The Egalitarian Origins of Cinco de Mayo

 
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Assisted Living Residences

                                                                                                             May 2019
                             The Egalitarian Origins of Cinco de Mayo
                             “From 1862-1867, the public memory of          as California. The United States at the time
                             Cinco de Mayo was forged in the American       was embroiled in the Civil War, and many,
                             west.”                                         especially the Latino communities in
                                    – David Hayes-Bautista, UCLA            California, saw the Mexican victory as a
                                                                            simultaneous victory for the Union army.
                             Cinco de Mayo is a time for food, dancing,
                             piñata-bashing, singing, mariachi music,      The French regime that ordered the
                             and other festive customs inspired by         invasion of Mexico had actively supported
                             Mexican culture. At Youville, during          the Confederate army in their war efforts.
                             Happy Hour, we will enjoy Mexican food        Many feared that a French occupation of
                             and live music performed by a mariachi        Mexico would guarantee at least another
                             band. If we could magically transport         year of French support for the
                             ourselves to a Mexican city, we’d be sure     Confederates. This is how the Latino
                             to see even bigger, wilder Cinco de Mayo      community in the United States came to
                             celebrations, right?                          associate the tyrannical French invaders in
                                                                           Mexico with the slave-owning southern
                             Trick question! While Cinco de Mayo
                                                                           states. Both battle fronts became parts of
                             commemorates an event that occurred
                                                                           a larger American war against tyranny and
                             deep in the heart of Mexico, almost no
                                                                           inequality. When news arrived of the
                             one in Mexico still celebrates it. The event
                                                                           Mexican victory, celebrations erupted
                             that inspired Cinco de Mayo was The Battle
                                                                           throughout the west coast.
                             of Puebla, which took place on May 5th,
                             1862. What happened there was fairly          Today, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a
                             straightforward: a ragtag Mexican army        general celebration of Mexican heritage
                             managed to defeat an invading French          within the United States. Most people
                             army twice as large.                          celebrating are unaware of the egalitarian
                                                                           ideals that fueled the initial celebrations as
                             Although Puebla is 630 miles from the
                                                                           news of the Mexican victory reached the
                             nearest American border, the significance
                                                                           Latino population of California.
                             of this unlikely victory was felt as far away

                             Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Mariachi Mexico Lindo at Happy Hour
                             Thursday, May 2 at 3:30 PM
                             We will celebrate Cinco de Mayo three days early this year! Joined by the talented
                             musicians of Mariachi Mexico Lindo, our Happy Hour will include Mexican food,
                             drinks and great music. Mariachi Mexico Lindo features lively Latin rhythms, authentic
                             Mexican instruments and great vocal harmonies.
An Afternoon of Music with Nancy Day and                    Your Guide to the Kentucky Derby
    Drummer John George
    Tuesday, May 28 at 2:00 PM                                  Alternatively referred to as “The Run for the Roses” or
    An accomplished pianist, singer and composer, Nancy         “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” the
    Day consistently thrills audiences with her dynamic         Kentucky Derby is a 1.25 mile race for three-year-old
    performances. She draws from a wide-ranging repertoire      thoroughbred horses. The Kentucky Derby draws an
    that includes jazz, country, ragtime, musical theater and   average of 150,000 visitors each year, including residents,
    enchanting love songs.                                      out-of-towners, celebrities, presidents, and even members
                                                                of royal families.
    Happy Birthday!
                                                                This year, The 145th Kentucky Derby will take place on
    Camille P.		 May 3                                          Saturday, May 4. At Youville, we will show live race
    Frances C.		May 9				                                       coverage from 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM. Tune in to root for
    Rita N.			   May 27                                         your favorite horse - or simply to marvel at all of the
    Dolores B.		 May 29                                         elaborate hats in the audience.
    Residents born in May are invited to lunch
    in the Private Dining Room to celebrate on Friday,          Kentucky Derby History
    May 31 at 12:00 PM.                                         The first Kentucky Derby race occurred on May 17th,
                                                                1875. Close to 10,000 people watched as 15
                                                                thoroughbred horses ran what was then a 1.5 mile course.
                                                                In 1876, the length of the race was changed to 1.25
    Shopping Trips
                                                                miles. By the early 1900s, owners of winning
    Lexington Center / Walgreen’s                               Kentucky Derby horses started sending their winners to
    Thursday, May 2 & 23                                        run in the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the
    Time: 1:00 PM		      Return: 2:30 PM                        Belmont Stakes in New York. In 1930, sportswriter
    Lexington Stop & Shop                                       Charles Hatton coined the term “Triple Crown” in
    Friday, May 3 & 31                                          reference to the same horses running the three races
    Time: 9:30 AM       Return: 11:00 AM                        consecutively.

