite, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Generally, anti-biotic treatment resolves the rash within one or two weeks with no long-term consequences. Avoiding known tick-infested areas can prevent transmission of Lyme disease. Spraying insect repel-lant containing DEET onto exposed skin can help as well as wearing long pants tucked into boots and long sleeves can protect the skin. Clothing, children, and pets should be examined for ticks. Information courtesy of the American Lyme Disease Foundation.

The Wellness Clinic is held every Friday at 1:00 p.m. in the Wellness Office on the first floor.

–Nicole Young R.N., CDP

Additional entries from the Art in Bloom exhibit at the

Fitchburg Art Museum.

Welcome New ResidentsJessie MacArthurBob WhittemorePat WhittemoreWilliam Ryan

Welcome New EmployeesVirginia Centauro–resident assistant Josephine Peterson–resident assistant 

Juliette Thibeau–server

a Mothers’ Day in the late nineteenth and early twenti-eth centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gain-ing financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated through-out the world, traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example, Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen,

Sirikit. Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood.In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be cel-ebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families might also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores. At times Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or femi-nist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.Continue your own traditions this Mother’s Day and

share the celebration and honor owed to Mothers everywhere. WE LOVE YOU!

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MeetBecky

LevensailorBecky joined the resident

assistant team in Reflections in January 2015. A fellow RA shares

this about Becky, the same sentiment echoed by staff and residents throughout the

community. “Becky is always polite and nice to the residents, is always cheerful and energetic. She is

very understanding towards the residents. She is always able to help other resident assistants without questions. She is

a joy to work with.”

Employee of the Month

Mom