Roadrunner Articles for 2025

FEBRUARY 28 ROADRUNNER – Submit Feb 24

Get Ready to Break Free and Embrace Adventure at Beatitudes!

As we bid farewell to the “frigid Arizona temperatures,” it’s time to shake off those winter blues and spread your wings! The world outside your door is bursting with excitement, and we want you to join in on the fun. Trust us, there’s no commitment required—just come curious and see what it’s all about!

Mark Your Calendars with These Exciting Events:

Wednesday, March 5: Dive into the buzz at our Town Hall Updates hosted by the Admin Team in the Life Center at 2:00 PM. This is your chance to get in the know while mingling with fellow residents! Cookies are served!

Thursday, March 6: Join us for spirited Life Enrichment meetings in the Admin Conference Room at 10:15 AM. Help us brainstorm and plan exciting activities—we want your input!

Friday, March 7: Go green with the Recycle Committee also in theh Admin Conference Room at 11:00 AM. Together, we can make a difference!

Wednesday, March 12: It’s the Second Community Wednesday, where the Resident Council gathers in the Life Center at 2 PM. Your voice matters—join us to share your ideas! Listen to ours. One of the topics to be discussed is to make Recycle Committee and Accessibility full committees.

And here’s a special treat:

March 14 at 10 AM—Step behind the scenes for an exclusive tour of the Beatitudes Kitchens during their peak productivity! Witness culinary magic up close!

Sweeten your March with Ice Cream in the Bistro on Wednesday, March 19, followed by a delightful New Resident Welcome Coffee on March 26. Meet your neighbors, forge new friendships, and enjoy delicious treats!

One of the unique gifts of Beatitudes is our vibrant calendar filled with nearly 700 activities every single month! Involvement isn’t just fun; it helps you live longer, boosts your physical health, and enriches your spirit. Embrace everything Beatitudes has to offer, and step into a world of connection, joy, and adventure.

Don’t miss out—come out, explore, and engage with your community. Your next favorite moment is just around the corner! 🌈

FEBRUARY 21 ROADRUNNER – Submit Feb 17

Always Something Happening at Beatitudes!

We’ve received feedback from Residents that they watch something on Channel 1-2 “When they happen upon it.” We’ve answered that challenge and now have a monthly TV Guide that can be picked up at the Information Station in the Bistro or the first floor lobby of your building.

Speaking of Channel 1-2, there is a new event inspired by Hobs. Every Friday evening at 5:00 is a half-hour Karaoke sing along. Whether you sing in the comfort of your own home or host a Karaoke Party in one of the lounges, please enjoy this program.

Also new is PPMG and PB’s. You already know “Paper Plastic Metal Glass.” Those are the only things to be put into recycle containers. We now have Plastic Bags! In the past we took your clean grocery bags and bistro bags to the supermarket for recycling. The Recycle Committee is reviving this activity. As of right now, you will see a large plastic bag at the bus stop. This is not for trash. It is for your plastic bags. These will be taken to the store recycling box every Wednesday.

Calendar Events that you don’t want to miss this week are India Palace lunch outing on the 25^th, New Resident Coffee on the 26^thas well as Beaded Lizard. On the 27^th we go to Ajo Als for great Mexican food, and at the top of the list is Friday the 28^th: Red Shirt Day. Be sure to wear RED to show your support of Heart Disease Awareness.

FEBRUARY 14 ROADRUNNER – Submit Feb 10

Retirement Secrets

In the Plaza Buildings we have a Share Table on the first floor. Someone left a book called Retirement Secrets. To whoever left it: Thank you very much. Here are a few tips that will apply to everybody.

Everyday Clothes: Admit it… your days of trying to impress others are probably over. Backstreet Boutique has items in like-new quality for pennies on the dollar. Some even have the store tag still attached.
Cut your Hair Yourself: Easier for guys, but there are clippers with Numbered Attachments that will give you a near-professional cut.
Vacationing: A 30 day round-trip cruise from San Diego to Callao, Peru was $1200. Our fourteen day China trip was only $300. Check out Groupon.com for last minute deals.
Free Assistance: It’s nearly Tax Time. Did you know that AARP hires tax professionals to offer free tax preparation? Look for details in an upcoming Roadrunner.
Medicare: If you go from the Hospital to the Healthcare Center MAKE SURE you have three days in-patient care on your hospital bill. Less than that, Medicare may not pay for your Healthcare Center expeses.
Staying Healthy: Pneumonia kills over 50,000 people a year. Get a pneumonia shot. They are free, and keep you alive. Talk with your doctor.
Smoking: One line for this topic. Stop.
Laugh: It has been proven that people with a positive outlook in life live longer than the grumpy Gusses. Find the lighter side of life whenever you can.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: There is an upcoming session on Sexual Activity that you will find enlightening. Did you know that the incident of STDs in a community of our age is 120% higher than outside our fences. Be tested. It’s coming up, and it’s free.

