Howdy Neighbor, and a Warm Welcome to Your New Community - Frasier Meadows
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THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 1
Volume 59 January 2020
Howdy Neighbor,
and a Warm Welcome to Your New Community
F or months the Mirror has been reporting on
the changes in our neighborhood with the
building of the Prairies complex, the Canyons
through the transition themselves.
Every one of you will have a resident guide,
Center, a swimming, and the multiple alterations either someone you have known or someone
within Peaks. The time has finally arrived to you will get to know. The guide’s task is to
write about our new neighbors, the residents of demystify Frasier, to answer your questions,
Prairies. introduce you to the facilities and help you
navigate the complex. As in any adventure,
We, the Frasierites in Peaks, have been anticipat- some of you may want to go on self-
ing and preparing for your arrival. Granted , not discovery tours, others might feel more com-
everyone is moving in at once; it is a planned pro- fortable with your guide. On your own or
cess that will take all of January, February and not, every resident you encounter will be
March to complete, but it is happening at last, happy to answer a question, tell you how to
and we are delighted to welcome old friends from get where you want to go or back to your
Boulder and new soon-to-be friends from all over apartment, or just introduce themselves.
into our community.
There will be lots of new Prairies residents
What do we mean by community? We mean that in the 98 apartments by the end of March,
once you move into your apartment, empty the and the goal is to conveniently integrate the
boxes, arrange the furniture, and hang the pic- new with the old. The dining experience is
tures, you will open your door, step out into your one way, Frasier’s committees and activities
new neighborhood with your new neighbors, some are another; and our new concept of joined
of whom have just moved in like you and some neighborhoods is a third. But there is time
who have been here for as many as 25 years. It for you to learn more about that.
will be an adventure. Although you will have the
Frasier staff ready to help, you might find much For now, every one of us wants to extend a
about the place is a mystery. No matter how long hearty welcome to each of you to join us
Peaks residents have lived here, they have come and begin a new exciting phase of your life.
Jim Wolf
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 2
2020 – Our Vision is Set on the Future
…and it’s almost here
W e are coming into the final stretch of
our 2-year marathon of Frasier For-
ward, our $90+million master plan expan-
weather.
The construction of these new areas has
sion. As we gratefully look at a conclusion of caused major inconveniences for many
the massive construction enveloping much of and more than a bit of frustration since
our community, we celebrate that we have ac- we began this expansion. I’m humbled
complished so much and can finally enjoy and grateful for your patience, support,
the fruits of our labor. input, and understanding as we went
through the growing pains of construc-
Nearly all the boxes are “checked” on the 13 tion.
‘projects’ that made up our expansion:
The Prairies (temporary certificate 2020 will bring a renewed sense of oppor-
of occupancy issued 1/3/20) tunity for Frasier and will further show
The Canyons Center we are committed to making senior living
Mayme’s Market in Boulder better. In April, Frasier will
The Wellness Center turn 60! We will be celebrating that mo-
HillTop mentous occasion in conjunction with a
Library Grand Opening Ceremony of Frasier For-
South Fork (dining room) ward in June. More information will be
The Peaks main lobby forthcoming, but rest assured, it will be a
Resident business office celebration of the ages that will honor
Flood mitigation walls our incredible history.
Marketing Offices
Administration Offices There is much to look forward to this
O North Fork (dining room) and The
year. My New Year wish for us all is to
Bridge savor the moments that warm your heart
and bring a smile to your face. Happy
We are still waiting for the completion of 2020!
the main Front Entrance (anticipated short-
ly!) and the North Fork dining venue/The Wishing you all the best,
Bridge in March. Also, the completion of the
landscaping plan will take place in late Timothy A. Johnson
spring 2020 to ensure appropriate planting President and CEO
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 3
The 2019 Resident Council Floor Leaders
As we turn the page on the new year, we stop to wish our Floor Leaders, who have served us dili-
gently over the past six months, a wonderful New Year. They deserve the thanks of all the resi-
dents for giving of their time and talent to support the community. For those who see the change
to 2020 as a time to retire, thank you for all you have done for your community. Fortunately for
all of us, most leaders will continue their service as Joint Neighborhood Leaders. Their dedica-
tion and commitment are a testament to the strength of the Frasier community. Thanks to all of
you.
Don Cote, Resident Council Chair
A Wonderful Gift
F rasier has received a won-
derful gift from Mary Fin-
ley: a Barrel Organ that now sits
through the pipes by turning a
crank (now missing) on the right
side of the wooden case. The mu-
in the Peaks Central third floor sic is encoded onto paper rolls.
elevator alcove near Elevator
One. This barrel organ was made by
Johan Schmider in the Black
The organ is a moveable me- Forest area of western Germany,
chanical musical instrument probably in the mid-20th century.
consisting of bellows and one
rank of wooden pipes housed in a Mary is happy that it will stay
rectangular, elegantly-decorated in her new Frasier family. If we
wood case on four wheels. A han- can find the crank, we hope that
dle at the back end permitted it its unusual melodies can be
to be pushed along a street. In- heard on occasion for special
stead of being played by an or- events.
ganist, the sound is driven Susan Thomas
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 4
De-fenced!!
