Sandalwood Park Homeowners, Inc.

Venice, Florida

Sandalwood Park News

December 2010

From the President:

Great news! We‟re debt free again! A year and

one half ago, Sandalwood borrowed $200,000 to

complete our $500,000 clubhouse addition. We‟ve

since been making regular $4,632 monthly payments on

this loan. But, we‟ve also gotten a big boost from sales

of three shares at $50,000 each. This has wiped out our

mortgage and is putting money in the bank. Even as we

paid down our mortgage, our Treasurer has reported that

we have increased our reserves by $50,000 within the

past year. This all assures us of being able to meet our

needs for some time without any increase in

maintenance fees. The next anticipated major expenditure is to resurface

our streets. Although they‟re OK for driving, they have

become a safety hazard for walking. Anticipated cost of

resurfacing is $180,000. The 2011 Budget allows

$65,000 for road maintenance plus $15,000 in a

contingency fund. So, we need an additional $100,000.

The Board has voted to remove old units from lots 421

and 554 making these shares attractive for sale. If we

can sell these two shares, we will be in a position to

resurface the roads without borrowing any money. We have a new Director. Norm Vandenbusche was

appointed by the Board to serve until the February

election. We will then elect four directors in February.

You could be one of them. Your application form is

being mailed. A big Thank You to the full timers, and especially our

employees, for keeping things happening and looking

good while we snowbirds were up north. It‟s great to be

back. It seems more of us are arriving earlier, anxious

to join the activities and camaraderie of Sandalwood.

It‟s going to be another great season! Carl Van Gilst

SANDALWOOD PARK

NEWSLETTER MAILBOX Submit letters or articles to Alice Fitzpatrick, 346 Long-

wood Drive or Pat Gleckler at patannee@copper.net.

All correspondence must be signed. Contents may be

edited for space, clarity and suitability for print.

Articles and editorials printed in this newsletter reflect the

thoughts of the individual writers and do not necessarily re-

flect those of the editor.

SANDALWOOD NEWSLETTER STAFF

EDITOR:

Pat Gleckler - 3056 Longleaf Ranch Cir -

Middleburg, FL 32068

or Patannee@copper.net

ASSISTANT EDITOR/REPORTER:

Alice Fitzpatrick - 346 Longwood Dr -

or alicepacky@aol.com

BINGO!

Tuesday & Friday 7 PM

So fun…try your luck.

Come one,

come all…...

Leave all your troubles at

home, join your Neighbors

at the clubhouse and have a good time!!!

WEDNESDAY IS GAME NIGHT Do you like to play cards?

Come to the clubhouse on

Wednesday evening and

join the fun! Everyone is welcome, the

more the merrier!

SANDALWOOD ACTIVITIES CLUB, INC.

President – Carmen Wallin

Vice President – Betty Pratt

Secretary – Lois Cottrill

Treasurer – Ralph Puffer

Barbara Moore

Pam Brown

Gil Weidemiller

Sandalwood Park Homeowners, Inc. 300 Sandpiper Drive

Venice, Florida 34285

Resident Owned Community for persons

55 years of age and older

Office Number

485-3646

In an Emergency Call

911

SANDALWOOD MANAGEMENT STAFF

Marietta Jones–Office Manager

Charlie Kane -Maintenance

SANDALWOOD PARK HOMEOWNERS, INC.

Board of Directors

SANDALWOOD PARK HOMEOWNERS, INC.

BOARD OF DIRCTORS

Carl Van Gilst (2011) President

Harley Wheeler (2011) Vice President

George Taylor (2012) Secretary

Dan Hutchinson (2012) Treasurer

John Dane (2012)

Sandra Marsocci (2010)

Vacant (2010)

Henry Bukowski (2010)

Joanne Rafferty (2010)

Appointed by the board:

Marietta Jones - Assistant Secretary

Herb Higley – Assistant Treasurer The Sandalwood Board of Directors has the responsi-

bility of administrating the wishes of our shareholders.

