Elder Care Conversations: Amping Up Your Activity Programming (Excerpt)

Conversations with David and Kathy:
Amping Up Your Activity Programming

www.ElderCareConversations.com
Content Master List

Activity Programming 101
 Downloadable MP3 file

 Power point outline
 Top 10 takeaways
 Master resource list
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections title – Firsts
Adapting Activities for Dementia

 Handout: Communication Tips
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Pleasing Poetry
Keeping Up Appearances: ADLs as Activities

 Handout: You Would Resist, Too, If It Happened to You
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Nifty 1950s
Innovative Art Programming

 Handout: Sample Art Projects from Best Friends Approach to Activities
 Handout: Adult Art Supply List
 Handout: Common Patterns in the Art of People with Dementia
 Handout: Sam Heinly article
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Color Me Beautiful
© Kathy Laurenhue and David Troxel Page 1

Energizing Your Exercise Programming

 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Summertime and the Living Is Easy
Homework: Hitting a Homerun with Household Chores

 Handout: Fill in the blank activity
 Handout: List of possible household chores
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Occupying Occupations
Just for Men

 Fishing Theme Leader’s Guide and Handouts
 Handout: Dog Biscuits
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Money Matters
Sharing Life Stories

 Handout: Choose One
 Handout: Best Qualities
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – It’s All Relative, Part 2
Magical Music

 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Music to Lighten the Mood

In the News

 Handout: USA Today as an Activity Generator
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Odd Celebrations
The Great Outdoors

 Handout: Activities from the Garden
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – In the Garden
Celebrating Spirituality

 Handout: Things to Keep in Mind When the Older Adult has Dementia
 Handout: How to Visit Someone at Home and Feed His/Her Spirit
 Handout: How to Help Feed the Spirit of the Family Caregiver
 Handout: Basic Information on Major Religions
 Wiser Now MindPlay Connections™ title – Our Better Selves

Keeping Up Appearances: ADLs as Activities: Top 10 Ideas

1. Many elders need help with Activities of Daily Living, commonly known as ADLs.
They include dressing, bathing, grooming (hair and nail care, brushing teeth),
continence care (also known as toileting) and eating and drinking (nutrition and
hydration).
2. These are often considered tasks to be completed, but if seen as opportunities
for building relationships, everyone’s satisfaction increases.
3. Begin by paying attention to the elder’s physical and emotional comfort. When is
the person most alert and free of pain? Does he or she need an aspirin or
ibuprofen before taking a bath or getting dressed to ease joint aches?
Accommodate personal preferences such as a shower rather than a bath.
4. Also practice good communication: Slow down, speak clearly, explain what you
are doing, ask “May I . . .” with each step.
5. Recognize that people with dementia may take more time to understand what
you are doing, and are easily confused and fearful. And anyone can have
specific preferences, such as wanting to sleep in his socks.
6. Look for ways to increase the person’s pleasure in ADLs: heat towels, use
scented soaps, sing together in the shower, reminisce about Saturday night
baths or changing hair styles and fashions.
7. Recognize that you are invading the person’s privacy, and he may feel awkward
or embarrassed. Try to take the blame for mishaps and give the person as much
autonomy as possible.
8. For tasks like continence care, which can be especially embarrassing, realize
you can distract the person by talking about anything – from the weather to last
night’s football game.
9. Some people need all their concentration for tasks like eating, but mealtimes are
almost always enhanced by relaxed conversation about well-loved foods, special
meals and restaurants, holiday celebrations and so on.
10. Brainstorm with the staff about all the ways you can use the life stories of
individual residents to make their ADLs as enjoyable as possible for them – and
for you.
© 2011 Kathy Laurenhue and David Troxel Page 1

ADLs: You Would Resist, Too, If It Happened to You

One of the phrases that is like fingernails on a chalkboard to David and me is
“resistance to care,” implying that the older adult we intend to help is ungrateful and
cranky. Whether or not people have dementia, people say “no” through their behavior
for many logical reasons. In their shoes, most of us would likely have the same reaction.
Following are the top reasons people say no – in word or action – to what we offer.
The first four reasons have to do with the person’s physical and emotional status.
Fatigue
As they age, people tend to sleep less soundly. In addition, people who have chronic
illnesses or dementia, poor mobility or a lot of discomfort, tire easily from everyday
tasks. Tasks they could manage early in the day when they were fresher
can become overwhelming by evening.
Think about it: Have you ever said, “I’m so tired I can’t think straight?”
Pain or discomfort
As they age, people often have pain from chronic illnesses such as
arthritis, and research has shown it is often not treated adequately.
People without dementia might not speak up because they don’t want to
be seen as complainers. People with dementia may not know how to ask for relief.
Think about it: Do you hop out of bed, or does it take you a while to loosen your joints
for dressing? Do you ever feel stiff from sitting too long in one position? Now add 40
years to your age.
Discomfort can take many forms. People may be:

 Hungry or thirsty
 Too hot, or more likely too cold, even in a warm room
 Needing a bathroom break or constipated
 Unable to see or hear well enough for the task at hand
 Dizzy, itchy or befuddled as a side effect of medications
 Clinically depressed or acutely ill
Think about it: How enthusiastic are you to play when you have a splitting headache?

