The Connections Warren Watchung Edition Feb/Mar 2022

theconnectionsnj.com SENIOR LIVING PAGE 40 Senior Living At Its Best All the conveniences life offers on a Resort Style Life Plan Community 877-758-2115 ways to live an inspired life. A vibrant destination community, with world class amenities and a state-of-the-art health center. We have been welcoming seniors eager to start the next chapter of their lives, without compromising on the high quality lifestyle you are accustomed to. Fellowship Village offers multiple 5- Star dining options, including our new Indoor/Outdoor Tapas Bar and Lounge. A Cultural Arts Center designed to bring you theater, opera, and various forms of live entertainment, all on a vibrant 72 acre campus where you can Live Your Best Life! And Fellowship offers a full continuum of onsite services to give you the peace of mind you can age in place. Offering an abundance of choices! 8000 Fellowship Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 FellowshipSeniorLiving.org We know how important keep- ing our bodies active is for fight- ing the effects of aging, but we may not consider the same for our minds. It is easy to get compla- cent about challenging ourselves mentally, and yet, I believe it is just as easy to practice good mental gymnastics. Consistency and de- termination, coupled with a bit of creativity and great patterns, can be built in our brains. I start each morning with a little wakeup for my body by counting backwards as I stretch and limber my body. My breakfast, which in- cludes colorful berries for sharp- ness and is also a healthy antioxi- dant, has a companion, the puzzle section of the Star-Ledger. I first do the Ken-Ken which is always, al- ways possible to solve! The boxes which are outlined in black, called cages, have a target number and math operation identified, and each line must have numbers from 1 to 4. The rules are explicit and, as I mentioned, one gets familiar with them very easily. There is a sense of satisfaction after solving this puzzle, because like anything we do daily, we become more skillful. By now, after I have taken my vitamins, I look to the two Crypto Quotes for the day. The Crypto Quote is a statement that substi- tutes a fictitious letter for the cor- rect letter. The challenge is being able to “read” the quote knowing that one must figure out what the substitute letters are each day. One of the quotes is usually by a well-known personality, and there is even a clue…such as in today’s puzzle, “J equals E” so I am off and running. The second puzzle and the author of the quote may be a bit more obscure. My pencil has a workout with these, and so does my brain, because although there are basic precepts, such as “a two-letter word will never begin with the letter ‘E’” there are count- less ways to work the puzzle, and there are days when I am still work- ing on them when I have my lunch or after dinner snack. If there is no newspaper avail- able, there are books and books of Crypto Quotes, Ken-Ken, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc. Journal- ing is a great way to also get your mind into your daily activities, as are crafts and sewing. Following patterns with knitting, crocheting and sewing are all challenges that reap great rewards. I take knitting/ crocheting classes and surpris- ingly, age is irrelevant. There are those younger than I, and those older. The garments or blankets we create are wonderful, but the camaraderie and enthusiasm we have for each other is equally as wonderful. We stretch ourselves, we motivate and support each other, and we love to model what we have done for the sheer plea- sure of taking yarn and making it into something special, because we envisioned it and we made it. We all know that yarn was like a blank piece of paper until we saw in it something uniquely ours. We followed a pattern, which helped our mind and brain, and reaped double benefits. I encourage you to find your own way to keep your mind active and challenged. As I mentioned, it takes determination and con- sistency. Add on activities as you master each, count backwards, say nursery rhymes while stretching, imagine yourself breaking through whatever barrier you thought pre- vented you from challenging your- self…eat your berries, rich and colorful, and be mindful of the smart investment you are making in your aging mind, just as you do your aging body. It is easy to get complacent about challenging ourselves mentally, and yet, I believe it is just as easy to practice good mental gymnastics. Consistency and determination, coupled with a bit of creativity and great patterns, can be built in our brains. The garments or blankets we create are wonderful, but the camaraderie and enthusiasm we have for each other is equally as wonderful. We stretch ourselves, we motivate and support each other, and we love to model what we have done for the sheer pleasure of taking yarn and making it into something special, because we envisioned it and we made it. by Ellyn Mantell KEEPING YOUR MIND ACTIVE REAPS GREAT REWARDS! S enior C orner