O ne of the clear-
est signs that
we are nearing the
front hallway are be-
ing completed as this
goes to press. The
end of our gigantic front entry staff can
construction project finally leave their
is that the chain-link makeshift arrange-
fences around our ments in the entry
site have disap- hall of the Canyons
peared. We now look complex and return
less like a work site. to the new check-in
Construction trailers desk in the main lob-
still exist in the ex- by. And the grand
treme southwest cor- staircase descends
ner, but even there, gracefully into the
parking spaces have front hall.
begun to re-appear.
Finally, our two
The east side of the black vans have been
Prairies complex is greatly improved by
nearly finished. the addition of scenic
There is a concrete photos and attractive
apron between Thun- signs covering the
derbird Drive and rear ends and the
the entries to Prai- back sides of the ve-
ries Central and to hicles. These are now
the parking garages; good visual indica-
the service roadway between Health Care and tions that Frasier Meadows can give itself the
Prairies South is now paved all the way into the visibility it deserves.
area that used to be part of the North courtyard;
and landscaping, in the form of woven mats, co- New residents are scheduled to move into the
vers the bare ground between the sidewalk and Prairies apartments beginning on January 6
the Prairies buildings along the east and north and continuing through March at a planned
margins of the campus. rate of two move-ins each weekday. 2020 is
about more than good eyesight. The next few
The main entrance on the west side of the Peaks months will test Frasier’s transition from
building, including the porte cochere and the friendly village to congenial small town.
Pete Palmer
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 5
Mayme’s Comes to Frasier!
F rasier’s new coffee shop and mini-market
officially opened at 7 a.m. on December 3,
with early birds grabbing coffee and a breakfast
es, and beverages that are also nicely priced.
One favorite, discovered by many residents, is
gelato from Glacier, also at prices lower than at
sandwich to go with their morning news. May- the Glacier shop and available by the scoop, in
me’s two baristas, Brooklin and Gabby, had the a cone or a cup or a free tiny spoon taste.
espresso ma-
chine up and The market-
purring its place shelves
way through carry pack-
Americanos, aged salads,
Cappuccinos, sub sandwich-
and all man- es, a variety of
ner of espresso beverages, and
blends with an assortment
flavors and of pasta,
skinnies, or bread, milk,
fatties if one pasta sauces,
preferred. and other “we
These baristas need ‘em now”
served up a items, such as
healthy dose crackers and
of morning condiments.
sunshine with Items marked
their smiles with red dots
and cheery “Welcome to Mayme’s!” can be paid by cash, credit card, or added to a
resident’s regular monthly bill. Everything
Named after Mayme Frasier, a donor of the without a red dot can be charged to your
land on which Frasier was built, this coffee monthly food allowance.
shop and mini=market will likely experience
some changes in menu and service as time passes So, there’s no need for letting your food budget
and the goods become available according to res- go unspent. Mayme’s offers a lovely way to en-
ident interest and demand. But on opening tertain a visitor with coffee and a piece of pie
morning, curious residents tried various coffee or a muffin. In time, construction noise and
blends, staff members grabbed Americanos, and clutter will disappear, maybe we’ll get a little
Pinkard men hungrily eyed the cases and menu jazzy music, and perhaps the rather stark na-
screen as they passed with loads of construction ture of the black tables and lustrous cream-
materials. colored chairs will be enlivened with some old
photos, fun table games, or other homey items
The “buy down” items, with payment coming to make Mayme’s a place in which Mrs. Frasier
from residents’ monthly food budget, include a would feel right at home.
selection of sandwiches and pastries at fair pric-
Anne Bliss
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 6
Two-Piano Concert Holiday Snow Storm
F rasier residents were treated to another stel-
lar music event on December 5th in the Can-
yons Center: our first two-piano concert! Four
T hanksgiving week it snowed. Maybe not
the 12 days and 12 nights reported in Dyl-
an Thomas’ Child’s Christmas in Wales, but it
pianists who are graduate students at the CU snowed and snowed and continued to snow: 24
School of Music teamed up for a wonderful pro- inches in 24 hours. Sidewalks, curbs and streets
gram. The second Steinway piano was provided vanished; chairs and tables morphed into mush-
by Marjorie and Richard McIntosh, who will be rooms; foothills disappeared. Schools closed, CU
moving to the new Frasier Prairies building in closed, highways closed. We in Frasier’s cocoon
2020. remained dry, well fed and safe. Why?