Fear or confusion
People are often confused by what we are expecting of them, and they’re often afraid
when we invade their privacy with tasks like bathing and toileting. While fear and
confusion happen a lot with people with dementia, it also happens with people who can’t
hear or see well and don’t want to admit that they haven’t understood directions. We
often need to simply take things more slowly, one step at a time.
Think about it. What’s your reaction when:

 You don’t know what to expect?
 You don’t know what’s expected of you?
 What’s expected doesn’t seem to make sense to you?
 You don’t want to make a mistake?
 You’re alarmed?
 Someone invades your space?
Frustration
As people age, they often become frustrated with what they can no longer do, or at least
what they can no longer do as easily and well as they once could. Be patient and
understanding. We all have good days and bad days. Some days some people need
more help and reassurance than other days. Stay flexible. Encourage independence,
but if someone is becoming frustrated, try saying, “Let’s work on this together.”
Think about it: What’s your reaction when:

 You can’t make yourself understood?
 You don’t understand what’s going on?
 You can’t do what you want? (not allowed or not able)
 Your competency is questioned?
 You feel incompetent?
The fifth logical reason for resistance is the environment
Environment
Our goal, of course is always to create a warm and loving atmosphere and build in
routines and rituals that breed comfort and familiarity (with some novelty thrown in).
Problems often arise because of “too’s” in the environment:

 too large
 too loud
 too crowded
 too cluttered
 too new/unfamiliar
 too many choices
 too many distractions

 too little privacy
 too much/ too little light
 too unsafe/scary
Think about it: When have you been uncomfortable in a particular space? What caused
the discomfort?
More reasons
Another reason knowing a person’s life story is important is that it will give you a key to
understanding the why of a no. For example, a person who grew up in a family whose
religion forbid her to dance, may still feel too guilty to do so even if her feet are tapping
to the music.
Knowing the person’s cultural background can also help. In some Asian
cultures, it is rude to say yes the first time something is offered, but the
expectation is you will ask again so they can say yes then.
Knowing the person’s personality is also important. In any classroom,

there are people who raise their hands to answer every question, and
others who never do. That doesn’t mean they aren’t taking it all in and
“participating” in the way they feel most comfortable.
Think about it: When has knowing a person’s life story, personality or cultural
background helped you build a better relationship?

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE
Discussions “Firsts” is not about winning, but about first
 Details on Firsts – 7 letters of the alphabet, first time events,
entertaining firsts, first class, first cousins,
 First Winter Olympics – 26
firsthand knowledge, and the first to invent –
 First Food Facts – 26
and that’s just for starters.
 Bare Facts on the First Bikini – 27
 First Groundhog Day – 27 This issue is one of an ever expanding list of
dozens that can be accessed at
Imaginative and reminiscence http://shop.wisernow.com. It makes a great
exercises accompaniment to other titles such as:
 Recalling Your Personal Firsts – 9  Inventions, Part 1
 Imagining Yourself as First – 17*
 Lasts, Endings and Odds and Ends
 Firsts in Your Life – 24
 Odd Celebrations
Trivia quizzes The goal of MindPlay Connections™
 Which Came First? – 3 is always twofold:
 Entertaining Firsts – 5
 Famous First Lines of Novels – 13* 1) We want you to make playful new
connections in your brain, because learning
 Famous First Lines of Movies – 15*
new information builds new brain pathways –
 Which Came First #2 – 22
as opposed to retrieving answers you already
know, which merely deepens ruts.
Word games
 Rhymes with First – 11 2) We want you to strengthen your
 First Letters of the Alphabet – 19 connections with others by sharing the
 First and Last the Same – 21 exercises with a partner or group, because
having strong social networks is one of the
most important components
If you have exercises, resources, or ideas you of wellbeing at any age.
want to add, please feel free to email
Kathy@WiserNow.com. Feel free to go beyond the suggested uses. For
example, many of the exercises are likely to
prompt reminiscences that can open up
additional discussions.
© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue

www.WiserNow.com
© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 2

Trivia quiz: Which Came First?
Trivia Day falls each year on January 4th so the beginning of the year sometimes finds
me writing a trivia quiz about firsts. This one was inspired by a quiz created by folks at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/ima/which1.html), but in creating my own version, I found
lots of conflicting dates, partly because of variances among the invention, its patent and
its availability to consumers. Therefore, you might quibble with the dates listed in the
answers, but the order is solid.
Which came first?

1. ___ a. Paper clip ___ b. Stapler
2. ___ a. Pop-up toaster ___ b. Sliced bread
3. ___ a. Coca-Cola ___ b. 7-Up soda
4. ___ a. Margarine ___ b. Peanut butter
5. ___ a. Freeze-dried instant coffee ___ b. Tea bags
6. ___ a. Modern traffic light ___ b. Parking meter
7. ___ a. Braille ___ b. Morse code
8. ___ a. Band-aid ___ b. Scotch tape
9. ___ a. Insulin ___ b. Penicillin
10. ___ a. Smallpox vaccine ___ b. Vitamins
11. ___ a. Electric trolley ___ b. Subway
12. Can you put these toys in order of invention?

___ a. Barbie doll ___ b. Kaleidoscope
___ c. Mr. Potato Head ___ d. Slinky
___ e. Viewmaster
Additional sources:
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/twentieth.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions

Answers:
1. b. stapler 6. a. modern traffic light
2. a. pop-up toaster 7. a. Braille
3. a. Coca-Cola 8. a. band-aid
4. a. margarine 9. a. insulin
5. b. tea bags 10. a. smallpox vaccine
11. b. subway
12. b. kaleidoscope, e. Viewmaster, d. Slinky, c. Mr. Potato Head, a. Barbie doll
Notes:
 The first stapler was invented about 1841, and while the modern version didn’t
appear until about 1890 or so, it still preceded the 1899 paper clip.
 The pop-up toaster was available in 1919, but you had to slice your own bread for
it until 1928. Question: What was the best thing before sliced bread?
 Coca-Cola appeared in1886 and had lots of rivals (Orange Crush, anyone?), but
7-Up wasn’t one until 1929.
 Peanut butter arrived in 1890, twenty years later than margarine.
 Tea bags came out in 1904 and the first instant coffee followed about five years
later, but the freeze-dried version we know today didn’t come out until 1938.
 Although many versions preceded it, the modern traffic light first appeared in the
1920s. It wasn’t until 1932 that a parking meter was patented, and the first ones
appeared on the streets of Oklahoma City in 1935. The first “Don’t walk” signal
for pedestrians appeared on New York City streets in 1952, but crossing can still
be dicey. Source: http://didyouknow.org/trafficlights/.
 Louis Braille invented his system of dots for reading when he was just a youth in
the 1820s; Samuel Morse and collaborators created an
alphabet of dots and dashes in the 1830s that came into
use in the 1840s.
 The band-aid was created about 1920 and scotch tape in
1930. Life’s been sticky ever since.
 Insulin in 1921 preceded penicillin which was developed
later in the 1920s but not widely available for at least
another decade.
 The smallpox vaccine was developed in the late 1700s;
vitamins weren’t recognized until 1912.
 London had its first subway in 1863; the electric trolley first
put a spark in traffic a decade later.
 Kaleidoscopes have colored our lives since 1817; the Viewmaster caught our eye
in 1939; the Slinky hopped down stairs as early as 1943, Mr. Potato Head was
fully baked by 1952; and Barbie dolls busted out in 1959.

Trivia quiz: Entertaining Firsts
This trivia quiz was written in winter, at a time when I thought people might need a
break from the cold and dreary to focus on firsts about recreation and relaxation.
Virtually all of the information came from the fascinating and amusingly written
http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html. If
you dispute the accuracy of anything, complain there.
Which came first?

Hint: Only three of the following events/inventions happened almost simultaneously –
within a year of each other. Can you identify those?
1. The first a) ___hamburger served or b) ___the first

pizzeria? c) ___They happened simultaneously
2. The first a) ___ chocolate bar or b) ___the first hot
chocolate/hot cocoa? c) ___They were served
simultaneously
3. The first a) ___TV dinner or b) ___ the first revolving
restaurant? c) ___They happened simultaneously
4. The first a) ___ Monopoly game or b) ___ the first Slinky? c) ___They
came out simultaneously
5. The first a) ___crossword puzzle or b) ___ the first jigsaw puzzle? c)
___ They were invented simultaneously
6. The first a) ___ blue jeans or b) ___ the first bikini? c) ___They
were invented simultaneously
7. The first a) ___ rock and roll concert or b) ___ the first jukebox? c)
___ They happened simultaneously
8. The first a) ___ bed race or b) ___the first bathtub race? c) ___They
happened simultaneously
9. The first a) ___ drive-in movie theatre or b) ___the first in-flight movie?
c) ___They happened simultaneously
10. The first a) ___3-D movie or b) ___the first horror movie? c) ___They
came out simultaneously

11. The first a) ___lottery or b) ___ the first casino? c) ___They happened
simultaneously
12. The first a) ___miniature golf course or b) ___the
first roller rink? c) ___They were opened
simultaneously
13. The first a) ___Ferris Wheel or b) ___ the first
roller coaster? c) ___They were opened
simultaneously
14. The first appearance of a) ___ Bugs Bunny or b)
___ Batman? c) ___ They happened simultaneously
15. The first a) ___trapeze act or b) ___the first human cannonball?
c) ___ They happened simultaneously
Answers:
1. b 4. a 7. b 10. b 13. b
2. b 5. b 8. c 11. a 14. c
3. a 6. a 9. b 12. c 15. a
Here are the dates. Look for more detail on the following pages.
1. Hamburger served, 1885; pizzeria, 1830
2. Chocolate bar, 1847; hot chocolate/cocoa, the 1600s
3. TV dinner, 1953; revolving restaurant, 1961
4. Monopoly, 1933; Slinky, 1945
5. Crossword puzzle, 1913; jigsaw puzzle, 1760
6. Blue jeans by Levi Strauss, 1873; bikini, 1946
7. Rock and roll concert, 1952; juke box, 1899
8. Bed race, 1965; bathtub race, 1967
9. Drive-in theatre, 1933; in-flight movie, 1925
10. 3-D movie, 1922; horror movie, 1896
11. Lottery, 1434; casino, 1700s
12. miniature golf, 1867; roller rink, 1866
13. Ferris Wheel, 1893; roller coaster, 1600s (ice) to
1817 with wheels
14. Bugs Bunny, 1940 (as prototype “Happy Bunny” 1938); Batman, 1939
15. Trapeze act, 1859; human cannonball, 1877

Discussion: Details on Firsts
As noted on page 5, the trivia quiz was created out of information found at the website
http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html.
Here are a few of the details related to the questions asked.
 The world’s first bathtub race was in 1967 in

celebration of Canada’s 100th birthday. The city of
Nanaimo in British Columbia decided to hold a 36-mile
race across the channel to Vancouver. The rules were
simple: Strap a motor to a bathtub, climb in and get to
Vancouver as fast as you can. Because people just
like to have fun, it was a huge success and is now part of the annual Nanaimo
Marine Festival.
 While I would have sworn I had heard of such nonsense among fraternities as
early as the 1950s, nothing I could find on the Internet took me back earlier than
the Knaresborough, Yorkshire (UK) bed race for charity in 1965. At the time Army,
Navy and American Marines took part, but the race is now open to anyone whose
bed is decorated in accordance with the year’s theme. It is not a race for the easily
daunted, however, because part of the course involves crossing a river with steep
banks where the person riding on the bed must hang on for dear life and try to
avoid drowning.
 We know that gaming houses existed on the ancient Nile Delta and in the Far East
so people could bet on sports and animals, but casinos (Italian for “little house”)
as we might understand them first sprang up along the Mediterranean in the 1700s
and took another century to come to the American West. A type of lottery has also
been recorded in the Roman Empire and China BCE (Before the Common Era),
but public lotteries that mimic today’s were first offered in the mid-1400s in
Belgium, Holland and France as a means of fortifying towns and providing for the
poor.
 Jules Leotard performed the first flying trapeze act in 1859 at the Cirque
Napoleon in Paris without safety nets, and yes, he also invented the
leotard to prevent loose clothing from interfering with his feats (and to
show off his physique). Only 18 when he began performing, he quickly
rose to fame and fortune and was the subject of “The Daring Young Man
on the Flying Trapeze,” but unfortunately, the song endured long after he
did, for he died just 10 years later, probably of typhoid or cholera.
 Acrobat "Zazel" (Rossa Matilda Richter) became the first human cannonball
performer at age 14 when in 1877 she was shot out of gun at the Royal Aquarium
in London. While the shooting sounds like the most dangerous part of being a
human cannonball, the only gunpowder used is in firecrackers added for special
effect. The propulsion was first generated by a spring-style device invented by
Canadian William Leonard Hunt and later by compressed air. The real danger is
landing, and far too many human cannonballs have fatally overshot their targets.