    Burlington Market Basket                                    Kentucky Derby Lingo
    Friday, May 10 & 24                                         • Mint Julep–– The Mint Julep is the official drink of
    Time: 9:30 AM       Return: 11:00 AM                          the Kentucky Derby. It is an iced drink consisting of
                                                                  bourbon, mint, and a sweet syrup and is traditionally
    Bedford Stop & Shop
                                                                  served in a commemorative Kentucky Derby glass.
    Friday, May 17
    Time: 9:30 AM       Return: 11:00 AM                        • Burgoo–– A thick, meaty stew that is the traditional
                                                                  meal of the Kentucky Derby.
    Like Us On Facebook                                         • Millionaire’s Row–– The premium seating area that
    Visit our Facebook page any time for updates, photos,         houses all of the rich and famous Kentucky Derby
    videos and more. When you “like” us on Facebook, we           guests during the races.
    will send you updates and links to our most recent news.
    Just search for Youville Assisted Living on Facebook and    • Triple Crown–– A series of three races, the Kentucky
    click “like.” See you on the web!                             Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes,
                                                                  that is run annually by a group of thoroughbred
                                                                  horses.
2
Monthly Highlights...                                         stories. Rabbi Margalit will present stories from a wide
Music Appreciation Lecture Series:                            variety of faith traditions including Christianity, Judaism,
Gilbert & Sullivan                                            Sufism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Native American
with Richard Travers                                          traditions. The course will explore themes such as
Wednesday, May 1 at 2:00 PM                                   spiritual quest, growth and challenge.
Richard Travers presents a series of stimulating music
lectures that combine audio selections, visuals, biography    Acrylic Painting with Eddie Bruckner
and a trove of music history and theory to top it all off.    Friday, May 10 at 2:00 PM
This lecture will pay tribute to the Victorian-era            This 1.5 hour class will guide participants through a
theatrical partnership between librettist W.S. Gilbert        traditional landscape painting. Working with acrylic
(1836-1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan                      paints, instructor Eddie Bruckner will demonstrate
(1842-1900). This stalwart duo collaborated on fourteen       different techniques during hands-on painting such as
comic operas between 1871 and 1896, the best known            the preparation of materials, color mixing and specific
of which include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance     brush techniques.
and The Mikado.                                               1919 at 100: A Lecture Series with Gary Hylander
Broadway Seated Dance with Phyllis Rittner                    Prohibition
Wednesday, May 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 at 9:30 AM                   Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 PM
Broadway Seated Dance is a music and dance program            After years of contention between “drys” and “wets,” the
for older adults who love the upbeat tunes from movie         18th Amendment (Prohibition) became the law of the
musicals, Broadway and the popular performers dazzling        land. The so-called “Noble Experiment” turned
audiences between the 1930s and 1960s. This program           law-abiding citizens into outlaws. Mobsters built a
includes a gentle warm up, easy-to-follow body                bloody empire on beer and alcohol. New words such as
movements and a relaxing cool down. The exercises are         “hit-man,” “speakeasy” and “booze” muscled their way
designed to improve cardiovascular function, range of         into the vernacular. Unpopular and unenforceable, the
motion, muscle tone, posture, circulation and flexibility.    18th Amendment was repealed in 1933.
Be sure to join us on Wednesday mornings!                     ArtMatters Presents . . .
Ballroom Dancing with Michael Winward                         Illusion & Escher
Tuesday, May 7 at 2:00 PM                                     Tuesday, May 14 at 2:00 PM
With instructor Michael Winward leading, dancers of all       Throughout history, artists such as Da Vinci and M.C.
abilities are able to get moving in a supportive and joyful   Escher have explored illusion in famous artwork. Visual
environment. Inspired by the idea that people of all ages     art styles like Anamorphic art and Op art continued to
and abilities should have opportunities to dance,             challenge the eye in new ways. This presentation will
Mr. Winward has led social Ballroom and Latin dance           focus particularly on the works of Escher, a 20th-century
workshops throughout Greater Boston, witnessing               Dutch artist who was a master and innovator of illusion.
firsthand the many benefits that dancing provides for the     Drumming Circle with SoulWorks Rhythm
“Over-55” community. Dance encourages good posture,           Monday, May 20 at 2:00 PM
offers low-impact, cardiovascular exercise and connects       Experience the exhilaration of communal drumming!
people through the skills of leading and following.           For centuries, many cultures have made drumming a
                                                              central part of communal life. Recently, drumming has
Stories of the Spirit from Around The World                   been associated with therapeutic benefits like lower blood
A Discussion Series with Rabbi Natan Margalit                 pressure and stress relief. SoulWorks Rhythm will provide
Wednesday, May 8 at 2:00 PM                                   an array of drums and guide participants through
The world has many spiritual traditions that have             traditional drumming techniques.
imparted a treasure trove of delightful and enlightening                                                                     3
May 2019
                                                                                                            9:30 Broadway Seated Dance    1    9:30 Stretch & Flex
                                                                                                                                                                             2                                     3     9:30 Stretch & Flex            4