FEBRUARY 7 ROADRUNNER – Submit Feb 3

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time

Three different troops will be in the Bistro selling their wares. One troop will be available on Thursday, February 6, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, and two troops will be present on Saturday, February 8, and Saturday, February 15, arriving around 11:00 AM and staying until they sell out. Stock up now! If you buy 12 boxes of Thin Mints and eat only one Thin Mint per day, you will have enough to last you the entire year.

It’s also time for the Super Bowl! Join us for a tailgate party this Sunday at 4:00 PM in Buckwalds. Tickets are available in the Bistro for $10. We will be serving Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, KC BBQ ribs, pulled pork, brats, sauerkraut, chips and salsa, a veggie tray, potato salad, and a blondie brownie. Where else, other than Beatitudes, can you get all of this for only ten bucks!?

The fun continues on Monday at 10:00 AM when the bus goes to Costco, followed by another drum circle in the Life Center. At 2:00 PM in the Rec Room, we will begin cornhole practice to help us retain the Fitness Challenge trophy, which we have won for two consecutive years. On Wednesday, please join us in the Life Center at 2:00 PM for updates from the Residents Council.

Friday is Valentine’s Day! If you are one of the Plaza Poets, please note that the meeting location has been changed for this Friday only. We will meet in Agelink 1 at 10:00 AM. With respect to Valentine’s Day, the Ukulele Class will perform love songs in the Plaza Club starting at 4:00 PM.

By popular request, the Beatitudes Senior Care in Motion (BSCiM) presentation has been recorded and is playing on Channel 1-2 on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, starting at 7:00 PM.

ABOUT THE GIRL SCOUTS

There are several Girl Scout Leaders and many Girl Scouts living here at Beatitudes.

The Girl Scouts were founded by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912. The cookie program helps girls develop financial literacy, practical life skills, and critical thinking. It also fosters leadership skills, such as cooperation, teamwork, and conflict resolution.

Girl Scouts acquire practical skills like first aid, cooking, and sewing. They learn leadership abilities, including making decisions, acting fairly, and collaborating effectively in a team. Additionally, Girl Scouts volunteer at local organizations, such as animal shelters and soup kitchens. They participate in field trips, hikes, and various outdoor adventures, as well as engage in cultural exchanges and environmental stewardship projects. Girl Scouts can earn badges by completing tasks and mastering new skills. More senior members may also be eligible for awards such as the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.

The Girl Scouts actively support LGBTQ+ girls and their families. Their mission is to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all girls, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic. They strive to foster spaces where LGBTQ+ girls feel safe and affirmed.

Here are four things you may not know about Girl Scouts:

The Girl Scouts of the USA primarily operates within the United States, but it is part of a larger global organization known as the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), which includes member organizations in over 150 countries.
The first troop to sell cookies to raise money was established in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1917.
The Girl Scout Gold Award, as it is known today, was previously referred to as the Curved Bar and the First Class; it was originally named the Golden Eaglet. This award is equivalent to the Eagle Scout award in the Boy Scouts.
Notable alumnae include Taylor Swift, Hillary Clinton, Venus and Serena Williams, Debbie Reynolds, and Carrie Fisher, among others.

JANUARY 31 ROADRUNNER – Submit Jan 27

Auld Lang Syne

It seems that January passed too quickly. I’ve been thinking about people who have passed that have made a difference in all of our lives. The first to come to mind is Bob Telleen. He refused to take credit for it, but he was the guiding force in the design of the Beatitudes Affirmations. Paul Carpenter is another that I thought of. Paul came to Beatitudes with his wife Barbara in 2013. He taught many classes for LifeLong Learners who bestowed on him the honor of Professor Emeritus. Lowell Bailey was another mover and shaker here on Campus. It was he who started the Beatitudes Community Garden. Dosia Carlson was also very influential in the programs here. She started DUET, Partners in Health and Aging, which focuses on providing support and assistance to homebound adults, particularly seniors while they age in place.

Norma and Ken Buckwald, Bill Nelson, and many others. Like they say at the Academy: “Too many to mention them all.” I’m not trying to minimize the lives of others not mentioned here. We’ve lost some very good, caring, wonderful people. It takes a special kind of person to dedicate your life to others to the extent they all did.

Deviating from that thought process, Saturday is the first day of February. The Admin Town Hall is Wednesday, the 5^th at 2:00 pm in the Life Center. Life Enrichment meets at 10:15 on Thursday, February 6 in the Admin Conference Room to plan some of the fabulous outings and events. In the past we’ve gone to Martin Auto Museum, the Musical Instrument Museum, Lake Pleasant, and Rock Springs for some great pies. This open meeting is a great way to become involved in life here. The Recycle Committee, now chaired by Donna Moninger meets Friday at 11 am, also in the Admin Conference Room. Saturday, the 8^th is Girl Scout Cookie Time. They will be here at 11:00 and sell until they run out of cookies.

JANUARY 24 ROADRUNNER – Submit Jan 20

This coming Wednesday, join us in the Life Center at 2 pm to welcome all the new residents. The Line Dance class will be performing a four minute routine for your amusement.