Zazel later toured with the P.T. Barnum Circus and her career, too, came to a
crashing end when she broke her back (but survived) after missing the net.
 The first horror film was a 2-minute short known as “The Devil’s Castle” produced
in 1896. What would seem to be its complete opposite, “The Power of Love,” was
released as a 3-D movie in 1922.
 We may associate jukeboxes with 1950s Rock ‘n Roll, but the first jukeboxes
were created when a coin-operated slot was placed on an Edison phonograph.
The first public jukebox (at the Palais Royal Hotel in San Francisco) put up in 1899,
earned $1000 in its first six months – that’s 20,000 songs!
 The predecessors to roller coasters were Russian ice slides which
were first built in the 1600s, but the first “real” roller coasters
appeared in France as early as 1817. The Ferris Wheel was
invented by George W. Ferris for Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair. He
wanted to match the grandeur of the Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of
the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. His Ferris Wheel was not as tall as
the Eiffel Tower, but if you were swinging at its height of 264 feet,
chances are you would have been impressed. While the Eiffel Tower
still stands, the Ferris Wheel was moved to St. Louis for the 1904
exposition, and then in 1906 it was blown up! Speaking of
expositions, the first revolving restaurant opened in Seattle in 1961 as a popular
feature of the 1962 World’s Fair there. Almost 50 years later, you can still make
reservations to travel 500 feet up the 600-foot Space Needle and enjoy its
complete revolution every hour.
 The first roller rink opened in Newport, Rhode Island in1866. Because it was
considered inappropriate for women to swing a golf club higher than their
shoulders (Who makes up these rules?) the St. Andrew’s Golf Club in Scotland
built an 18-hole putting green in 1867 just for them – the first
miniature golf course as it were (minus the windmills).
 The first jigsaw puzzle was created by John Spilsbury, a

London mapmaker, to help children learn geography. Spilsbury
(www.spilsbury.com) is still a great source of jigsaw puzzles.
Think about it
 Which of these forms of recreation do you enjoy participating in or
observing? Talk about your experiences.
 Have you ever seen any of the special events or places mentioned
here? Would you like to? If so, which ones?
 If you could have been the inventor of or first participant in any of the
things described here, which ones would you choose and why?

Reminiscing: Recalling Your Personal Firsts
Robert Fulghum’s book From Beginning to End, The Rituals of Our Lives, has a chapter
on firsts, or what he calls “liminal moments.” The Latin root “limin,” he explains, means
the centerline of the doorway, so these are moments when we cross the threshold of
experience. Often, we are not aware that this was a transitional phase of personal
change until much later; at other times, the decision to cross the threshold is conscious
and exhilarating. What are the events? They range from momentous to mundane.
Among Mr. Fulghum’s examples are these:
 First day of school or night spent away from home
 First learning your parent was the tooth fairy or that s/he wasn’t
perfect
 First time you were left home alone
 First date, first love, first kiss or beyond
 First joining scouts, a sorority or the military
 First time you voted, drove a car, tried a sport or showed a skill
 First job, first day with adult responsibilities
 First marriage, birth of first child
 First death of a loved one
One man felt he established independence when he changed the side
of his head that he parted his hair on. For him it was a liberating
moment.
Think about your personal firsts, and then use the following suggestions as a jumping
off point. Use the space provided to write whatever comes to mind about your liminal
moments, even if they don’t fit the following topics. Then share your thoughts.
Talk about the first time you remember being given a responsibility – from
chores to looking after a sibling to staying put and not getting into trouble.
What were you asked to do, and did you do it?
Talk about an educational first, such as a first day of school, first inspiring
teacher or first time you got excited about a particular subject.

Talk about a romantic first, such as a first love, first kiss,
first awareness of being attracted to others . . .
Talk about a sad first, such as the first loss of someone you loved, loss of
job, loss of confidence or loss of a feeling of security.
Talk about a happy first, such as a first job, birth of a first child, or first
vacation.
Talk about a first related to an accomplishment, such as winning a game or

competition, graduating, being promoted, being
honored or appreciated . . .

Word game: Rhymes with “First”
One of the items listed at “The Longest List of Firsts”
(http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html)
was the first Top Ten List that aired September 18, 1985 on “Late Night with David
Letterman.” (His show, by the way, premiered on February 1, 1982 – another first.)
Although this eventually became a permanent, popular feature, the initial list was
apparently written in retaliation for the People Magazine top ten lists that Mr. Letterman
found stupid and annoying. His first list was titled “The Top Ten Things That Almost
Rhyme with Peas.” Following are the 10 items, which should explain why David
Letterman gained notoriety for his nonsensical humor:
10) Heats 5) Lens
9) Rice 4) Ice
8) Moss 3) Nurse
7) Ties 2) Leaks
6) Needs 1) Meats
Demanding a higher standard from you, the following exercise asks for real rhymes.
Can you fill in the blanks below with words that rhyme with “first”?
1. The director was confident that the actors would do well because they
had __________ the play thoroughly.
2. The rain came down suddenly in a __________,

but then the sky brightened just as suddenly in a
__________.
3. Most of us have been embarrassed at least once
when we failed to control the __________ of a young
child in a crowded room.
4. Susan, who wrote her master’s thesis on Emily Dickinson, is well-
__________ in her poetry.
5. At first he said he wouldn’t go to the party, but then he __________
himself and went.
6. When I had a bad cold, I __________ myself back to
health with chicken soup, vitamin C and lots of sleep.
7. Grandpa is helping out at the Oktoberfest by grilling
___________.