Bryan Chuan and Er-Hsuan Li began the con- As the storm
cert with two movements of a Francis Poulenc approached,
Sonata for Two Pianos, written in 1953. It is an Frasier
interesting piece, with sections of calm themes pulled to-
followed by fast percussive sections, which the gether the
musicians played to perfection. They finished Incident
with the third movement of the Mozart Sonata Command
for Two Pianos in D Major – a virtuoso perfor- Team (who
mance at a rapid tempo that the two players co- knew we had
ordinated beautifully. one?). Facil-
ities staff
Next on the program were nine Symphonic checked back
Dances from “West Side Story” by Leonard -up genera-
Bernstein, played by Nathalia Kato and Barbie tors, batter-
Noyes. The arrangement for two pianos is a joy ies and fur-
to hear – some melodies that many of us love naces. Din-
played delicately and others played bombastical- ing Services
ly, complete with finger-snapping percus- checked cup-
sion! This very difficult piece was spectacular boards and
in its performance and made the two pianos freezers. Na-
sound like a whole orchestra. tive Edge
Landscapes
There was a surprise encore, when the students was alerted and plowed parking lots all night if
had a chance to hear their professors perform; needed. It was. Health Care and other depart-
Margaret McDonald and Andrew Cooperstock ments made arrangements to ensure staffing
took the stage for a duet (one piano) of the levels including overnight accommodations if
Tchaikovsky “Waltz of the Flowers.” This was a needed. They were.
delightful finish to a memorable evening, and
we extend our thanks to the School of Music for We slept comfortably while others watched over
sharing these talented musicians with us. us. Thank you, Frasier Staffers.
Janet Klemperer Louise Bradley
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 7
The View from Wellness Center
Main (Street)
Nicole L. Barabas, Director
by Jim Wolf
Nostalgia Updates from the World of Wellness
E ntering the third decade of the twenty-first
century, I wax nostalgic about the twenti-
A s most are aware, the Wellness Center ren-
ovation project passed the City of
Boulder’s inspection at the end of December
eth, especially when people talk today about the 2019 —woo —hoo whoo!!! In addition to this
great leaps forward in technology: of podcasts, exciting news, I have just hired a part-time
smart speakers, cars that almost drive them- Aquatics Coordinator, Beth Davis, who will
selves, cell phones that do so much more than begin working at Frasier on January 6th. To
connect two people. It goes without saying, life say that it’s an amazing experience being at
was simpler with fewer choices. Frasier right now is an understatement! There
is so much wonderful activity and planning go-
If I have a headache, I have four types of pain
ing on behind the scenes. My team and I are
relief to choose from. When doing my morning overjoyed to be able to unveil new classes in
stretches, I switch on the radio for the news, and both settings of land and water, to offer innova-
I can select from four different public stations.
tive and effective programming, to have a vari-
During their quarterly or more often fund rais-
ety of different settings to workout in across the
ers the TV offers a choice of three all-news sta-
campus, and to explore new strength-training
tions as well as the well-remembered network
equipment.
outlets that used to be my only options.
If you’ve been on the fence about working out
There was a time when I could look at a car, al-
and joining the Wellness Center, stop ponder-
ways American made, and knew by its design
whether it was a Ford, a Chevy, a Plymouth or a ing IF you can use our equipment and under-
Nash or Hudson; these days I have to get closer stand that you CAN and your quality of life
and look at the emblem to see its country of WILL absolutely improve in 2020. Give us a
origin. Going to the movies was easy; the neigh- call at x4416 to set up a complimentary ap-
borhood theaters had just one screen. True, pointment with one of our exercise specialists
many things to choose from allows for greater today.
freedom, but they make life much more compli-
cated, and the older I get the tougher those
choices are to compare. In retrospect, I was just ping off a printed sheet. If I am honest with
comfortable in the late twentieth. myself, I am quite selective in my nostalgia.
Yes, I start my day with Grape-Nuts or
Psychologists and sociologists and gerontologists Wheaties, but from then on, I have to deal
seem to agree that one can exercise the aging with the complexities of the twenty-first cen-
brain by learning new things. My inclination tury. Life is a blend of past and present with,
has been to say, “humbug,” but I am writing this lamentably, much more past than future in
on a computer, not a typewriter, and am sending which to cope with whatever new-fangled
it to the editor by pressing a button, not by drop- things I will confront in this coming decade.
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 8
Extravaganza!
T he December 2nd ladies luncheon and
fashion show in the Canyons Center was a
big hit. Eight lovely ladies modeled the Clothes
Elizabeth Godrick looks at home, though she’s
only recently arrived from Boston. She wore a
burgundy shell with pearls, and then a match-
Closet’s glittering outfits, Pat Troeltzsch em- ing jacket and turtleneck. She taught at Boston
ceed with telling details about each model, University, but thinks Coloradans are friendli-
Barbara Farhar helped with numbers, and er. She helped prepare prisoners for their lives
Nancy Neville acted as cashier. upon release.