                                                                                                                                                                                   9:30    Balance Challenge
                                                                                                            10:30 Centering Prayer             10:30 Programs Planning Mtg.                                              11:00Fatima Rosary Group
                                                                                                                                                                                   9:30    Shopping Trip: Lex. S & S
                                                                                                            2:00 Music Lecture Series          1:00 Trans. to Lexington Ctr.                                             12:00Computer 101 w/ Riya
      Transportation Hours                     Country Store                                                                                                                       10:15   Flower Arranging
                                                                                    PS Salon Hours                w/ Richard Travers           2:00 Resident Managment Mtg.                                              2:00 Jazz Songwriters Series
      Monday through Friday                       Hours                                                                                                                            1:30    Blood Pressure Clinic
                                                                                  Thursday & Friday         3:30 Black Jack                    3:30 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo                                                   w/ Ross Petot
       8:00 AM- 2:00 PM                  Monday, Wednesday & Friday                                                                                                                2:00    Laughter Yoga w/ Juliet
                                                                                  9:00 AM - 2:30 PM         7:00 Documentary Movie:             w/ Mexico Lindo @ Happy Hour                                             3:00 Meet Dori at Springtime Spritz.
                                           10:00 AM - 11:30 AM                                                                                                                     3:15    The Body Connection w/ Liz
                                                                                                                  The Case for Christ          7:00 Music & Musical Film:                                                5:00 Kentucky Derby on TV
                                                                                                                                                                                   7:00    Movie: Beetlejuice
                                                                                                                                                     Guys and Dolls
                                                                                                            9:30 Broadway Seated Dance 8                                                                        10
                                                                                                                                                                              9                                          2:00 Historical Lecture Series 11
                                                                                                                                                                                   9:30 Balance Challenge
10:00 Downton Abbey: Season51        9:30    Balance Challenge
                                                                      6   9:30 Stretch & Flex
                                                                                                       7    10:30 Centering Prayer            9:30 Stretch & Flex
                                                                                                                                                                                   9:30 Shopping Trip:
       Episode 1                     10:30    Low Vision Support Group    11:00 Chaplet of Divine Mercy     11:30 Lunch Trip: Margarita’s     10:30 Nurse’s Chat                                                               1919 at 100: Prohibition
                                                                                                                                                                                         Burlington Market Basket
2:00 Pianist Fr. Pat sponsored by    2:00     May Jeopardy Trivia         2:00 Ballroom Dancing             2:00 Stories of the Spirit Around 2:00 Profiles of Women in            10:15 Flower Arranging                      w/ Gary Hylander
      the Social Justice Committee   3:30    Bingo                              w/ Michael Winward          the World w/ Rabbi Natan Margalit       History: Catherine the Great                                         3:30 Afternoon Concert with
                                                                                                                                                                                   2:00 Acrylic Painting Class
7:00 Classic Movie:                  7:00    Movie: The Magic of Belle    3:15 PBS Special w/ Kathleen      3:30 Black Jack                         w/ Richard Brabander                                                       New England Seventh Day
                                                                                                                                                                                         w/ Eddie Bruckner
      Brother Orchid                         Isle                               From Jesus to Christ        7:00 Documentary Movie:           4:00 Happy Hour                                                                  Adventist Church Choir
                                                                                                                                                                                   3:30 Farewell Tea for Liz
                                                                          7:00 Movie: Crazy Rich Asians           Ancient Mysteries:          7:00 Music & Musical Film:                                                  7:00 Movie: Stan & Ollie
                                                                                                                                                                                   7:00 Movie: The Favourite
                                                                                                                  Lost Castles of England           Les Miserables