8. By the end of their long road trip, they had completely __________ the
country.
9. When Grandma hit her thumb with the hammer, she
__________. I didn’t know she knew those words!
10. She sat in the hot-tub, her whole body __________ in the
comforting, swirling water.
11. John learned Spanish fluently; it helped that he ___________
himself in the language by living for a year in Spain.
12. All the money was ______________ according to the way the will had
been set up.
13. After the sweaty workout, Bill had a terrible _________.
14. That was the __________ pizza I have tasted in a long time.
15. Most babies are born __________ , but I was born __________.
16. After the concert, the crowd ____________ surprisingly quickly.
17. I knew she was upset with me from the way she _________ her lips.
18. Even though Ann and Angie hadn’t met before the conference, they hit
it off well, and ___________ for a long time after the session.
19. Did you shovel the snow off the walk voluntarily, or were you
___________?
20. When the balloon got squeezed in the door, it __________.

Answers:
1. rehearsed 11. immersed
2. cloudburst, sunburst 12. disbursed
3. outburst 13. thirst
4. versed 14. worst
5. reversed 15. headfirst, feetfirst
6. nursed 16. dispersed
7. wurst or bratwurst, knockwurst 17. pursed
8. traversed 18. conversed
9. cursed 19. coerced
10. submersed 20. burst

Trivia quiz: Famous First Lines of Novels
This quiz was written in May in honor of Creative Beginnings Month and Reading Is Fun
Week and asks you to identify famous first lines of novels.
Can you match the first line of each book to its title and author?
1. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . . ____
2. "Call me Ishmael." ____
3. Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano
Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took
him to discover ice. ____
4. Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board.
____
a. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
b. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel
García Márquez
c. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
d. Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
5. All children, except one, grow up. ____

6. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
____
7. Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow
coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down
along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo. ___
8. As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found
himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. ___
a. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
b. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
c. Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie
d. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James joyce

9. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. _____
10. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me
some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ____
11. It was love at first sight. ____
12. All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its
own way. ____
a. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
b. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
c. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
d. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
13. All this happened, more or less. ___

14. You better not never tell nobody but God. ___
15. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want
to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like . . .
___
16. Time is not a line but a dimension, like the dimensions of space. ___
a. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
b. Cat’s Eye, Margaret Atwood
c. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
d. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Resource: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/article_a125216a-649f-5414-88b5-
76a688ea3b6a.html
 Which of these books have you read?

 Which would you like to read?
 Which would you recommend to others?
Answers:
1. c 5. c 9. d 13. d
2. a 6. b 10. c 14. c
3. b 7. d 11. b 15. a
4. d 8. a 12. a 16. b

Trivia quiz: Famous First Lines of Movies
Many movies also have well-known opening lines. Most of the ideas for these two quizzes
came from http://www.filmsite.org/greatfilmquotes.html, a delightful website that offers
many more quotes than we had space for.
Can you match the opening line to the movie?

1. Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again. ___
2. He was the most extraordinary man I ever knew.” ___
3. Don't tell me, you didn't know it was loaded. ___
4. “Hello, gorgeous.” ___
5. “Please, sir, I want some more.” ___
6. “Radar!” ___
7. R-O-S-E-B-U-D. ___
8. “Norman. Come here. Come here, Norman. Hurry up. The loons! The
loons! They're welcoming us back.” ___
a. Charade e. M*A*S*H
b. Citizen Kane f. Oliver!
c. Funny Girl g. On Golden Pond
d. Lawrence of Arabia h. Rebecca
Not all movies with memorable lines, of course, have memorable first lines.

Can you identify the movie in which you first heard these lines?
1. Well, it's not the men in your life that counts; it's the life in your men. ___
2. I'll be back. ___
3. My Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates; you never know
what you're gonna get. ___
4. I'm the king of the world! ___
5. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn! ___
6. Fuh-get about it! ___
7. Hasta la vista, baby. ___
8. You're gonna need a bigger boat. ___
9. I just want to say one word to you - just one word.... 'plastics.' ___
10. I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore! ___
11. Go ahead, make my day. ___
12. I'll have what she's having. ___
13. Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death! ___
14. Show me the money! ___
15. Here's looking at you, kid. ___
a. Auntie Mame i. Jerry Maguire

b. Casablanca j. Network
c. Donnie Brasco k. Sudden Impact
d. Forrest Gump l. The Terminator
e. Gone with the Wind m. Terminator 2
f. The Graduate n. The Titanic
g. I’m No Angel o. When Harry Met Sally
h. Jaws
Answers:
Opening Lines: 1. h 2. d 3. a 4. c 5. f 6. e 7. b 8. g
Famous Lines:
1. g 3. d 5. e 7. m 9. f 11. k 13. a 15. b
2. l 4. n 6. c 8. h 10. j 12. o 14. i
Imagining Yourself as First
In the book A Celebration of American Family Folklore, (© 1982) one of the contributors wrote
about his father on the day San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrians. His
father and his friend wanted to be the first people to cross the bridge, but when they arrived,
they found there were already about 5000 people waiting to cross, and their odds of being
first were poor indeed. Then they had a brainstorm: they went into town, bought a
checkerboard, and when they were in the middle of the bridge, they sat down to play, thereby
becoming the first people to play checkers on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Use the spaces below to write your thoughts about firsts. Then share them.
Have you ever been first to do something out

of the ordinary? What was it? What gave you
the idea?
If you haven’t yet been the first to do something out of the ordinary, can you
think of something you might like to be first to do? What is it?
If you were a wild and crazy guy (or gal) when you were younger, what was the
wildest thing you did? Would you do it again? If not, are you glad you did it
when you did?