Retired pre-school expert Sue McCord led, in Carolyn LeSage modeled two Chico’s outfits,
sequined shorts that drew oohs and ahs, with black slacks with a huge gold chain, and a lamé
Mary Dancs, who had a long career in nursing, top with winter white pants. She served on the
in a festive teal-blue lacy blouse. Susan Ma- Naperville, Illinois, school board for nine years,
rine, who wore a white Talbot’s sweater and eight years on the city council, and was mayor
then green brocade, has a PhD in sociology, pro tem for five. Whew!
and has worked in suicide prevention. Our
champion quilter Kate Bacus was elegant in a Last came Pat Carden in hunter green pants
sequined shell and jacket, followed by soft and jacket with a satin blouse and a colorful
panne velvet. Kate’s degree in nutrition preced- scarf. A nurse practitioner in her profession,
ed a Fulbright to the Czech Republic. Pat has lived around the country and climbed
nearly all Colorado’s fourteeners. She has
Marian Matheson, in four bridge groups and worked in Ecuador and with Mother Teresa in
three book groups, wore a washable royal blue India.
pantsuit, then a red silk sweater. From Nebras-
ka, she met her husband when they played bas- These are interesting, dedicated women. What a
soon and clarinet in the marching band. She rich start to the festive season!
taught English and history in Denver’s East Nancy Tilly
High School.
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 9
Kaiser MD’s THE MIRROR Monthly news of Frasier
Second Talk Meadows Retirement Community, is pub-
lished by residents to provide in-house news
S cott Clemensen, MD, met with about twelve
residents to chat about medical issues, De-
cember 2nd. About 400 residents belong to Kaiser,
and general information for current and
future residents.
Publisher John Harris
but anyone is welcome to join these discussions.
He freely offers his perspective as a doctor, on Associate Publisher Heinz Damberger
various health topics suggested by the residents. Co-Editors
This month the subject was dementia, something Louise Bradley Pete Palmer
all of us are probably worried about. Nancy Tilly
Reporters
There is a blurry distinction between the differ-
ent levels of dementia, but the diagnosis itself Kevin Bunnell Janet Grenda
has expanded in the last five years to include not Jeff Grove Alex Herzog
only impaired memory, but also impaired lan- Heinz Damberger Janet Klemperer
guage, executive function, learning, perception Pete Palmer Bev Postmus
and social cognition, which are interfering with Susan Thomas Judy Smythe
day-to-day functioning and which have gotten Charlie Anderson 109
worse over time. A valid and reliable mental sta-
Columnists
tus test now helps doctors diagnose dementia
quickly. Anne Bliss Jim Wolf
Photographers
Known effective treatments are cognitive exer- Peter Dawson Alex Herzog
cises and social interaction. Cognitive skills John Tracy Phil Waggener
would involve those which develop new path- Nurit Wolf
ways, like learning a new language, or playing a
Proof Readers
musical instrument. Social interaction involves
anything which keeps us involved, from politics Nancy Herzog Pete Palmer
to recipes. Vitamin E is questionable. Retiring Janet Klemperer Nancy Tilly
and sitting in a chair, which has been part of an John Tracy Phil Waggener
earlier American dream, is not helpful. Distribution
Irma Galusha Dick Leupold
“It’s hard to avoid social connection at Frasier,” Don Moore Pete Palmer
offered one participant.
Address email correspondence to
These monthly chats are uniquely informative Mirror@FrasierMeadows.org
and interactive. Dr. Clemensen offers a generous Address mail to
allotment of his time freely, to help us all. Mirror at 350 Ponca Place,
Boulder, Colorado 80303
Judy Smythe The MIRROR staff will meet at 2:00 p.m.
on Monday, Jan. 6th in the conference room
on Main to plan the February 1, 2020 issue.
THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 10
Frasier Celebrates the Holidays
in Multiple Manners, Mostly Musical
Our very own Frasier Tremble Clefs presented an engaged and engaging set of holiday songs and
invited the audience to sing along several seasonal tunes.
The Brassaholics
band made its annual
appearance playing
holiday songs during
dining in South Fork.
A quartet from the
Boulder Symphony per-
formed several holiday
songs, which included
sing-alongs.
The Shostakovich Trio
and the Flamengo Quar-
tet, both consisting of
advanced students of the
CU School of Music, also
performed for us.THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 11
Alex Herzog and his photo team
are always there making sure we
have good pictures for the Mirror.
Members of the Frasier Community
Life staff serenaded residents of the
Summit Care Center with lively and
well-received holiday music.