                              12                                 13       9:30 Stretch & Flex         14    9:30 Broadway Seated Dance15                                   16      9:30 Balance Challenge         17     9:30 Stretch & Flex
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         18
Happy Mother’s Day                   9:30 Balance Challenge                                                                                    9:30   Stretch & Flex
                                                                          11:00 Chaplet of Divine Mercy     10:30 Centering Prayer                                                 9:30 Shopping Trip:                   10:30Cooking with Christie
10:00 Downton Abbey: Season 1        10:15 Creative Corner:                                                                                    2:00   Forever Fit
                                                                          2:00 ArtMatters presents...       2:00 Verdi Opera Series:                                                     Bedford Stop & Shop             1:30 Bonus Bingo
      Episode 2                            Soul Collaging                                                                                      4:00   The Rat Pack Happy Hour
                                                                                Illusion & Escher                 w/ Erika Reitshamer                                              10:15 Nutrition Talk w/ Sandra Peck   1:30  Matinee Movie:
2:30 Celebrate Mother’s Day          2:00 Fall Prevention                                                                                      7:00   Music & Musical Film:
                                                                          3:15 PBS Special w/ Kathleen      3:30 Black Jack                                                        1:30 Caring Canines                        Spartacus: Part I
      w/ Pianist Dick Carpentier           w/ Aedan Ford                                                                                              Godspell
                                                                                From Jesus to Christ        7:00 Documentary Movie:                                                3:15 Flower Arranging                 3:00 Afternoon Walk
7:00 Classic Movie: Paris When it    3:30 Bingo                                                                   Legend to Legend
      Sizzles                        7:00 Movie: Billy Elliot             7:00 Movie: Slumdog Millionaire                                                                          7:00 Movie: Colette                   3:30 Springtime Spritzers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         7:00 Movie: Spartacus: Part I
                                                                                                            9:30 Broadway Seated Dance
                              19     9:30 Balance Challenge
                                                                  20       9:30 Stretch & Flex        21    10:30 Centering Prayer       22                                23  9:30 Balance Challenge      24            9:30 Stretch & Flex             27
                                                                          11:00 Chaplet of Divine Mercy     10:30 Lunch Trip:                  9:30   Stretch & Flex           9:30 Shopping Trip:                       10:30Gardening Club
10:00 Downton Abbey: Season 1        10:15 Cranium Crunchers
                                                                          2:00 Historical Lecture Series:         Not Your Average Joe’s       1:00   Trans. to Lexington Ctr.      Burlington Market Basket             1:30 Bonus Bingo
      Episode 3                      2:00 Drumming Circle
                                                                                w/ Paolo di Gregorio        1:30 Documentary Movie:            2:00   Forever Fit!             2:00 Self-Care Secrets:                   1:30 Matinee Movie:
2:00 Lexington POPS Concert                w/ SoulWorks Rhythm
                                                                          3:15 PBS Special w/ Kathleen            Sinatra: To Be Frank         4:00   Happy Hour                    An Introduction to                        Ben-Hur: Part I
      in Chapel                      3:30 Bingo
                                                                                From Jesus to Christ        3:30 Black Jack                    7:00   Music & Musical Film:         Self-Care Techniques                 3:00 Afternoon Walk
7:00 Movie: Spartacus: Part II       7:00 Movie: The Blind Side
                                                                          7:00 Movie: Three Billboards      7:00 Documentary Movie:                   The Phantom of the Opera 3:15 Flower Arranging                     3:30 Springtime Spritzers
                                                                                Outside Ebbing Missouri           Frank Sinatra: The Man and                                   7:00 Movie: Miracles from Heaven          7:00 Movie: Ben-Hur: Part I

