Category Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Unleash Your Inner Artist & Enjoy the Health & Wellness Benefits

Shona Alexander
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Park Springs Member in On-site Art Studio

In response to our recent Art Show, which will be held April 27th and featured many of our Member’s works of art, I began to reflect and wanted to share some of the benefits of art for those aging.

Creative activities can have a healing and protective effect on mental well-being. It is an important strategy for coping with chronic illness and an important contributor to improved quality of life for residents at Park Springs Continuing Care Retirement Community.

There is increasing recognition that the benefits of the arts play an important role in the health of individuals. The therapeutic effects of creative activity promote relaxation and provide a means of self-expression to boosting the immune system while reducing stress.

Park Springs offers both visual art appreciation and hands on creative work which play an important role in improving the health and well- being of its residents. Residents who participate in the arts express feelings of emotional stabilization and relaxation as they are among their peers with similar interests. The art classes and opportunities to present pieces of their own work are intended to enrich the lives of those participants, and promote socialization while enhancing psychological well- being.

Although  it is unknown if this is documented in the literature, several residents have expressed significant improvements in their blood pressure as it relates to their involvement with the arts. I have been told by many of the residents who participate in the arts the therapeutic benefits include celebrating multiple perspectives, and most importantly the ability to surrender to possibilities as they watch their own pieces of work unfold.

For those dealing with the stress of being a caregiver or coping with their own health issues the benefits of the arts has proven to be a priceless coping mechanism.

Healthfully Yours,

Shona Alexander

Director of Clinical & Home Care Services

The Lady Chatterley Caper – The Latest Theatrical Production from Park Springs

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All are invited to this year’s play by Barbara Rives called Life at Park Springs or the Lady Chatterley Caper. There is a cast of 35 players and ten barbershop singers who will perform for the Atlanta area retirement community.

The play is about a mysterious donation of twenty-five Lady Chatterley’s Lover books to the Park Springs library. All have disappeared and many strange phenomena have begun to occur. Cornerstoners from the Tuesday religious group are trying to get to the bottom of the matter and root out the licentious behavior spotted around the campus. Prada shoes seem to be the identifying badge of membership in the underground movement although there has been a run on a new perfume, Savage Secretions, sold at Kroger. In fact, the grocery shelves were wiped clean three minutes after the Park springs bus arrived there. Michael Hasselbarth claims to be on the side of the morality police but it is discovered that he has broken out in hives because of his own application of a dab of Savage Secretions. While he is recuperating, our Food and Beverage Director, Nils Stein, takes matters into his own hands and unfortunately accuses the wrong couple of being the ringleaders of the movement. All is forgiven them in the end when the real  culprits are caught by two of our employees while fleeing down the laundry chute in disgracefully inappropriate clothing.

Tickets are $5 with all profits going to the Park Springs Foundation. Performances are three nights, April 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 in the Community Hall.

Park Springs Members support the cultural arts of Atlanta.

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Park Springs is proud to host the Atlanta Symphony Associates for the 6th year as they hold their annual holiday luncheon in the Springhouse Grill.  Many Members of the Atlanta Symphony Associates are Atlanta active adults residing here at Park Springs.

We are so fortunate to have here in our city the Atlanta Symphony as well as the Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet and so many more wonderful social and cultural arts programs to enjoy.  Members of Parks Springs actively participate in local cultural arts, which is yet another example of the rich and lively senior living lifestyle at Park Springs.

Why do Foxes have white tails?

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In a post last week I made reference to the Oldsmobile slogan: “This is not your father’s retirement community…” Park Springs is the next generation of retirement communities and an innovation in independent senior living in Atlanta.

Another way Members are proving that to be true is the recent publishing of a children’s book written by a Member. The book, “Leela the Fox,” is published by Amazon and as you might have guessed, it’s about why foxes have white tails.

Avis Fox, the author and illustrator, wrote the book for her granddaughter who wanted a story about good foxes and not the sly, sneaky ones you often read about.Leela the Fox is a playful story of a curious and friendly little girl fox who finds herself in a bit of trouble.

When Leela forgets “Mom’s rule #1″ she winds up stranded on a rock in the middle of the big river. With the help of her brothers and friends she is rescued, and in the process, contributes a defining trait to the world of red foxes. The book is written for ages 3 – 7.  Seeing as I have three kids within that age range, I have purchased the book and you can too at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Leela-Fox-Foxes-White-Tails/dp/1466276940/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323883593&sr=8-1

As you can see, Park Springs is more than just senior housing in Atlanta, it’s a place where active adults thrive as a community, doing and creating wonderful things!

 

A musical at a retirement community!

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The statement needs to be read aloud with a hint of sarcasm.  That’s the response I have received as I speak with others (those outside the confines of our community of course) about how impressed I have been with the annual Park Springs’ musical which was performed this week for the fifth year in a row.  I paraphrased an old Oldsmobile ad campaign and said “this is not your father’s retirement community!”  Park Springs represents the new generation of retirement communities and our Members embody that spirit well, as evidenced by the musical and many more pursuits.

The musical entitled “Here We Go Again” is produced and directed by Marvin Himmel, a Member of Park Springs.   Except for those parts performed by the Vista Grove Dancers, who do a fantastic job, all cast and crew are Members of the Atlanta area retirement community.  In total, cast, and crew number more than 40, not including the Park Springs Art Department who created much of the scenery.  If you weren’t in the musical, than you were most certainly there to watch; this year’s performance sold out all four nights.  The auditorium in Park Springs Community Hall seats over 100.

The program this year includes Broadway hits such as “Annie Get Your Gun,” “My Fair Lady,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” and many more.  The photos I took with my own phone don’t do the show any justice, but I wanted to include some visual.  I look forward to posting some of the professional photography taken of the show, as well as airing a video on You Tube after the first of the year.

Thank you Marvin, cast and crew as well as all the Members of Park Springs who, as the program aptly states, “make Park Springs a very unique, valued retirement community.”

“Thank you so much for my supper front row ticket to the delightful production of Here We Go Again, by the Park Springs Players. It was truly spectacular, filled with an extraordinary level of energy! The players were clearly having great fun and that great sense of enjoyment was certainly experience by the audience throughout the performance. Thanks again for a very memorable evening of fun, great music and meeting new friends!!  Very best wishes to you and to your family for a very Merry Christmas and for all good things in the New Year!”

-Dick, Park Springs Member