Contact any board member with your concerns or sug-

gestions and they will act in the best interest of the

park. Written comments may be sent to the office or e-

mailed to vangilst@maplenet.net

SANDALWOOD PARK HOMEOWNERS, INC.

Board of Directors

SANDALWOOD PARK HOMEOWNERS, INC.

BOARD OF DIRCTORS

Carl Van Gilst (2011) President

Harley Wheeler (2011) Vice President

George Taylor (2012) Secretary

Dan Hutchinson (2012) Treasurer

Joe Cromwell (2013) Assistant Treasurer

John Dane (2012)

Sandra Marsocci (2011)

Mitch Watson (2013)

Norm Vandenbusche (2011)

Appointed by the board:

Marietta Jones - Assistant Secretary The Sandalwood

Board of Directors

has the responsibility

of administrating the

wishes of our share-

holders. Contact any

board member with

your concerns or sug-

gestions and they will act in the best interest of the

park. Written comments may be sent to the office or e-

mailed to vangilst@maplenet.net

SANDALWOOD PARK

AD PAGE 1

SANDALWOOD PARK

Minutes of the Sandalwood Activities Committee

November 8, 2010

The meeting was called to order at 10AM. All stood for the pledge of Allegiance.

Board members present: President Carmen Wallin; Secretary Lois Cottrill; Pam Brown, Gil Weidemiller. Absent:

Treasurer Ralph Puffer, V Pres. Betty Pratt and Barb Moore.

The minutes of the April 19, 2010 meeting were accepted as read. An ending balance of $4345.75 was reported. Committee reports:

Bingo has been on-going all summer, and continues to be THE place to be on Tuesday and Friday nights.

Card playing remained active thru the summer.

The library is well-used as evidenced by the number of books donated by residents.

The October Pot Luck was very well attended and a good time was had by all.

Saturday breakfast got off to a great start thanks to the effort of Harley Wheeler, who prepared a surprise offering of

pancakes and sausages.

Tuesday lunch, hosted by Joyce Burch, continues to be a favorite.

The Monday Nite Movie will resume on Nov. 15th. Shown will be the comedy, "Calendar Girls". Pop corn will be

provided.

The time for Thursday breakfast has been changed from 8 to 9 AM.

The start of both water aerobics and line dancing classes are still to be determined.

"Huff and Puff" will resume in January.

Alice St Onge will continue to deliver the newsletters, but would appreciate some help.

The next Pot Luck is scheduled for Nov 20, to be chaired by Joyce Burch.

Thanksgiving Day dinner will be at the Olde World Restaurant.

Decorating the park for Christmas will be done on Nov 27 starting at 9:30 AM.

Carmen is getting more information on a request to have a "blood-mobile" come to the park.

The next SAC meeting will be held December 13th. Respectfully submitted,

Lois Cottrill, Secretary

Please remember the residents

who are dealing with health

issues with cards and prayers.

Joyce Dagg of 456 Longwood Dr.

could use a little cheering up at this

time. She has not been feeling well

and a little cheer from her friends and

neighbors would probably go a long

way. A card, a call or pleasant wave

can perk one up when you‟re facing a new challenge

in life. Dorothy Bostic had back surgery and is recovering

with a short stay in rehab. Hopefully when the

newsletter comes out she is back in full swing!

Judy Peterson is scheduled for surgery on December

9th. Remember her with prayers and with get-well

wishes. Address: 20 Dunbar, Windsor, N.Y. 13863

CARE CORNER

BLOOD PRESSURE CHECK UP

Keep your blood pressure under

control with a FREE monthly

check up.

Every 3rd Thursday

10:00am-11:00am

IN THE

SANDALWOOD

ACTIVITIES ROOM

SANDALWOOD PARK

AD PAGE 2

SANDALWOOD PARK

YOUR COOPERATION IS NEEDED

Everyone wants to keep Sandalwood a clean well

kept community, so it‟s important that each resident

has a registered caretaker for their property.