On Monday, the Open Keyboard & Harp Jam will happen at 4 pm in CPW2. Feedback from residents for this event have been great. An English High Tea will accompany a showing of Pride and Prejudice in the Life Center, while at the same time the bus will take a group to Encanto Park for a day in the sun. Bring a sack lunch or Grab and Go. On Thursday we take the bus to Scottsdale Old Town for ice cream, shopping, eating and general frivolity; and on Friday we celebrate January Birthdays in the Bistro at 1 pm. NEXT Saturday, February first, we have three big events that I want to give you a heads-up about. First Saturday in the garden at 8 am, Evans-Bell Conversion at 2 pm in the Life Center, and Baby Boomer Classics in the Bistro at 4 pm.

On a slightly different note: February is Black History Month. Be on the lookout for special events over the next few weeks.

JANUARY 17 ROADRUNNER – Submit Jan 13

A reminder that all Community Wednesday events have been pushed back (pushed up?) one week, since January 1 was the First Wednesday. This coming Wednesday, join Admin in the Bistro for Sundaes with Dave.

Other events: On Saturday (tomorrow if you are reading this right away) we will have an encore performance by the Scandanavian Folk Dancers in the Life Center. Saturday afternoon is Bill Chase’s band “Cimarron Road” at 4 pm in the Bistro.

Monday at 4 pm is a Song Fest in the Life Center with the Hartleys. Tuesday at 10 am Accessibility meets in the LC Board Rooms, and at 11 am we head for Valle Luna for lunch. On Thursday we have a special outing. We will be dropped off at the Light Rail Station at 19^th and Dunlap, and take the train to Tempe Mill Avenue station where will will cross the street and eat at Loco Patron. Rail tickets are $2 each. Senior Care in Motion will debut in the LC on Friday at 10:00 am. Look for the complete article in this issue. As always, you can stay as busy as you want here at Beatitudes.

JANUARY 10 ROADRUNNER – Submit Jan 6

A few things that are coming up that I hope will interest you. The impending event is LifeLong Learners. By now, you should have received your class catalog, and I hope that you have selected at least one class to attend. There is a variety of excellent classes this session. Registration is this coming Monday, January 13 starting at 10:00, and going until noon. If you are unable to attend on Monday, a shorter registration session will be held January 14 from 1:00 until 2:00. It’s important that if you see a “must have” class, please plan on arriving early. Some events have limitations on class size, and registrations are taken on a first-come first-served basis. You may also have a friend bring your completed and signed registration in for you. Thank you and I hope to see you at LifeLong Learners.

The other event is more of a process. For those who have difficulty navigating to Channel 1-1, which hosts a variety of important information, including events, and activities, here is an easy process for tuning into The Beatitudes Channel.

Turn on your TV. So far, so good. Now, press the Channel 1 button. This will take you to the WINS channel. You may never have heard of that channel, but it’s not important. WINS is just a stepping stone toward Channel 1-1. Now, find the toggle button that is marked CH, that is to the right of the volume button. This is the channel changing button. Press it up toward the front of the remote control, and you will now be on Channel 1-1. This is where all of our events, activities and notices are shown. Through the generosity of KBAQ, we also have classical music playing on that channel. Press it again, and you will be on Channel 1-2 where we have a myriad of programming being streamed just for you. Pressing it one more time, you will be on Channel 1-3. This is where our Church Services play on Sunday: Catholic Mass at 9:00 and Non-denominational Worship at 3:00. We are working on a TV Guide that will give you all the programming information without having to rely on Uniguest.

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Tips for sticking to New Year’s resolutions in retirement

Fun and fulfilling activities for seniors in the winter season
Healthy eating habits to start the new year off right
The benefits of staying active and maintaining a fitness routine in the winter
Planning for travel and vacations in the upcoming year
How to combat loneliness and stay connected in the new year
Budget-friendly ways to enjoy the winter season
Incorporating mindfulness and relaxation techniques into daily life for a more peaceful year ahead
Setting personal goals and aspirations for the new year in retirement
Reflections on the past year and looking forward to the future with positivity and optimism.

JANUARY 3 ROADRUNNER – Submit Dec 31

As we enter a new year, let’s all take this opportunity to start fresh. If you have someone you haven’t gotten along with, give them another chance. Invite them to breakfast, or coffee. If you’ve been hoping to lose a little weight or walk better, consider joining an exercise group once or twice a week. Perhaps eat a vegetarian meal once a week. If you feel out of the loop on campus events, commit to reading the Roadrunner – at least skimming it. Clutter around your apartment? Backstreet Boutique will pick up your donations. Just call 602-335-8463. Exercise your mind. LifeLong Learners registration begins January 13. Want to meet new friends? There are dozens of volunteer opportunities around the Campus. If you are living here at Beatitudes, you are now officially a desert creature. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Learn a bit more about technology. If you don’t have Uniguest yet, you can get an Android phone from Amazon for under $30. No monthly fee, if you don’t activate cellular service. There are hundreds of ideas that you could implement that would enrich your life. Give it some thought, and move on it. Best wishes to you all for the New Year.

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