                              26                                 27
                                                                 9:30 Stretch & Flex
                                                                                                      28    9:30 Broadway Seated Dance29
                                                                                                                                               9:30 Stretch & Flex         30      9:30 Balance Challenge      31
                              Memorial Day                                                                  10:30 Centering Prayer                                                 9:30 Shopping Trip:
10:00 Downton Abbey: Season 1 9:30 Balance Challenge             10:30 Let’s Talk Food                      11:00 Lunch Trip: Castle Island    10:30 Current Events w/ Pam               Lexington Stop & Shop
      Episode 4               11:30 Memorial Day BBQ             11:00 Chaplet of Divine Mercy                                                 2:00 Food Around the World:         12:00 Birthday Luncheon                       Manicures w/ Joanne
                                                                                                            1:30 Documentary Movie:
2:00 Classical Pianist         2:00 Renaissance Series: DaVinci: 2:00 An Afternoon of Music                                                          w/ Dan MacRae                 2:00 Afternoon Tea & Tales                     Monday, May 20
                                                                                                                 A Travelers Guide to Italy
      MinKyung Oh                   “The Renaissance Man”              w/ Nancy Day                                                            4:00 Memorial Day Happy Hour        3:15 Flower Arranging                         4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
                                                                                                            3:30 Black Jack
7:00 Classic Movie: Ben-Hur:  3:30 Bingo                              & John Georges                        7:00 Documentary Movie:             7:00 Music & Musical Film:         7:00 Movie: The Iron Lady
      Part II                 7:00 Movie: The King’s Speech      7:00 Movie: The Red Shoes                       A Travelers Guide to Italy          Oklahoma!
The Origins of Memorial Day                                PBS Special: From Jesus to Christ
    On Monday, May 27, we will usher in the summer             with Kathleen Kelleher
    with Memorial Day. Though it is now a national             Tuesday, May 7, 14 & 21 at 3:15 PM
    holiday synonymous with barbecue, parades and              This PBS series examines historical and archeological
    honoring veterans, Memorial Day owes its beginning         discoveries related to the life of Jesus of Nazareth. How
    to a series of disparate commemorative gestures shortly    does modern scholarship influence the impressions we
    after the Civil War. These early events, both above and    have of Jesus from The Bible? What was the historical
    below the Mason-Dixon line, demonstrated a                 context in which Jesus preached? What can we know
    remarkable sense of moral obligation on the parts of       about him based on the gospels and other writings that
    their organizers.                                          have survived through history? Biblical scholars and
                                                               historians will piece together theories of how Jesus
    One such event involved a group of women in                actually lived using historical clues in this dynamic
    Columbus, Mississippi. On an afternoon in 1866, the        PBS special.
    women, meeting together in a house, decided to bedeck
    the graves of both confederate and union soldiers with     Community Outings
    flowers in a nearby cemetery. Their inclusion of the
    graves of Union soldiers inspired Francis Miles Finch’s    Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant
    popular poem, “The Blue and the Grey,” published in        Wednesday, May 8
    the Atlantic Monthly in 1867. Some historians credit       Depart: 11:30 AM
    the southern women and their symbolic gesture of           Return: 2:30 PM        Cost: $ for lunch
    reconciliation with the origination of Memorial Day.       Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with delicious Mexican food
    Another early commemoration event took place in            at Margarita’s!
    Charleston, South Carolina in 1865. During the war,
    the south had been keeping union soldiers as prisoners     Not Your Average Joe’s
    within the walls of a horse racing track. Many perished,   Wednesday, May 22
    and the Confederate soldiers hastily buried the bodies     Depart: 10:30 AM
    in a large, unmarked grave. After the whites fled town,    Return: 1:30 PM            Cost: $ for lunch
    black freed men, in their first days of freedom, devoted   Not Your Average Joe’s features an expansive menu with
    themselves to the proper burial and consecration of        innovative twists on classic pub fare. There is something
    the dead Union soldiers. At the entrance to the race       for everyone, including a large dessert menu!
    track they installed a sign reading “Martyrs of the Race
    Course.” The freed men also held an immense                Castle Island
    memorial procession, with some 10,000 people,              Wednesday, May 29
    and scattered flowers over the graves of the soldiers.     Depart: 11:00 AM
                                                               Return: 2:30 PM            Cost: $ for lunch
    In 1868, Memorial Day (then known as “Decoration           We will celebrate the spring season with a picnic lunch at
    Day”) became official. General John Logan drafted          Castle Island. Find a shady spot under a tree and enjoy
    General Order #11, known as the Memorial Day order.        a view of the harbor, or take a walk around the island
                                                               and explore the ruins of the old naval forts that have
    Today, Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May,       been on this site since the 1600s. Did you know that the
    and the entire long weekend marks the beginning of         island got its name because every fort located on it was
    summer vacation. At Youville we will honor our             informally known as “The Castle?” To this day, Castle
    veterans and greet summer as we have always done,          Island remains the oldest continuously fortified site in
    with our traditional Memorial Day BBQ lunch.               British North America.