(EVEN IF YOU ARE THE CARETAKER).

Forms are available outside the office door in the

Activities Room.. Please pick one up and take a

couple of minutes to complete it. THANKS

PEACHES AND CREAM CHEESECAKE

¾ CUP SUGAR

8 OZ COOL SHIP

4) 8 OZ PKG CREAM CHEESE 1/3 LESS FAT (2 lb)

3-4 PEACHES CHOPPED *

1) SM. PEACH JELLO Beat cream cheese & sugar until well blended

Add dry Jell-O mix and mix well

Stir in peaches and cool whip

Put into baked pie crust or graham cracker crust REFRIGERATE 4 HOURS OR UNTIL FIRM

*CAN USE 15 OZ CAN OF PEACHES DRAINED

COOKS CORNER A WORD TO THE WISE

It‟s seems to be that time of the year

again when people would love to have a

bicycle but chose to enter your property

and take yours rather than to go to the

store or a yard sale or the Goodwill to buy

one. This was the case at our house. We really have no one to blame but ourselves as our

bikes were left at the end of the driveway unprotected.

Ironically there were two bikes, only one was taken,

mine, and it was probably the oldest bike in the park. It

did have a brand new Schwinn seat that I had for one

day. Adding insult to injury our car was broken into a few

months ago, along with a half a dozen others in the Park.

“Was it locked?” you ask, hate to admit it but the answer

is no! Now of course the car is locked nightly and the bikes are

now locked in the shed. Had we been more diligent

about securing things all could have been avoided. Take

our advice, make sure you lock everything up when not

in use. One good thing came about our misfortune, Nancy Burns

was kind enough to give me a bicycle that she was not

using. The best part of this, it‟s much nicer than the one

stolen. Thanks Nancy! Submitted by Alice Fitzpatrick

Season tickets are on sale now for $50.00 per person for four professional

shows. The same method as last year will be utilized for selecting seats. If you are

interested in a season ticket, contact Pam Brown, (484-9442) or Carmen Wallin (483-

4527). Payment is due on or before December 8th. Please make your check payable to SAC

and submit to the Sandalwood Office or to Pam Brown. A random drawing will determine the

order in which you may select your seats and the order will be posted by the December potluck. Seats

will be selected after the SAC board meeting on January 10 at approximately 11:00 A.M. The first show is "Diva Legends" featuring Donna Moore at 7:00 P.M. on Sunday, January 16. She

does her impressions of famous female entertainers and is an outstanding performer.

The second show is at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 10 and features "Dominic" who is a male singer

who performs standards and Vegas-type songs. The third show at 7:00 P.M. on Monday, February 21, is Maryellen Hooper, who is a comedienne who has

appeared on national television shows including "The Tonight Show", The final show at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 10 is an outstanding easy-country singer, Trey Dees. This year's series should be as good or even better than last year's, so get your reservations in right away.

Individual tickets MAY be available at the door at a higher price, and must be ordered in advance. If

you have any questions call Carmen (483-4527).

2011 CONCERT SERIES

SANDALWOOD PARK

SANDALWOOD PARK HOMEOWNERS CLUBHOUSE RULES

1. No notices, other than emergency or official, are to be attached to any walls, doors, windows, etc. inside or

outside of the building. Bulletin boards are provided for sharing information. Push pins or cellophane tape are

not to be used for any purpose on walls and doors.

2. Decorations for holidays or events must avoid damage to walls or ceilings.

3. Any group using the facilities is expected to pick up trash and do basic cleaning of equipment and furnishings.

Park maintenance personnel will dust and mop floors as needed.

4. Event leaders (or last to leave the building) are to turn off heat or air, turn off interior lights, audio/visual

equipment, appliances, etc. and lock all doors.

5. NO PARKING in the portico outside Sandpiper Room. This facility is for dropping off and picking up only.

Do not block the drive to the portico. Short term parking is allowed in front of the laundry and office while

conducting business but must not block the drive. Primary parking for Sandpiper Room is in the marked grass

areas to the south. Overflow parking is allowed across Sandpiper in the grass. Bicycles should park in the

grass in front of the Portico.