The always popular men’s a capella group The New Wiz-
ard Oil delivered a great, serious and humorous group of
holiday songs, including their wonderfully crazy Twelve
Days of Christmas nearly bringing the house down.
A large number of
residents of Assisted
Living and Health
Care listened to a sto-
ry told by Nina Ber-
esina and actively
participated in a
sing-along led by the
costumed Acting Up!
Band featuring Judy
Tucker as a “living”
Christmas tree.THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 12
A World of Buildings The Wood Brothers
and Dad Perform
J anet Grenda’s creativity and originality were
T
on full display in Frasier’s art gallery at the
December 9th art opening. Recent Paintings of he Wood Brothers Band, including Jano
Buildings Around the World, all done in the Rix on various instruments, came to Boul-
past fourteen months, gives us temples, castles der for two gigs at the Boulder Theater. On De-
and other buildings Jan and husband Ted have cember 19th, the Wood brothers without Rix,
seen (and Jan has photographed or sketched) on along with dad (Frasier resident Bill Wood),
their travels to more than a hundred countries. performed songs for us in our Canyons Center
Each painting has its own simple palette, which auditorium. Bill’s son Oliver Wood played a
makes it easy to read, clear and understandable. National Steel guitar and often sang lead, Chris
It’s a pleasure to tour the show. Wood played upright bass, and Bill joined in on
several songs.
Some paintings give us familiar structures, such
as Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, whose turrets
stand out against a blue sky. The Prince Edward
Island Lighthouse is belted with horizontal
black stripes. The striking orange tiles of Flor-
ence’s Duomo and the Doge’s Palace in Venice
are seen against different blue skies. Most of the
works have blue backgrounds, but each blue is
different, and each well-known structure is im-
agined anew.
Other temples and palaces are unfamiliar to the
eye, at least of this reporter: A Bavarian castle is Some of their songs were very familiar, and
striking against a black sky, a white cloud em- some were their own compositions. Bill even
played a song he wrote commemorating his sons’
lives and musical careers. Chris’s bass style was
vigorous and out-front, showcasing novel tech-
niques that he developed earlier while playing
with the Medeski, Martin, and Wood trio.
The band’s album One Drop of Truth was nomi-
nated for the 2018 Grammy in the Americana
category. Their songs definitely had an Ameri-
can flavor. Their next album Kingdom In My
Mind, will be released on January 24th. In ques-
tions at the end, a resident asked Bill how he
liked playing with Joan Baez. He said “It was
the most fun I’ve had in my life”, adding later
in personal communication, “ until I started
phasizing its turrets. Another striking work is playing with these guys.”
the high-contrast Blue Mosque in Dubai, the
Jeff Grove
(Continued on page 13)THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 13
The Switzerland Trail
M any of us, over the years, have hiked,
biked, or driven along sections of the
roadbed of the late 19th century and early 20th
Ward and Eldora were completed. Two signifi-
cant floods ultimately defeated the railroad.
Four years of repairs followed the first, in 1894,
century narrow-gauge railroad, affectionally when there were no alternatives. The second, in
known as the “Switzerland Trail of America,” 1919, took out most of the 60 bridges between
that led from Denver through Boulder to Salina Boulder and Salina. By then, automobile and
and then southward to Eldora or northward to truck transport was a viable alternative, and the
Ward. railroad was abandoned.
On December 12th, Larry Dorsey, a member of
the Board of the Colorado Railroad Museum in
Golden, returned us to the glory days of rail-
roading with photos and anecdotes about the
Switzerland Trail. From Denver to Boulder, a
single rail between the standard-gauge rails al-
lowed smaller narrow-gauge trains to continue
the steeper and more winding trip into the
mountains, where they brought supplies to min-
ers, returned ore to smelters, and took passen-
gers to areas of wildflowers and picnic stops, es-
pecially on weekends. The grades were challeng-
ing, curves often sharp, winding creek valleys
Before the ubiquitous appearance of automo- required many bridges, and winter snows were
biles and paved highways, railroads were the sometimes daunting.
major routes for moving people and supplies We were shown examples of the different en-
along the foothills and into the mountains of gine designs needed to cope with the steep
Colorado. The Switzerland Trail was the only mountain grades, long-gone stations along the
successful venture into the nearby mountains. route, and examples of snow depth in the higher
Our trail began in the rail yards that used to oc- sections. We were also reminded of old Engine
cupy what is now Canyon Boulevard. The first 30 which stood in the city park in downtown
section, from Boulder to Salina, began construc- Boulder until recently. It was a delightful even-
tion in 1873. From 1898 to 1905 the sections to ing about life and travel in less crowded times.
Pete Palmer
(continued from page 12)
white of its arches setting off the deep blue of help from Hunter Perkins, one of our wait
its interior. Jan has painted many temples, in- staff. Refreshments included fresh fruits, cook-
cluding the Tiger’s Nest Buddhist Temple in ies and juices.
