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From the latest community news to our recent blog posts, we’ll keep you up to date on all the happenings at our active retirement community and more.

The Informer Newsletter
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December 9, 2020
Christmas at Matrosa Farm

While growing up, I spent many happy summers with my cousins at my aunt’s farmhouse in Concord, Virginia. Though we spent many summers there, we never went there for Christmas. As time moved on, my cousins and I had all grown up, married, and had children of our own. My aunt’s generation had all died,

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December 8, 2020
Christmas Then and Now

When my grandfather was a young man, he went hunting with Buffalo Bill and shot a moose. The moose head hung in his dining room above the buffet. Every year we went to his place for Christmas dinner, which was a very formal affair of turkey with chestnut dressing served on a silver platter by …

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December 7, 2020
Tall Santa

I remember when I was growing up that our family had a wonderful tradition of gathering at midnight on Christmas Eve to receive presents from Santa. My father was one of five boys, and they were all very tall. We had a large extended family and valued gathering together, especially during the holidays. Each year, …

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December 6, 2020
Christmas at Merchants Hope

The Merchants Hope Episcopal Church in Prince George is very dear to my family. My grandparents were married there, as were some of my aunts and uncles. There is a long-standing tradition for the children to have a breakfast with Santa during the first week of December. After the breakfast, there is a table with …

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December 5, 2020
Maggie

Santa does NOT bring live animals on his sleigh!” I said. “But, MOOOOOOM, all I want for Christmas is a dog! A black dog, like Buck!” my seven-year old son, Phillip, said. “Buck” was his aunt’s black lab and the only dog that he was not afraid of. Phillip did not just “say” he was …

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December 4, 2020
Christmas 2020-2021

I am standing here at the entrance to the Fellowship Hall on July 27, 2020. I have volunteered to be the “sanitizer” — squirting gooey stuff into the hands of all who come to join “Christmas in July” and spend time social distancing with our masks on. We are here to share our stories of …

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December 3, 2020
A Tale of Three Christmases

One summer a friend and I sat eating lunch at a drugstore in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, when I looked across the street and saw a handsome young man who resembled a tall, very thin young man — a friend from high school. We finished our lunches quickly to walk past him, and later that day he …

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December 2, 2020
A Night to Remember

As I was remembering my Christmases while growing up, one especially stood out. Christmases were always a fond time with family, friends, church services, good food, decorations, fellowship, and, of course, presents. Unlike today, the tree was not put up until the last week before Christmas. We lived in Warrenton, Virginia, and the Christmas Eve …

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December 1, 2020
My Christmas Story Only a Cedarfield Resident Would Appreciate

Last Christmas I arose at 5 a.m., to be ready to see my grandchildren descend the stairs of their home at 6 o’clock to view what Santa had left them under their decorated tree. I truly enjoyed watching each of my four grandchildren in Richmond (Frannie, Vinnie, Rocco and Lucia) open their presents and show …

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October 9, 2020
From the Desk of Michael Shaw, Executive Director

NEXT YEAR — On September 3, 2021, Richmond, VA Life Plan Community, Cedarfield, will be 25 years young. So in grand Cedarfield fashion, we are planning a year-long celebration with monthly events from now until then. On October 19, 2020, we will kick off this year-long celebration with a socially distant Fall Festival. Anniversaries are …

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October 2, 2020
Words from Michael Shaw, Executive Director

We highlight our Cedarfield value of Culture in October. We bring to life our value of Culture by lifting up the following: Affirming Resident Choice, Celebrate Home and Community, and Strengthen Body, Mind and Soul. In most U.S. nursing homes, and in many assisted living communities, a very important element has been forgotten overtime: HOME. …

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March 13, 2020
Coronavirus Update

Temporary Visitation Restrictions in Effect at Cedarfield Pinnacle Living has been closely monitoring the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Virginia and has been taking appropriate precautionary measures to prevent entry of Coronavirus into our communities. There are no known cases of COVID-19 within any Pinnacle Living community. However, now that there are several confirmed cases …

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April 24, 2017
Introducing our new Executive Director

Upon the announcement of Nancy Brechtelsbauer’s retirement in December of 2016, the search for a new Cedarfield executive director was launched. After several months of searching, Virginia United Methodist Homes, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Shaw to the position starting April 2017. Shaw brings seventeen years of senior living experience to …

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May 27, 2016
Twenty Events To Celebrate Twenty Years

04/marked the beginning of a series of 20 events and activities in 20 weeks, which will conclude with a final big bash, Cheers to 20 Years, planned for August. See what has been going on at Cedarfield as we count down the 20 weeks!

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December 3, 2015
Giving Back to the Community

Driven 2 Destiny Outreach Center is a non-profit providing outreach and resources to people and families experiencing temporary set-backs due to unemployment, illness or other life-changing events. The center provides vocational training, parenting classes and more. They also offer Christmas Camps that give children a safe place to spend the day when school is closed …

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October 14, 2014
Cedarfield Special Care Center

Caring for a loved one with an advanced dementia disease (such as Alzheimer’s) can be overwhelming to families and friends. Statistically, a person with Alzheimer’s disease will live an average of eight years and as many as 20 or more years from the onset of symptoms. Eventually, 24-hour personal care may be required, whether in …

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December 20, 2019
The Gift of Creativity

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Trish Bracken Carter, Team Member While I was growing up, my mother had a steady stream of creative and talented friends who …

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December 19, 2019
Spoiled Rotten

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Sylvia Schmidt, Resident I was the youngest in a family of three girls; my two big sisters were fourteen and fifteen years …

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December 18, 2019
Home for Christmas

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Shannon Guss, Team Member A memory I have of Christmas is back in 2001. On December 18th, I got a phone call …

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December 17, 2019
A Most Memorable Advent Vignette

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Louisa Rucker, Resident The year when our sons were three and five, we heard about the “real” Santa, who welcomed children’s visits …

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December 16, 2019
Dan the Pony

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Alexis Scott, Team Member When I was four years old, it rained on Christmas. It was downright dreary and Christmas, I had …

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December 15, 2019
How to Thank a Stranger

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Carol Beck, Resident A number of years ago, a little girl named Audrey had just danced in a performance of The Nutcracker …

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December 14, 2019
Santa Breakfast at Miller & Rhoads Tea Room

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Jennie Giglio, Team Member When my sister and I were little girls, my mother would be sure that we had special dresses …

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December 13, 2019
Loving the Warmth of the Season

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! –Ashley Tisdale “Love Christmas, not just because of the presents but because of all the decorations and lights and the warmth of …

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December 12, 2019
Shiny Black Shoes

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Dana Peterson, Team Member When I was about six years old near Christmas time, I got my first pair of shiny black …

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December 11, 2019
I Remember

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Jacqueline Chaplin, Resident I remember Christmas was always a really big deal to my mom and dad. One Christmas my dad and …

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December 10, 2019
Outgrowing His Swaddling Cloths

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Myra Nagel, Resident During the years that I served as Associate Minister at Emmaus United Church of Christ in Vienna, Virginia, my …

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December 9, 2019
Santa’s Village

In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours! Georgia Brown, Team Member There is a saying in Texas that if you are not born in Texas, you got there as …

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