6. Official room designations are “Sandpiper Room”, “Activities Room”, “Exercise Room”, “Library”, “Office”,

“File Room”, “Laundry”, and “Information Hall”. Adopted by the Board 4/8/09

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

I must be able to contact someone immediately if you have an emergency and it is of utmost importance that I

have the contact list up to date. The simple form below will bring our records up to date. If you have not

completed this form, please do so and submit immediately. Thank you for your consideration. Marietta Jones

Name:

Address:

Emergency Contact Name:

Emergency Contact Phone:

Relationship of Contact:

EMERGENCY CONTACT FORM

“MEALS ON WHEELS” Venice Area Mobile Meals provides warm, nutritious noon-time meals, 6 days a week, Monday

through Saturday, 52 weeks a year, including holidays. The meal cost is minimal and the

service is available as long as needed. Who needs Meals On Wheels….The widow or the widower who cannot prepare a meal for

themselves, the disabled who are physically compromised, the recently hospitalized who have

returned home in a weakened condition and the elderly who are consistently in need of at least

one nutritious meal a day. The volunteer who delivers the meals are sometimes the only

personal outside contact the recipient has during the day. If you would like this service, or know someone who needs this assistance, a good meal is only a phone call away.

Call 488-1889 Monday-Saturday 8am-11am

SANDALWOOD PARK

AD PAGE 3

SANDALWOOD PARK

San

dal

wood D

ecem

ber

2010

Cro

ssw

ord

puzz

le

Su

n

Mo

n

Tu

e

We

d

Th

u

Fri

S

at

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Coff

ee 9

:00 A

M

Bre

akfa

st P

erki

ns 9

AM

P

oker

6:3

0 P

M

Card

s/G

am

es 7

PM

S

AC

ME

ET

ING

10

AM

Mo

vie

Nig

ht

7P

M

S

AC

AG

EN

DA

ME

ET

ING

1P

M

. P

oker

6:3

0 P

M

Card

s/G

am

es 7

PM

B

OA

RD

AG

EN

DA

ME

ET

ING

9 A

M

P

oker

6:3

0 P

M

Card

s/G

am

es 7

PM

B

OA

RD

ME

ET

ING

10

AM

Poker

6:3

0 P

M

Card

s/G

am

es 7

PM

Lunch N

oon

B

ingo 7

PM

Lunch N

oon

B

ingo 7

PM

Lunch N

oon

B

ingo 7

PM

Lunch N

oon

B

ingo 7

PM

Bre

akfa

st P

erki

ns 9

AM

V

en

ice

Isl

es

Go

lf C

art

C

hri

stm

as

Pa

rad

e 7

PM

P

oker

6:3

0 P

M

Card

s/G

am

es 7

PM

Bre

akfa

st P

erki

ns 9

AM

B

ingo 7

PM

N

EW

SL

ET

TE

R

AR

TIC

LE

S D

UE

Bin

go 7

PM

B

ingo 7

PM

Coff

ee 9

:00 A

M

Coff

ee 9

:00 A

M

Chri

stm

as D

inner

Fam

ily T

able

4p

m

Co

okie

Exchan

ge

2P

M

B

ingo 7

PM

B

reak

fast

Per

kins

9A

M

Bre

akfa

st P

erki

ns 9

AM

Blo

od

pre

ssu

re c

he

ck

10

-11

AM

Chr

istm

as H

ome

Dec

o-ra

ting

Judg

ed a

t 7P

M

Ch

ristm

as P

otl

uc

k

C

ock

tails

5:3

0P

M

Din

ne

r 6

:00

PM

NE

W Y

EA

RS

E

VE

PA

RT

Y

Ja

nu

ary

1,

20

11

Gro

up D

inner

SANDALWOOD PARK

AD PAGE 4

SANDALWOOD PARK

SANDALWOOD FAMILY HOLIDAY DINNERS

Christmas Day Family Table

North Port 4:00 pm

New Years Day 4:00 pm

ALL ARE WELCOME……...THE MORE THE MERRIER

NEIGHBORS GUESTS FRIENDS RELATIVES

Sign up sheet is in the information hall

IMPORTANT PARKING ON SANDALWOOD STREETS

Sandalwood allows parking in

front of homes, with two

wheels on the grass, for short

periods of time, but never

overnight. Also, never block

the street preventing free flow

of traffic. Grass parking is permitted