If you were not wild and crazy in your youth, is there something wild and crazy
you wish you had done? What was it? Could you still do it? What would it take
to make it happen for the first time?
The Twilight Wish Foundation

(http://www.twilightwishfoundation.org) grants wishes
to older adults of limited means. For example, one
woman was given the opportunity to celebrate her
100th birthday riding in a motorcycle sidecar and
another woman rode on a zamboni at a hockey game.
Other people wish for more predictable things like a
reunion with family members or a hearing aid. If you
could wish for something from them, what would it be?
Or if you could grant someone’s wish, what sort of wish would you like to grant?
Many of the wishes expressed above are essentially “bucket list” items –
meaning people want to do it for the first time, but are usually content if it is also
the last time. What are some things you would like to do just once?

Word game: First Letters of the Alphabet
This series of quizzes is about the first three letters of the alphabet.
Fill in the “A” “B” or “C” word that can precede each of the following words
1. A __ tic tempt tend
2. A __ __ fare mail tight
3. A __ __ __ enemy angel bishop
4. A __ __ __ graph pilot mate
5. A __ __ __ __ cart sauce cheeked
6. A __ __ __ __ thought shave noon
7. B __ shop partisan monthly
8. B __ fall dazzle come
9. B __ __ lot last lad
10. B __ __ bed on racks
11. B __ __ __ wagon aid it
12. B __ __ __ bone lash stage
13. B __ __ __ able hug skin
14. B __ __ __ __ flop button laugh
15. B __ __ __ __ stone right place
16. B __ __ __ __ trust spot date
17. B __ __ __ __ __ mark sleep parlor
18. B __ __ __ __ __ less line land
19. C __ __ call fish burglar
20. C __ __ ton nation go
21. C __ __ __ fire us ground
22. C __ __ __ __ __ field fold piece
Part 2: A number of ABC words fit with many of the same end words
Can you figure out the missing letters?
1. B U __ in off out up
2. B __ C __ off out up
3. B L __ __ __ in off out up
4. B R __ __ __ in on out over up
5. C __ __ L in off on out up
6. C __ __ __ Y off on out over
7. C H __ __ __ __ off out over
Part 3: Now figure out the ABC endings that fit with the words in each line
1. sav gar voy man __ __ __

2. sen deb rot pir __ __ __
3. strong toned fire __ __ __
4. check text rule __ __ __ __
5. cannon eye racquet __ __ __ __
6. pill soap suggestion __ __ __
7. grab punching tea __ __ __
8. checker peg running __ __ __ __ __
9. alley copy pole __ __ __
10. calling post registration __ __ __ __
These quizzes were inspired by Will Shortz’ “Puzzlemaster” books and Marge Engelman’s
Whole Brain Workouts. I heartily recommend all of these.
 To order The Puzzlemaster Presents 200 Mind-Bending Challenges, click here.
 To order The Puzzlemaster Presents, Volume 2, click here.
 To order Whole Brain Workouts, call the Attainment Company at 800-327-4269 or go
to www.attainmentcompany.com.

Answers, Part 1:
1. At 6. After 11. Band 16. Blind 21. Camp
2. Air 7. Bi 12. Back 17. Beauty 22. Center
3. Arch 8. Be 13. Bear 18. Bottom
4. Auto 9. Bal 14. Belly 19. Cat
5. Apple 10. Bar 15. Birth 20. Car
Answers, Part 2:
1. Buy 3. Block 5. Call 7. Change
2. Back 4. Bring 6. Carry
Answers, Part 3:
1. Age 4. Book 7. Bag 10. Card
2. Ate 5. Ball 8. Board
3. Arm 6. Box 9. Cat
Quick word game: First and Last the Same

Gyles Brandreth, author of Joy of Lex and More Joy of Lex, writes on a variety of topics,
but it can be reasonably said that he is obsessed with words. One challenge he gave
himself was to come up with words for every letter of the alphabet that begin and end with
the same letter. Some of the words he came up with are utterly foreign to me and do not
appear in my (admittedly somewhat outdated) dictionary. Here is his list:
Aloha health octavo valv

blob imabi pop wow
cynic Jernej Qaraqalpaq Xerox
dad kick razor yolky
ewe lull syllables zizz
fluff mum tot
grinning neon unau
I don’t doubt that Jernej, Qaraqulpaq, unau, valv and zizz exist, but I am less interested in
these obscurities than in meeting more reasonable challenges. For example:
 It should be fairly easy to come up with a list of additional words that

begin and end with d, g, r, and s because ed, ing, er (or or) and s are
all common endings to words in English. How many words can YOU
think of with those four beginning and ending letters?
 Spend a little time with your thinking cap and your dictionary, and you
will also find a fair number of words that begin and end with some of
the other letters, too. (bib, blab, bob, edge, eclipse, elope, high, hah!
hash, lateral, laurel, lawful, legal). What other words can you come up
with to replace Mr. Brandreth’s examples?