Bhutan, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in It’s a fine show that, along with a series of
Bangkok as well as the Ananda Temple in Bur- Jan’s designs in the Art Alley inspired by Judy
ma. Kellum’s card-making class, is also a lesson in
Guitarist Jonathan Machen, who is also a visu- continuing creativity as we age, an inspiration
al artist, provided original music. Ted Grenda to us all.
was responsible for hanging the pictures, with Nancy TillyTHE MIRROR January 2020 Page 14
Musings Merry and Bright
by Anne Bliss
it Was!
Revolving Resolutions
O n Monday and Tuesday evenings, December
16th and 17th, current residents and Frasier
administrators in holiday dress joined together
around tables of seven or eight in the Canyons
D id you make your New Year’s Resolutions Center auditorium to enjoy our annual Merry
yet? The new year of the Zodiac Metal and Bright Christmas feast, hosted by Frasier
RAT is upon us. This will be a year of opportu- and served by our intrepid young dining staff.
nities for all RATS because, in this year, they’ll
have a wonderful time. Everything will work On every table was a tiny flickering gold candle
out in their favor IF they do not get too lazy alone and steadfast. Everywhere there were small
and take life for granted. birch branches embellished by myriad tiny
lights. Once seated, the celebrants found a menu
Are you a RAT? Earth Rat Birth Year: 1948, that needed 45 words just to describe the
2008, Metal Rat Birth Year: 1960, 2020, Water “standing hors d’oeuvres.” Having tasted those
Rat Birth Year: 1972, Wood Rat Birth Year: pleasures, the party goers were offered a first
1984, Fire Rat Birth Year: 1996 course of a plated salad and a second course at
east and west buffets that included—among
No matter. When making new resolutions for many other delights — duck confit, hand-carved
better living or more caring activities, it’s also fillet of beef, hash cake with onion bacon jam,
time to consider how last year’s resolutions and tri-colored baby carrots; and then there were
fared. Did you really give up chocolate? How tables of assorted desserts. Wine stewards circu-
about gossiping about that nosy neighbor? Did lated among the tables dispensing white or red
you really smile and laugh more? wine as desired. From the front stage, discreetly
Taking stock of last year’s resolutions before (Continued on page 15)
making new ones is always a good idea. If you
followed through on them, super. But if not,
why not? Was the chef’s chocolate torte just too
good to pass up “this once”? Does it really mat-
ter if you wanted to lose ten pounds and instead even buy those potato chips. That’s it, and be
gained three? tough with yourself.
Well, why make a resolution if you’re not de- Keeping resolutions is not easy and involves self-
termined to keep it? Or, perhaps you kept last discipline. Let’s listen to ourselves and meta-
year’s resolutions about half the time, and you monitor what we say. I won’t gossip about my
think that you are gaining by not eating that nosy neighbor and instead will try to get better
entire bag of potato chips. So, what to do? acquainted. I’ll smile even if I’m tired. I’ll skip
Get into the “revolving resolution” pattern. the torte.
What you didn’t do so well last year can be re-
set for this year. But now you can include a bit And I’ll think about the RAT and aim to pick
more resolution for 2020, this year I will not up some of that good fortune this year.THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 15
In Loving
Memory
Crif Crawford
Born ……………….. June 3, 1929
Entered F.M.R.C. …. Nov. 12, 2007
January Birthdays Died ………………. Dec. 2, 2019
INDEPENDENT LIVING
Flodie Anderson ............... 01.01 James Sindelar
Betty Boselli ..................... 01.03 Born ……………… Jan. 5, 1922
Donald Kellum ................. 01.03 Entered F.M.R.C. …. Nov. 1, 2013
Susan Marine ................... 01.03 Died ……………….. Dec. 11, 2019
Rod Smythe ...................... 01.06
Harold Leinbach .............. 01.07
Kay Forsythe .................... 01.09
Pete Palmer ...................... 01.09
William Thornburg ......... 01.09
Mary Finley ...................... 01.10
George Wallace ................ 01.13
John Crimaldi .................. 01.14
Patricia Geraghty ............. 01.19
Beverly Carrigan .............. 01.21
Joan De Graaff ................. 01.22
Sara Cote ........................... 01.23
Eloise St. John ................. 01.28
Judith Rhoads .................. 01.31
ASSISTED LIVING (Continued from page 14)
Al Fagerstrom .................. 01.04 behind the prevailing chatter, came beautiful
Ann Evans ........................ 01.10 and gentle piano music from the talented
Stuart Mundt .................... 01.13 hands of Victor Mestas.
Kate Crawford .................. 01.19
Staff and residents mingled happily, cement-
HEALTH CARE ing old relationships and beginning new
Rachel Bender .................. 01.07 ones—especially with those who will soon
Kathaleen Cook ................ 01.07 move into Prairies. What a wonderful venue
Priscilla McQueen ........... 01.13 for such a celebration!