anytime in the designed parking area south of Sandpiper

Hall. Short term parking is also allowed on the grass across

Sandpiper from Sandpiper Hall. However, avoid

parking within fifteen feet of the house in this area.

The Newcomers' party will be from 2:00 to 4:00 on

January 19 in the Sandpiper room, so put it on your

calendar now and come and welcome the new people in

the park. Alice Fitzpatrick is hosting the party so you

may contact her if you have questions.

Welcome to Sandalwood

HOLIDAY

HOME DECORATING

CONTEST

The Christmas decorations will

be judged on December 16th

between 7:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M. The

prizes will be the same as last year--

$15.00 for first, $10.00 for second, and

$5.00 for third. The winners will be

announced at the December potluck.

Save your towels, blankets and

bedspreads for the Endangered

Animal Rescue Sanctuary. Call

488-7851 for pick up. Janet Mervine

SANDALWOOD MAINTENANCE FEES Sandalwood quarterly fees are due on or before

January 1, 2011

Maintenance fees are 328.00

Lawn care is 60.00 (Optional) If you are paying both Maintenance

and Lawn Care, submit one

check for 388.00. Thanks!

BE AWARE POLICY ON UPKEEP OF PROPERTY

There continues to be a problem in

Sandalwood with proper upkeep of

property. The Sandalwood Park policy

requires residents and tenants to keep

their homes “orderly, neat, clean and

free of litter”. If it is determined that a home site needs

attention, an attempt will be made to contact the resident

or caretaker about the problem. If the problem is not

resolved within two weeks, Sandalwood Park will hire

someone to perform the necessary services. You will be

invoiced for the actual costs plus a $50.00 fine.

SANDALWOOD PARK

Health: 1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games

7. Read more books than you did in 2010 .

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile

Personality: 11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her past mistakes. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade

away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society: 25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life: 32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come..

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

HANDBOOK FOR A HAPPY 2011

SANDALWOOD PARK

Life in Lee’s eyes

Daily life at our house isn‟t

exactly typical of every household

throughout the country. At 7 AM

everyday my spouse nudges me

and says "It's time to get up and

take your Viagra". If I take a nap

in the afternoon she wakes me up at 3 PM and says "It's

time to take your Viagra". If I go to bed at 10 PM she

wakes me up at 11 PM and says "It's time to take your

Viagra". This goes on day after day......week after

week. Viagra (sildenafil citrate) has taken sorta of a “bad

rap”. Although many use if for other conditions, it was

developed originally by the Pfizer Company for the

treatment of a rare problem called pulmonary

arterial hypertension, which is a condition where too much

pressure in the lungs prevent the right side of the heart

from pumping an adequate supply of blood to all parts of

the body causing dizziness and sometimes passing out

episodes occur. Viagra is a very expensive

drug to take. Fortunately, the Federal Government,

through the VA, shares much of that expense if the

medication is used for the original reason it was

developed, but not for other “non medical” reasons.

