Snowbirds Living in the Philippines : An Unexpected Gift from Jenny- THD Activities This Week

Friday, June 14, 2024

An Unexpected Gift from Jenny- THD Activities This Week

I was reading the newspaper at the Lobby waiting for my lunch yesterday. There comes Jenny Shively 💚with a Lucky Bamboo Plant in a beautiful black vase ( see photo above). She said it was gift from her and Barbara, to lift up my spirits because the last couple of days, I had not been feeling well. I was so surprised because I did not expect it. It will be included in my houseplant collection and a gift I will always treasure.

I am extending my heartfelt gratitude to Jenny and Barbara and to All THD employees and Fellow Residents for thinking of me last week. Meanwhile here are some of the activities scheduled this week and some news about THD, I am proud to talk about.

June, July and August appears to be a Banner Year for THD Leasing Department. I have heard that more than a dozen new residents are expected to move during the next 2 months. As of today, there are 114 residents in our phone book and I know of one other resident that remained incognito for some reason or another. Kudos to Jenny S for a very effective and successful advertising program. Below is an example of a THD ad in FaceBook.

"Staying active is crucial for seniors. Our state-of-the-art fitness center, serene yoga studio, year-round heated pool, and guided walks keep you healthy and engaged. Plus, our partnership with Senior Reach Fitness offers tailored classes just for you. Discover the benefits of fitness and join our vibrant community today".

This Sunday is Father's Day and THD has a special Brunch Menu featuring Prime Rib with all its trimmings ( see photo above). Below is the highlights of this week Schedule of Activities.

THD just hired a new Employee- Emma Salvador - a Fellow Filipino-American. She was hired as a Double Duty Employee- Assistant Leasing and Employee Liaison. Her former employer was Viamonte, another Premier Senior Living Community here in Walnut Creek. https://sequoialiving.org/walnut-creek/

Note that Emma is the 3rd Employee Liaison since my move here at THD last year. Welcome Emma and I hope you stay longer here at THD. Emma is a soft- spoken lady and appeared to have diplomatic skills needed to be a good Resident Liaison and Leasing Assistant.

Last Year when I moved here at THD Lisa Bellini was the Full-Time Employee Liaison. She did a fantastic job in the initiation and the completion of my CATIO. From my personal point of view she was an excellent employee. I was so surprised when she left THD without saying Good Bye!

She was replaced by Teresa Nudo. When Emma was hired Teresa moved to Activities. My personal experience with Teresa was that she was an excellent half-time Employee Liaison also. Good luck Teresa in your new job in the Activities Department.

Speaking of Activity Here at THD. My personal involvement currently are the Monday Bridge Group and the Thursday Asian Mahjong Group. We have now 2 tables for Asian Mahjong. One table plays the standard Hongkong Style ( 13 tiles without jokers). The other table plays Philippine style, that is 16 tiles with 2 jokers. I am willing to teach new residents. We play at Churchill's Pub everyday Thursday at 1PM. You have to bring a dollar to play. The winner from each table take the $4 prize. BiG MONEY, Indeed!!!!

Lastly, I would like to thank all my bridge partners in Bridge. My Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday Groups and my occasional Sunday Gp, have contributed to my sense of belonging here at THD.

Oh I almost forgot to my more that 40 fellow residents who follows my blogs, my million thanks for your encouragement and positive comments of my daily postings and ramblings. Please realize that I can not respond to your comments on a daily basis. However be assured your comments are very much appreciated.

May YOU ALL have a Joyous and Happy Summer Season Here at THD. Again, my personal welcome to all the New Residents. May your stay here at THD, be a positive experience and lessened your trauma from your downsizing experiences.

Lastly here's my lunch yesterday featuring Gazpacho Soup and BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with coke and watermelon. In the background is the Lucky Bamboo Plant- A gift from Jenny! Again thanks a million to Jenny and all THD Personnel and Fellow Residents who were concern of my low spirit and aching leg muscles for the last 5 days last week. I am now back to my spunky spirit and are enjoying my bridge and mahjong Games to the Fullest!

My Lunch yesterday- June 13, 2024
💚For those of you who are not Connected to THD: Jenny Shively is THD Leasing and Marketing Director. I believe she had been employed by THD for more that 12 years now.  

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Joys of Retirement

I have been retired from USFDA since 2002. At first, I feel I have lost my identity as an individual or have lost my contribution to society. However, within a few weeks all these feelings were gone. It started when my wife and I started baby sitting one of our grandchildren. As some economics professor states: "Your children are your capital investments, but your grandchildren are your profits. That is why you love your grandchildren more than your children". I really agree with the statement. Retirement also gives you lots of time to do things you like to do, such as your hobbies and of course travel. In my case, I turned my hobby of gardening and landscaping into a small business in the Philippines. This endeavor was planned about five years before 2002. That year my wife and I started construction of our retirement home in Boac, Marinduque , Philippines. The next year we built a beach house, followed by a Conference Hall two years later. Needless to say, planning and executing the landscaping was a challenge and very enjoyable. With the help of local labor, I not only enjoy the time gardening and landscaping, but also help improved the economic situation of the province by providing work and jobs to the local residents. With plenty of time, I have engaged into two specific activities as follows: First, I created a website for my small business. By trial and error, I created and design the website, www.chateaudumer.com I have never been a computer nerd or expert. But with plenty of time and patience, the fruits of my labor could be enjoyed if you visit the website above. The second activity, I have not done before was to utilize on-line activities, such as shopping, paying bills ( save you stamps) and playing computer games in the Internet. I really enjoyed playing duplicate bridge on line. You play with players all over the world and can chat in between games. But be careful, you are not spending too much time in the computer. It is very addictive. With a lots of time, my wife and I devoted more time on our favorite humanitarian project. For the last 15 years, we have been involved with medical mission to the province of Marinduque. For details please visit the website: www.marinduqueinternational.org As a summary, the joy one gets on retirement is very specific for an individual. Some enjoy their free time by learning new activities, getting involved with humanitarian projects or spending more time with their grandchildren. Others hate it, since they missed their former jobs and co-workers. Others with no children still enjoy retirement by traveling, turning their hobbies into business or more community involvement. Of course those that retire and hate it, is believe to die earlier than those that enjoy their retirement years. So, plan your retirement as early as you can. The happier you are on retirement, the longer you will live.