Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

• 2 • The Pinecone | November 2020 ON THE PINECONE COVER Celebrating Thanksgiving this year will certainly be different than in the years past. Like so many other holidays throughout 2020, the holiday and the pandemic will be on everyone’s mind. Normally we would be thinking about who we were inviting to dinner here at Kirby Pines or where we might be traveling to meet family and with whom we might be celebrating with in our homes. However, this year we may experience how “un-celebratory” this holiday may feel, so we all need to be mindful of the many blessing we have to be thankful for. When Thanksgiving was first celebrated, it was customary to be thankful for our blessings and to say a thankful prayer as part of that ritual. As our world has evolved, that tradition continues, despite the movies that depict a more stressful family gathering or an over humorous family gathering. True, there can be stressful factors, whether it’s traveling, family conflicts, or cooking that didn’t meet everyone’s expectation, but the act of engaging in the tradition of gratitude changes those experiences from a negative to a positive. Regardless of the potential for stress, most people would agree that a holiday centered Time to Be Grateful a t K i r b y P i n e s Michael Escamilla, Executive Director, Kirby Pines Ki rby Pines Is Thankful for Our Veterans Kirby Pines Retirement LifeCare is managed by: BOARD OF D I R ECTOR S Dr. James Latimer, Chairman Mr. Rudy Herzke, President Mr. Berry Terry, Secretary/Treasurer Mr. Larry Braughton Rev. Richard Coons Mr. Jim Ethridge Ms. Linda Harrington Ms. Mary Ann Hodges Mr. Rusty Linkous Mr. Boyd Rhodes, Jr. RCA S TA F F Charlie Trammell President, RCA Michélle Vincent Senior Vice President, RCA Tim Cox Senior Vice President of Finance, RCA Laura Cornwell Vice President of Finance, RCA Stephanie Barrow Director of Sales & Marketing K I RBY P I NE S S TA F F Michael Escamilla Executive Director, Kirby Pines Annette Marlar Director of Medical Services and HR Mike Abutineh, M.D. Medical Director Anna Bradford Nursing Home/Assisted Living Administrator Linda Huston Director of Accounting Don Johnson Chaplain Chuck Neeley Director of Maintenance Mike Rayder Director of Grounds & Landscaping Jada Mullins Director of Environmental Services Calvin Sims Director of Security Alisa Stokes Director of Transportation This magazine is produced by RCA 6465 N. Quail Hollow Rd., Suite 400 Memphis, TN 38120, 901-794-2598 Electronic version of The Pinecone is available at www.kirbypines.com November is here and it appears the last of the warm weather is behind us. The leaves are turning beautifully, making our views change every day, giving us something new to enjoy and to be thankful for. Being thankful is different for everyone, but often similar. Most of us are thankful for family, friends and faith, but everyone has their own reasons to give thanks. We asked residents what made them grateful and you can see some of their responses on page 8. We were happily overwhelmed with participation, and want you to know that all of the quotes will be available for the entire community to see this month. Another reason to be thankful during the month of November is the day we celebrate those who faithfully served our country. Veteran's Day falls on Wednesday, November 11th, however, we will have a special Resident Association Meeting on Thursday the 12th to honor our veterans here at Kirby Pines. Our front cover features one of our newer veterans to the community, but one who deserves our thanks and recognition. Johnnie Haley served in three major branches of the around food and loved ones, is a great way to spend the day. The bonding that comes from either cooking for others, or sharing a meal with others, is another blessing we can all be thankful for. Mark Simpson and his culinary team plan on providing a wonderful traditional feast for you and Kirby employees this Thanksgiving. Together we can celebrate the bonds of friendship that have developed over the years; the blessings we share by living and working in a community filled with love; and the gratitude we gain from just being good to one another. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! military over 21 years. The back cover pays homage to many of our other veterans who have served in both times of war and peace. FromWWII to Vietnam, we could not be more proud to have them at Kirby Pines. Again, we got so many amazing photos submitted, that we could not use them all here, but they will be available for everyone to enjoy this month. So THANK YOU to all of our residents, who always go out of their way to help us out with The Pinecone magazine. We really, truly could not do it without you! From Our Cover, Resident, Johnnie Haley, served in the Navy, Army and the Air Force.