While Viagra helps open up blood vessels, allowing a

better flow, it also has some side effects that need to be

watched. In my case, double vision in the right eye

creates interesting pictures. There has been an influx of

twins in my vision, which isn't all bad but two cars coming

down the highway in the same lane would shake up any

NASCAR driver. It is fun to look at the lake and see two

speedboats in a high speed race. Always bet on the one

slightly in front. It never loses. Eye doctors will

soon call a halt to all of that. We are back in Sandalwood and it feels great! This

summer in Iowa was a real challenge with flooding,

tornadoes, rain, cold weather, wind, etc. The tornado only

took out one branch of a large tree in our yard but the

grandkids are furious because the high winds knocked out

their lakeside tree house and state laws prevent building

another one in that particular tree. Grandfather rights no

longer apply. Many boats and docks were

destroyed. Maybe tornadoes aren't as bad as

hurricanes. Hopefully, we won't have to make a

comparison. If you have any rare medical problems don't hesitate to

write about them. As one good hypochondriac to another

it will be a pleasure to hear from you.

Christmas Potluck with

Entertainment Saturday—December 19

Cocktails 5:30 pm

Dinner 6:00 pm

GIFT EXCHANGE (Approx $5.00):

Men bring man’s gift, women bring woman’s gift

(tag gift ”man” or “woman”)

Must sign up on reservation

form in clubhouse if you plan to attend.

SANDALWOOD PARK

STAY INFORMED WITH CLOSED CIRCUIT TV

Channel 117 or 795

Sandalwood Park has a unique way to keep

residents up to date on activities and updates.

Make it a habit to tune to 117 or 795 each day

when you turn on your TV.

Be sure to keep residents up to date by having upcoming

events or changes posted on the TV. Forms are available in

the Activities Room by the Comcast controls.

CONDOLENCES

TO

Alfred and Joanne Brown of 345

Longwood Dr. Their daughter Barbara

Brown passed away Oct. 8th in

Pennsylvania.

Ray and Genevieve Lavender of 367

Longwood Dr. Their son Duane passed

away Oct. 19th in Taylor, Michigan.

IN MEMORY OF HENRY BUKOWSKI

A purple crepe myrtle tree has been planted in Veterans

Park in memory of Henry Bukowski. It was donated by

his family and is accompanied by a nice bronze plaque

with his name and dates of his life span. It is in a

prominent place and will be enjoyed by all and bring

Henry to mind as we pass that way.

Two very nice concrete benches have been placed in

Veterans Park, donated by Sandra and Joe Marsocci in

memory of Henry Bukowski. They have been placed at

the end of a walk that is entered through a trellis covered

with greenery. It is quite an attractive setting for a

memorial piece to honor Henry. A plaque with Henry‟s

name has been placed between the benches.

Memorial Park has become a very special place in

Sandalwood and will soon be upgraded with a new sign.

This is a beautiful way to give a memorial to that special

someone who is no longer with us.

OUTSIDE WASHING

It‟s that time again to get rid of

the dirt and mold that has

accumulated on the outside of

our homes. Power washing is

reasonably inexpensive and

should be done on a yearly

basis. Lets keep the park

sparkling clean, call today and

make an appointment to have yours done!!!!!!

MARKED THE SPOT

Two friends rented a boat and

fished in a lake every day.

One of them caught 30 fish.

One guy said to his friend,

“Mark this spot so that we can

come back here again

tomorrow.”

The next day, when they were driving to rent the boat,

the man asked his friend, “Did you mark that spot?” His

friend replied, “Yeah I put a big „X‟ on the bottom of

the boat. The first one said, “You stupid fool! What if

we don‟t get that boat today!?!”.

FIFTH TIME’S THE CHARM

A man was driving

when a traffic camera

flashed. He thought his

picture was taken for

exceeding the speed

limit, even though he

knew he was not

speeding. Just to be sure, he went around the block and

passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but

again the camera flashed. He thought this was quite

funny, so he slowed down even further as he drove past

the area, but the traffic camera flashed yet again. He

tried a fourth time with the same result. The fifth time

he was laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled

past at a snail‟s pace.

Two weeks later, he got five traffic fine letters in the

mail for driving without a seat belt. Men! And they say

blondes are dumb.

SANDALWOOD PARK

NEED HELP WITH MAINTAINING YOUR PROPERTY WHILE HERE OR AWAY?