6
Grow as a Person Opportunities                                 Celebrating Mother’s Day
Performance & Lecture Series:                                  On Sunday, May 12th, children of all ages will inundate
Jazz Songwriters                                               phone lines and postal routes with sentiments of maternal
with Ross Petot                                                affection. Mothers will be treated to surprise visits, gifts,
Saturday, May 4 at 2:00 PM                                     cards, letters, flowers, dinners, and hopefully a sense of
Starting in the 20s, music for stage and                       heartfelt appreciation.
broadcasting introduced a host of great                        Mother’s Day is generally a happy, relaxed spring
songwriters to the American public. George Gershwin,           holiday, and we can thank Anna Jarvis for its
Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and others          establishment. Jarvis spent ten years in the early 20th
began to create the Great American Songbook which              century trying to get America to appreciate the
became a perfect resource for improvising musicians and        irreplaceable influence of all mothers. Her campaign had
established a truly American style and sound.                  nothing to do with self-interest, as Jarvis was not a mother
This concert series will focus on these great composers,       herself. Instead, she was honoring the wishes of her own
and explore the musical characteristics that make them         late mother, who during her lifetime had expressed the
unique, distinctive, and irresistible for the improvising      desire for such a holiday.
jazz player.
                                                               Her efforts paid off in 1914, when Congress officially
Verdi Opera Lecture Series with Erika Reitshamer               dedicated the second Sunday of May as the new national
Un Ballo In Maschera                                           holiday for mothers. Jarvis never quite got over the rapid
Wednesday, May 15 at 2:00 PM                                   commercialization of Mother’s Day that followed so soon
Un Ballo In Maschera is based on the real life assassination   after its creation. She became appalled by the prevalence
of King Gustav III of Sweden in 1792. Gustav is a ruler        of pre-printed greeting cards, believing that they were a
plagued by conscience and a deep sense of professional         poor replacement for a handwritten, personalized
duty, but he has a guilty secret: he is in love with Amelia,   letter. “A printed card means nothing except that you are
the wife of his closest friend. He also has enemies who are    too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for
brewing a murderous conspiracy.                                you than anyone in the world,” she once wrote.
                                                               Jarvis began to actively protest such commercialization,
Lecture Series: Protest & Public Discourse in America
                                                               and was even arrested once on her own holiday for
Protest & Reform in Antebellum America
                                                               disturbing the peace.
with Paolo di Gregorio
Tuesday, May 21 at 2:00 PM                                     Jarvis was extremely active to the end of her own life,
The right to protest was so important to the founding          never ceasing in her efforts to restore the Mother’s Day
fathers that they enshrined it in our Constitution.            holiday to its intended, noncommercial state.
Over the course of American history, protest movements         Today, no holiday is free from commercialization, and
and public action have sought to create a more equitable       greeting cards hardly seem like a reason for protest. Still,
and just United States. The right to vocally and publicly      Jarvis would have been pleased to see that Mother’s Day is
express frustrations with social or governmental structures    primarily about honoring and remembering our mothers,
remains vitally important today. In this lecture, Professor    and acknowledging our gratitude to the women who
di Gregorio discusses the far-reaching social and              helped make us who we are.
economic change that occurred during the first decades
of the 19th century. The reform and protest movements          We will celebrate Mother’s Day at Youville with a special
of the antebellum period reshaped American society and         Mother’s Day meal. Be sure to complete the reservation
set the stage for the dramatic upheaval that the Civil War     forms placed in your mailboxes so that we can
would bring to the country.                                    accommodate all family members and guests.