Trivia quiz: Which Came First? #2
Once again we are celebrating Trivia Day (January 4th) Trivia is usually defined as
unimportant or obscure facts, and synonyms include fiddle-faddle, frippery, frivolity, and
froth, but I beg to differ. You may not remember the facts, but my goal has never been
to fill your brain with useless information. Rather, I aim to keep your curiosity aroused so
that you will say, “Well, isn’t that interesting!” and maybe even become motivated to dig
deeper and learn more. So let’s call these “fascinating facts” instead.
Try to select the correct response to each question. References are all for
the United States, even though the US was not first in the world in some
cases.
1. Which came first, the elevator or the skyscraper?
2. Which came first, electric lights or the telephone?
3. Which came first, elevated trains or the subway?
4. Which came first, gas stations or traffic lights? When did
the parking meter come in – before, after or in between?
5. Which came first, a public zoo or botanical garden? When did a public
aquarium come in – before, after or in between ?
6. Which came first, a university or public school?
7. Which came first, a hospital or ambulance service?
8. Which came first, a dedicated baseball stadium or football stadium?
9. Which came first, a vaudeville theatre or an opera house?
10. Which came first, the ferris wheel or roller coaster?

11. Which came first, a lighthouse or firehouse?
12. Which came first, the five and dime store or the department store?
13. Which came first, a circulating library or a science museum?

14. Which came first, Double Bubble gum or Hershey’s chocolate bars?

15. Which came first, a woman elected to Congress or women given the
constitutional right to vote?
Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Scientists have
concluded unequivocally that it was the egg.
(http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/05/26/chicken.egg/)
Answers:
1. Elevator, New York City, 1852: skyscraper, Chicago, 1885 (10
stories with 2 more added later),
2. Telephone, 1876; electric lights, 1878 (but electricity had been
experimented with for at least a century before light bulbs came
into being)
3. Elevated trains, Chicago, 1892; subway, Boston, 1897
4. Gas station, Pittsburgh, 1913; traffic light, Cleveland, 1914; parking meter, Oklahoma
City, 1935
5. Botanical garden, Philadelphia, 1728; zoological garden, Philadelphia,
1874; aquarium, New York City, 1896
6. Public school, Boston 1635; Harvard University, 1636
7. Hospital, Philadelphia, 1752; ambulance service, Cincinnati, 1865
8. First dedicated football stadium, Cambridge, MA (Harvard University),
1903; baseball stadium, Pittsburgh 1909
9. Opera house, New Orleans, 1859; vaudeville theater, Boston, 1883
10. Roller coaster, Brooklyn, 1885 (or thereabout); ferris wheel, Chicago, 1893
11. Lighthouse, Boston, 1716; firehouse (volunteer fire company), Philadelphia, 1735
12. Another near tie: Macy’s department store, New York 1878, Woolworth’s five and
dime store, Utica, NY (quickly moved to Lancaster, PA) 1879
13. Circulating library, Philadelphia, 1731; science museum, Charleston, SC, 1773
14. Hershey’s chocolate bar, 1900; Double Bubble gum, 1928
15. Jeannette Rankin of Montana was elected to Congress in 1916; U.S. women were
given the Constitutional right to vote in 1920. Several other states and countries granted
women the right before that year.
Resources: primarily http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0194050.html and

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763911.html.

Reminiscing: Remembering Firsts
We have only begun to discuss all the ways in which we use the word “first.” Here are a
few more to consider. Write your thoughts in the space provided (or on a separate
paper) and then share them.
Think of a time when you needed or gave first aid. What caused the injury
and what was the outcome?
Getting to first base, sounds like baseball, but in

dating terms means kissing. Can you recall a
memorable first base encounter?
Have you ever travelled first class or in other ways been given fist class
treatment? Describe the services you most enjoy.
Do you have a first cousin you are close to? Describe your relationship.
Have you ever been subjected to the first degree – meaning grilling about
what you had done where and when – by parents or peers? What was the
occasion?
A first edition in a book by a famous author can be quite valuable. Do you

own any or are there some you wish you did?

If you know something firsthand, it means you witnessed it happening.
Describe something memorable that you saw or experienced firsthand.
First Lady means the President’s wife in the U.S. and may be a president’s
or prime minister’s wife in other countries. Name a First Lady you admire or
admired.
Our first name is usually the name most people know us by. Do you like
yours? Is it ordinary or extraordinary? Do you know anyone with an unusual
first name?
Have you ever won first place or prize, and if so, in what? If you could be
first in anything, what would you like it to be?
Something first rate is the tops, the best. Name something – a company,
book, song, performer, car, sports team, anything – you consider first rate
and describe why.
First string usually refers to music or sports and in both

means you are considered a strong player and play often.
Have you ever been a first stringer and in what? If not,
what would you like to be a first stringer in?
First words can refer to the first words in a book, novel, or

play or the first words a baby speaks, or the first words Neil Armstrong said
after landing on the moon, or ______. Talk about memorable first words
you have heard.

Quick discussion: Winter Olympics: First to Current
The first Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were held
from January 25 to February 5, 1924 in Chamonix, France, but at the time they were
called International Sports Week, earning the Olympic designation retroactively.
The first games consisted of 16 events. A total of 16 nations participated, all European
except for the United States and Canada. Norway had the most wins with 4 gold, 7
silver, and 6 bronze medals.
In 2010, more than 80 countries participated and most of the categories remained the
same, although there are many more events, due in part to the addition of women and
paralympic participants.
 The 1924 Olympics had an event called “military patrol” which is now called
“biathlon” and combines cross country skiing and rifle shooting.
 “Freestyle skiing,” which consists of navigating moguls and showing off ballet and
aerial skills while skiing, was first a demonstration event in the late 1980s, and
eventually added to the official program.
 Snowboarding was added a dozen years ago.
 Some events, like “skeleton” have been in and out of favor over the years, but
are currently “in.” (For those as unfamiliar as I was, “skeleton” is essentially old-
fashioned sledding – lying on your stomach and flying head first down the hill.)
 Other events, like figure skating (which is the only event women were originally
allowed to compete in), speed skating, ski jumping, and ice hockey have been
popular from the beginning and remained so.
Talk about the events you most like to watch.
Quick discussion: First Food Facts