Carol K. Moremen ............ 01.21
Kevin BunnellTHE MIRROR January 2020 Page 16
Housing for our
Smaller Residents Santa Lucia Parade
O th
n Jan-
uary
12 , two
new addi-
tions to Fra-
sier’s hous-
ing stock
were built,
consisting
mostly of
gingerbread.
There were
in fact two
construction sites in different areas. Although This month’s an-
your correspondent was only able to find one nual Santa Lucia
due to confusing names of their respective loca- parade throughout
tions, the Mirror’s photographers found the oth- Frasier started in
er. Descriptions of the two events were quite Mayme’s and then
similar, with one described in this article and wound its way to
the other depicted in photographs. Memory Care and
ended up in Health
In both neighborhoods, single-family cottages Care. The group
were constructed of gingerbread panels joined by was led by Simone
a sticky and presumably sweet-tasting mortar. Key as Lucia.
The exteriors were decorated individually with
an assortment of edible baubles. Interior decora-
tion was largely left to the tastes of future resi-
dents. The site foremen were Pinkard employ-
ees, and the workers were Frasier AL and HC
residents. The neighborhood visited by your cor-
respondent received a building permit to start
construction and a certificate of occupancy
when completed. Apparently, the other neigh-
borhood was completely bootlegged with neither
building permit nor certificate of occupancy.
I’m sure that the mice that will live in these cot-
tages will find them very much to their taste.
Jeff GroveTHE MIRROR January 2020 Page 17
Creative Crones at Holiday Tidbits
Boulder Book Store on View
T he Women Writers of Frasier hit a home
run on Wednesday evening, December 4th, A s you walk down the hall to the Eldorado
room to enjoy one of Frasier’s wonderful
at the downtown Boulder Book Store. They held concerts and activities, have you noticed the two
a book event performing readings from Creative cabinets along the wall? Currently they display
Crones, Having and Writing the Times of Our interesting winter-holiday-themed items on
Lives. loan from Frasier residents and employees. This
Published by the “Frasier Antiquarian Press,” is an initial effort from our new Cultural Com-
the book is in its second printing. Some authors petency and Diversity (CC&D) committee.
have taken to calling themselves “crones” and
some friends refer to themselves as “cronies. Jan Grenda has contributed several objects, in-
cluding an African pot-
tery bell; Lanelle Kruger
has a book of sheet music
open to The Skater’s
Waltz; new residents Judy
Gunkler and Bill Rawsky
offer a Weihnachtspyra-
mide (candle-powered
Christmas pyramid) from
Germany. Margaret Pich-
er displays a selection of
tin Christmas ornaments
from Mexico, and Patricia
Two Frasier vans took crones and cronies down- Tyson some mistletoe and holly important in
town for the event. A display of Creative Crones Druid midwinter festivals.
in the Book Store’s Pearl Street window caught
the eye as the group arrived. Upstairs, the room Objects from several other Frasierites are in-
was set up for the reading. As the audience cluded, so be sure to take a look when you pass
gathered, more chairs had to be brought out and the cases in the Canyons hallway. Incidentally,
lined along the bookcases. Ultimately, seventy CC&D promises more “connections” activities
people heard readings from five authors: Barba- and displays in the near future.
ra Farhar’s “Preface,” Pat Geraghty’s “Bubble Charlie Anderson 109
Gum,” Judy Holleman’s “High Plains Charac-
ter,” Elaine Hiebert’s “What I Was Doing the
Day President Kennedy Was Assassinated,” and how much they had enjoyed the readings, and of
Mary Peace Finley’s “New Kid’s Survival Guide writing they would like to do, of web sites they
to Fowler, Colorado, 1949.” are developing, and of movies they would like to
make.
The audience, ranging in age from 12 to 92, was
so appreciative that they surged forward after The Book Store employee responsible for put-
the event and surrounded the authors. Animated ting the room back together after the event
conversations continued as authors answered
(Continued on page 18)
questions and signed books. Attendees spoke ofTHE MIRROR January 2020 Page 18
An Evening of Smooth so treated to “Icarus” made famous by the Paul
Winter consort, and on this evening featured
Jazz Kimberlee’s glorious cello singing the melody.