THERE ARE RESIDENTS WHO ARE OFFERING PROPERTY CAREGIVER

SERVICES IN SANDALWOOD PARK.

PLEASE SEE THE BULLETIN BOARD AT THE CLUBHOUSE FOR DETAILS.

Summer of the Bummer Shoulder By Trish Vandenbusche

It all started as a normal summer day on June 17 but it

took a bad turn after I parked my car at a Toledo mall

and walked behind the row of cars to go to a free-

standing shoe store. I didn‟t see an island green at the

end of the row and caught my outer foot on the curb and

went down hard! The result was a shattered head of my

left humerus (shoulder). So there I was lying in the road

in front of the store, and one car swerved to go around

me. The second car stopped and offered assistance,

which I gladly accepted since I was writhing in pain and

couldn‟t move. This good Samaritan called 911 and then

another angel showed up. It was Kim, my daughter-in-

law who is no less a life flight transport nurse. She later

told me that she had just asked herself why in the world

she was parking in the back part of the mall as she never

parks there! She was on her way to a meeting and had a

few minutes to spare, so thought she‟d shop awhile. I

had just asked God for help, and He sent her!

Kim took my watch and ring off and called Norm who

was quite far away in Adrian, MI. She stayed with me

until I was loaded into the ambulance for the bumpy five

-minute ride to Toledo Hospital. My shoulder was also

dislocated, so you can imagine the pain! Kim was there

ahead of me and had things ready in the emergency room

as she moonlights there. That night I had surgery, and

the orthopedic trauma surgeon opened the shoulder and

put it back together with a plate and eight screws.

After spending one night at the hospital I was released

home with my patient husband, Norm, as my nurse. I

must say he did an excellent job. The narcotics gave me

hallucinations, so I couldn‟t take them but a few days.

Then I spent 3-1/2 months in physical therapy three days

a week. I neglected to mention that I lost the use of my

left hand due to radial nerve palsy. So I had to wear this

manipulation (actually a brace) to hold all of my fingers

up so my hand wouldn‟t go to sleep and wouldn‟t freeze

in a fist. In August my shoulder was still frozen and I

hadn‟t progressed much. My radial nerve, however, has

healed but will never be the same. So now the surgeon

wanted to take me to surgery again to break up the

adhesions (scar tissue) and most likely do a total

shoulder replacement. I said NO!!

The next step was to find a new surgeon as by this time I

started hearing horror stories about my surgeon. I found a

great one in Adrian, Mi., who would take me on. I had

rotator cuff repair and loose bone fragments removed on

Oct. 26. I am waiting a few more days to get my staples

out and start P.T. again! This surgeon said even with the

replacement, I would never have lifted my arm with a torn

rotator cuff! So I am hoping for a good outcome. Norm

says the only good part of this whole situation was that I

was on my way in to the store, so didn‟t buy any shoes!

Ha Ha

In the meantime, Norm is anxious to leave this cold

weather for our Sandalwood home. We‟ll get there as

soon as we can; we miss our Florida friends and

neighbors. I think golf may also have something to do

with Norm‟s reasoning. Speaking of that, Norm scored a

hole-in-one this past June. It was a par-3, 180 yard hole,

and he used a #4 hybrid club.

That‟s our news! Looking forward to seeing everyone!!

OCTOBER POT LUCK The October Pot Luck got

the new season off to a

great start. There were

50 people in attendance

which is a good number

for this early in the season.

Carmen Wallen painted

adorable faces on 7 pumpkins

(which she brought all the way from Iowa) and

we used them for center pieces until they were

raffled off to 7 very pleased recipients. Mady

Antonsen and Charlie Kane each received a

bottle of champagne for being brave enough to

come in costume. After the dinner dishes were

cleared, we played Bingo, and the five lucky

winners each got a 5 dollar bill. Even the losers

had fun. I‟m sure everyone is looking forward

to all of the great Pot Luck events coming up

this season! Submitted by: Lois Cottrill

SANDALWOOD PARK

AD PAGE 5