                                                                                                                               7
Save the Dates...                                        Transportation Services
Programs Planning Meeting                                Transportation Hours
w/ Lead Programs Assistant, Simona Granfone              Monday through Friday
Thursday, May 2 at 10:30 AM                              8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
                                                         The fee for transportation is $10.00 for Lexington and
Resident Management Meeting                              $20.00 for surrounding communities. Please see the
w/ Youville Directors                                    Programs Department with any questions. We will
Thursday, May 2 at 2:00 PM                               make every effort to accommodate your wishes,
Nurse’s Chat                                             but please understand that no transportation can be
w/ Director of Wellness, Kathryn Carlino                 guaranteed with less than 48 hours notice.
Thursday, May 9 at 10:30 AM

Let’s Talk Food                                          Programs / Menu Hotline...
w/ Director of Dining Services, Dan MacRae               Have you ever wondered whether your favorite program
Tuesday, May 28 at 10:30 AM                              is on the schedule for the day? Would you like to know in
                                                         advance what the daily menu choices are? Now you can hear
                                                         a recorded list of the daily programs as well as the menu for
                                                         lunch and dinner at Youville Place. Simply call
Country Store                                            (781) 761-1334 directly, or call the Reception Desk
Store Hours                                              and the receptionist will connect you.
Monday          10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Wednesday       10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Friday 		       10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Store Volunteers:                                        Youville Place Management Team
Sr. Theresa R., Sr. Dolores B. & Brigid S.
                                                         Nicole Breslin          CEO & President
                                                         Joanne Scianna          COO
                                                         Tom Landry          		  Director of Human Resources
                                                         Kathleen Kelleher		     Director of Mission &
                                                         				Spiritual Care
                         Mission                         Paula Desmond-Wallace   Regional Controller
      We are a Catholic health ministry, providing       Katie Blanchard    		   Director of Programs
    healing and care for the whole person, in service    Susan Snow			           Director of Marketing
               to all in our communities.                Kathryn Carlino, RN 		  Director of Wellness
                       Our Heritage                      Dan MacRae			           Director of Dining Services
         Youville Assisted Living Residences are         Bob Salamanca       		  Director of Environmental
         communities grounded in the spirit of                                		 Services
   St. Marguerite d’Youville, foundress of the Sisters   Virginia Ellis    		    Director of Community Life
   of Charity of Montreal, “Grey Nuns.” Trusting in      Yanira Motto			Director of
  God’s love, each community serves all those in need    				Community Relations
             with compassion and respect.
Get fit. Stay sharp. Age well.                                                 ©

                                                                                                      May 2019
              “You Had to Be There”: How Laughter Binds Us Together
              The last time you walked into a room full of laughing people, you most likely searched the
              room for a visible source of hilarity. You may have asked someone to explain the joke. Of
              course, people were too busy laughing to explain it, so they gave you the usual explanation:
              “You had to be there.”

              More often than not, there is no joke it all. Everyday laughter is rarely about comedy, and in
              fact, all about “being there.” In the words of psychiatrist Robert Provine, laughter is a “social
              vocalization that binds people together.” It does this in a variety of ways. Laughter can serve as a
              simple expression of recognition – for example, the “oh, I know what you mean” laugh that we
              often share to create a moment of mutual understanding. We laugh courteously, apologetically,
              self-consciously, and often for completely mysterious reasons. But we rarely laugh when we are
              by ourselves.

              Laughter can come into existence with only the smallest pretext of shared experience between
              people. There is nothing particularly funny about the time you bumped into your best friend
              on the sidewalk. But the two of you couldn’t help but laugh. Would you have laughed as hard,
              or at all, if the person you bumped into was a stranger?