J azz Night in the Canyons Center on Novem-
ber 29th was a toe tappin’ and head bobbin’
event, as Boulder’s own Lyric Jazz Ensemble
Several other old favorites were on the pro-
gram: Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Any
More”, Billie Holiday’s “Loverman” with beau-
played a varied selection of mostly smooth and tiful blended brush work on the drums from
mellow jazz, which was just right for a relaxing Jill, accents by Kimberlee, and Dennis’s guitar
evening on the day after Thanksgiving. With providing the main melody that was a bit snap-
Dennis Burns on guitar, Kimberlee Hanto on pier than the more mellow rhythms of most of
cello, and Jill Fredricksen on drums, this trio the other pieces. The audience also enjoyed
performs a well nuanced music with a sound “Always and Forever” with jazz musician and
different from the more familiar jazz trio of pi- writer Pat Matheney’s beautiful chords played
ano, bass, and so gracefully
drums. The by Dennis,
cello, with its and, then,
typically soft- Henry
er tone and Mancini’s
higher pitch “Moon River”
than a bass, practically
enables the had the audi-
trio to lighten, ence up and
brighten, and dancing.
soften the
overall sound, The trio
no matter the tune. closed out this
most beautiful, gentle jazz evening with their
Excellent musicians all, the trio played Disney rendition of George Gershwin’s “Foggy Day in
songs, e.g., “Wishing on a Star” from Pinocchio, London Town”, but the audience just did not
(with several audience members, who just could- want the music to end.
n’t resist, humming along) and “Someday My
Prince Will Come” from Snow White and the Thank you, Lyric Trio. We hope you come of-
Seven Dwarfs (again, more “hum-along” could ten to share such smooth jazz with us.
be heard, which was fun). The audience was al- Anne Bliss
(Continued from page 17)
marked as he was stacking books back in their Creative Crones is now available at the Boul-
proper places: “I haven’t seen this happy a group der Book Store and at the Frasier Gift Shop. It
in a long time!” delights both young and old.
Our special thanks to Arsen Kashkashian, the Barbara Farhar
Book Store’s book buyer, for this event.THE MIRROR January 2020 Page 19
First Presbyterian Chancel Choir
F rasierites
Jane Crab-
tree, Anna Marie
exchanging hu-
morous remarks
with the audience
Robb and Simon as well as his
Kyeyunne joined choir. And so an
the First Presby- evening of carols
terian Church began with harmo-
Chancel Choir to ny in the room as
present a “Glory well as on stage.
of Christmas” “Unto us a child is
concert on December 18th. Two score and more born,” “What sweeter music,” “Sussex Carol,” the
singers filled the large stage of the new Canyons familiar and the less familiar: soaring melodies,
Performance Center as they filled the air with grounded upon rich deep tones. We relaxed to
joyful music. enjoy the skilled choir whose obvious pleasure
in singing together doubled our appreciation for
Jim Keller, director of the Fairview Concert an excellent choir concert.
Choir as well as music director for the First
Presbyterian Church, set the tone of the evening Louise Bradley
Immanuel: God Has Come
S imon Kyeyune
has again given
the Frasier commu-
Rock. We saw
Mary and Joseph
going to Bethle-
nity a Christmas hem, with Frasier
program straight Wise Men and two
from the heart. small Jones shep-
With a chorale of herds who were
16 and a chamber great fun to watch.
quintet, several so-
loists and even a Mark Venzke and
bongo drum, ac- James Bowers, Du-
companied by tal- ally Noted, teamed
ented pianist Linda up to sing Winter
Chambers, the Wonderland and
group serenaded us with many songs. One of the The Closest Thing to Heaven is Christmas Morn-
nicest things about the program was that Simon ing in the Colorado Snow. Simon rendered a
found several Christmas carols we’ve never Ugandan carol, and we all joined in to sing Alle-
heard before. luia.
A crowd favorite, the Jones Family, with six The fine and inventive program captured the
children who are seasoned performers, sang spirit of the season.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Jingle Bell
Nancy TillyTHE MIRROR January 2020 Page 20
New Residents
Ken and Susan Fernalld Jerri Wilson
From: Boulder, via Gold Hill
Arrived: December 5, 2019
Apartment: 191 Peaks North From: Woodland Hills, CA
Phone: 720-562-8232 Arrived: November 19, 2019
Guides: Pete and Joan Dawson Apartment: 185 Peaks North
Occupation: Ken: Mechanical design Phone: 720-562-8107
engineer. Susan: Advocate Guide: Janet Brewer
for victims of violent crime Occupation: Research department at New
in District Attorney’s office York Hospital
Interests: Ken: spends several days of Interests: Reading, singing, opera,
week in his studio/workshop needlepoint, concerts,
in Erie. Susan: avid reader; en- theater
joys singing, dancing, playing Birthday: October 15
the piano. Both do aqua fitness. Birthplace: Jacksonville, FL
Birthdays: Ken: February 23
Susan: September 25
Sandy Bierman
From: Boulder
Arrived: December 22, 2019
Apartment: 462 Peaks Central
Phone: 720-562-8099
Guide: Jane Crabtree
Occupation: Artist, painter
Interests: Met Opera simulcasts,
chamber music, poetry club,
book club, active in Indi-
visible
Birthday: April 14You can also read