 Ancient Greeks enjoyed a flat baked bread with
various toppings known as plankuntos, but the first
modern pizzeria opened in 1830 in Italy – Antica
Pizzeria Port’Alba – and is still serving. The first
hamburger is more controversial. The 1802 Oxford
Dictionary defined Hamburg steak as salt beef, but
that’s not hamburger. Charlie Nagreen of Seymour, Wisconsin is believed to
have sold hamburgers at the Outagamie County Fair in 1885. Apparently
Charlie went to the fair to sell meatballs, but the fairgoers had a hard time eating
them while walking so Charlie flattened them out and stuck them between two
slices of bread. The town of Seymour, Wisconsin is so sure that the hamburger
was invented by Charlie Nagreen that they even have a hamburger museum,
festival and parade. They have competition from others who claim they were first,
but their story is the most fun. (Sources:
http://www.thepizzajoint.com/pizzafacts.html and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Nagreen)

 The first frozen TV dinner was the result of Gilbert and Clark Swanson
overestimating the American turkey consumption for Thanksgiving 1953 by about
500,000 pounds. One of their sales reps, Gerry Thompson, designed a 3-
compartment aluminum tray and packaging that resembled a TV set, and into the
trays went turkey, cornbread stuffing, gravy, peas and sweet potatoes. The first
year brought 10 million sales at about a dollar each. (Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_dinner)
Do you remember TV dinners? Have they improved over the years?
Quick discussion: The Bare Facts on the First Bikini

What you might not have known: What defines a bikini is the belly
button. When you’re wearing a bikini, it shows. The skimpy swimsuit
was considered so audacious when it was first revealed (literally) to
the world in 1946 by designer Louis Reard, that he couldn’t find a
respectable model to wear it and finally hired an exotic dancer to
show it off.
What you may know: It was named for the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall
Islands where an atomic test bomb was exploded just days earlier. Mr. Reard thought
his bikini would unleash its own nuclear reaction, which to some degree it did. (Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikini)
Quick discussion: First Groundhog Day in Puxsutawney

February 2 is always Groundhog Day in Puxsutawney, Pennsylvania, or at least it has
been since the late 1880s when records started being kept. (The
tradition of using an animal to predict the coming of spring goes back
at least to the ancient Romans who used a hedgehog, but
Pennsylvania, lacking that cuddly creature among its native fauna,
has substituted a larger rodent.) The idea is that if the groundhog
named Pete or Phil (whichever is alive in any given year) sees his
shadow, he will go back in his burrow and we will have another six
weeks of winter. Therefore, those longing for spring should always
hope for an overcast February 2nd.
Some of us think that Puxsutawnians need to switch to a bed or

bathtub race or some other event to spice up their lives, but a town named after a
Delaware Indian word for “sand flies” may have a hard time overcoming the inertia of a
100-year-plus tradition. (No offense intended to Penn State citizens; just remember that
February 5th is Bubblegum Day. Couldn’t you do something with that?)
Sources: http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/96/2.1.96/facts.html and
http://www.stormfax.com/ghogday.htm

Volume 5, Issue 5
© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue

All Rights Reserved.

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Conversations with David and Kathy:

Amping Up Your Activity Programming

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Keeping Up Appearances: ADLs as Activities: Top 10 Ideas

© 2011 Kathy Laurenhue and David Troxel Page 1

ADLs: You Would Resist, Too, If It Happened to You

Discomfort can take many forms. People may be:

© 2011 Kathy Laurenhue and David Troxel Page 1

Think about it. What’s your reaction when:

Think about it: What’s your reaction when:

The fifth logical reason for resistance is the environment

Problems often arise because of “too’s” in the environment:

© 2011 Kathy Laurenhue and David Troxel Page 2

Knowing the person’s personality is also important. In any classroom,

© 2011 Kathy Laurenhue and David Troxel Page 3

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 2

Which came first?

2. ___ a. Pop-up toaster ___ b. Sliced bread

3. ___ a. Coca-Cola ___ b. 7-Up soda

4. ___ a. Margarine ___ b. Peanut butter

5. ___ a. Freeze-dried instant coffee ___ b. Tea bags

6. ___ a. Modern traffic light ___ b. Parking meter

7. ___ a. Braille ___ b. Morse code

8. ___ a. Band-aid ___ b. Scotch tape

9. ___ a. Insulin ___ b. Penicillin

10. ___ a. Smallpox vaccine ___ b. Vitamins

11. ___ a. Electric trolley ___ b. Subway

12. Can you put these toys in order of invention?

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 3

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 4

Which came first?

1. The first a) ___hamburger served or b) ___the first

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 5

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 6

 The world’s first bathtub race was in 1967 in

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 7

 The first jigsaw puzzle was created by John Spilsbury, a

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 8

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 9

Talk about a first related to an accomplishment, such as winning a game or

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 10

2. The rain came down suddenly in a __________,

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 11

20. When the balloon got squeezed in the door, it __________.

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 12

5. All children, except one, grow up. ____

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 13

13. All this happened, more or less. ___

2. _ a. Pop-up toaster _ b. Sliced bread

3. _ a. Coca-Cola _ b. 7-Up soda

4. _ a. Margarine _ b. Peanut butter

5. _ a. Freeze-dried instant coffee _ b. Tea bags

6. _ a. Modern traffic light _ b. Parking meter

7. _ a. Braille _ b. Morse code

8. _ a. Band-aid _ b. Scotch tape

9. _ a. Insulin _ b. Penicillin

10. _ a. Smallpox vaccine _ b. Vitamins

11. _ a. Electric trolley _ b. Subway

1. The first a) _hamburger served or b) _the first

1. sav gar voy man __