              Robert Provine has analyzed this “togetherness” trigger that qualifies most laughter. Provine and
              his students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, took notes about the everyday
              laughter they encountered around campus. They recorded information such as the gender of
              the person laughing, the gender of the person who caused the laughter, and the comments
              made just before the laughter started.
 Physical
              More often than not, these comments were just unfunny statements on the surface. “It was
              nice to meet you, too!” and “Have a nice day!” for example, triggered laughter. Jokes only
              occurred rarely. Often it was the speakers who laughed after their own comments to others. As
              you might guess, the students did not find very many solitary people laughing to themselves.
Cognitive
              Provine concluded that “the critical stimulus for a laugh is another person, not a joke.”

              The Physical Effects of Laughter
              Strong social connections have been shown to safeguard physical health, especially as we age.
Nutritional   The benefits we derive from laughter are similar to the benefits we get from social interaction.

              Here are a few examples of the physical effects of laughter:

              • When we laugh, we release feel-good endorphins that have been found to
 Spiritual
                                                                                                         continued
reduce physical pain. Journalist Norman Cousins, after being hospitalized
  for a spinal condition, incorporated laughter into his personal recovery
  program. He found that watching the Marx brothers every night made
  him laugh so much that afterward he was able to sleep for at least two         Get fit. Stay sharp. Age well.©
  hours without feeling any pain.
• Laughter inhibits the stress hormone, cortisol, which has adverse effects             Balance Challenge
  on immune functioning. Laughter causes the immune system to produce                   Broadway Seated Dance
  more T cells, immune proteins and antibodies.                                         Forever Fit
• By increasing heart rate, laughter benefits our cardiovascular system in a            Stretch & Flex
  way similar to exercise. In one study, 300 participants split into two                Ballroom Dancing
  groups that watched two different movies. Half of the group watched a
  comedy (There’s Something About Mary) while the other half watched
  a drama (Saving Private Ryan). The group that watched the comedy had                  Yellow squash is high in vitamins A, B6
  a 30-40% increased dilation in their blood vessels compared with the                  and C, folate, magnesium, fiber,
  group who watched the drama.                                                          riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium and
                                                                                        manganese. That is an impressive bundle
Healthy Laughter                                                                        of nutrients!
Cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore
have found that people with heart disease were less likely to have a sense of      Catholic Mass
humor than their heart-healthy contemporaries. Of the 300 participants             Great Courses on DVD
surveyed, half had healthy hearts while the other half had a history of heart    		         The Historical Jesus
disease. The participants answered questions examining the extent to which         Stories of the Spirit
humor played a role in their everyday lives. In particular, those who laughed    		         w/ Rabbi Natan Margalit
or used humor to cope with stressful situations were less likely to have heart
disease.                                                                           Verdi Opera Lecture Series
Dr. Michael Miller, one of the cardiologists involved in the study, believes     		         w/ Erika Reitshamer
that incorporating laughter into a daily routine might be as important for         History Lecture Series: 1919 at 100
heart health as diet and exercise. There are numerous “laughing groups”          		         with Gary Hylander
operating in many U.S. cities with the aim of spreading the benefits of            History of Protest in America
laughter to their practitioners. There is even an entire branch of yoga          		         w/ Paolo di Gregorio
devoted to communal laughing. Led by a certified instructor, participants          ArtMatters Presents . . .
of laughter yoga engage in a combination of physical movements and               		        Illusion & Escher
coordinated, voluntary laughter. The atmosphere builds on the                      Great Songwriter Series w/ Ross Petot
infectiousness of laughter and playful behavior. Even if you went into the         Music Appreciation Lecture Series
session in a less than elated mood, chances are by the end, your laughter will   		w/ Richard Travers
have evolved into something genuine.
If you are interested in participating in laughter yoga, you are in luck!
Juliette Pellicane, Lead Programs Assistant at Youville House in Cambridge,
is a certified Laughter Yoga Instructor. She will lead an introductory
laughter yoga class at Youville Place on Friday, May 3 at 2:00 PM.

                                                  Assisted Living Residences
                       Youville House • 1573 Cambridge Street • Cambridge, MA 02138 • 617.491.1234
           Youville Place • 10 Pelham Road • Lexington, MA 02421 • 781.861.3535 • www.youvilleassistedliving.org
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