Join The Garlands Phase II Founders Club and enjoy the following benefits:

- 10% pre-opening savings
- An average $96K savings over opening day
- Discount more than compensates for most lowered home values
- Best locations/views
- Best selection

Plus take advantage of The Garlands complimentary "All the Right Moves" home staging and relocation services. Then relax and dream of living your best life at The Garlands.

To learn more about becoming a Founders Club member, call 847-304-1996.

Labels: active retirement communities, Chicago assisted living, Chicago independent living, chicago retirement community, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

"How many books do you have to return to the Barrington Library," I asked my wife, Rita
"Five or six."
"Why drive? Let's walk there, it's a beautiful day. I'll help you carry them."

The path starts at the Garlands, rises over a small hill and ends at the library, sign says one seventh of a mile.

"That was easy, the hill was no bother," Rita said.
"You're right. What is that construction going on just beyond the trees?" I asked.
"That's the new hospice center. It's due to open next year."
"I like the idea that they're in our back yard," I replied. "They're a great organization and the building fund is still going on."
"What a splendid day," She said. "Let's walk over the Garlands Bridge to Citizen's Park and check out the tree house, slides and picnic tables. You know the grand children love to play there."
"Great idea, Dear"

One couple played tennis as we passed the courts. The incline to the tree house was busy with families. A group of eight spread out a summer picnic meal on the table at the tree house platform. They talked and laughed loudly.

Rita said, "Jack it's a perfect day to walk through Cuba Marsh. We can go out a half mile using the boardwalks and return."
"Another good idea. Let's do it!"

We enjoyed our walk. The Cuba marsh is extensive and primordial. The birds make nearly all the sounds, but others, especially frogs contribute. The walk starts at a boardwalk over a small part of the marsh ending at a gravel path that leads shortly to the main long boardwalk. We followed that for our half-mile trek.

"We had a good time today. How about walking over to Langendorf Park tomorrow and have a picnic near the great public swimming pool?" I asked.

"Two miles is not far to walk, but the traffic is heavy at the crossing corner. I prefer driving especially because we'll have food and blankets."

Location, location, location. That's part of what we have here at our Active Senior Living community.

Jack Roche

Labels: active senior living, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement home, upscale senior living

Phase II of The Garlands is making great strides; our latest progress being in Building D, the superstructure of which was completed on schedule in August 2009. And a model unit--showcasing the luxurious living offered by our new residences--is finished and ready for visitors. We hope you can stop by and take a look!

Other progress you'll notice on your visit:

Roof trusses for this project are quite complicated and have been described by many as a most challenging geometric design. But the challenge has been met and these trusses are nearly complete at the west end of the building with the final roofing scheduled for completion by Thanksgiving.

With the completion of the roof trusses, the huge crane seen looming over our site has recently been dismantled and removed as its work is done.

The installation of the trusses and roofing enables the work on the exterior walls to progress. The exterior masonry is now 85% complete with the anticipated completion of all exterior wall masonry is mid November.

The Garlands goes green:

Insulation board is being installed behind the masonry, and when combined with the fiberglass insulation within the walls, we'll get exceptional energy efficiency in the residential units. In addition, the exterior Tyvek wrap system has been designed and installed per DuPont's standards to include special fasteners and flashing around the windows, all done to provide excellent protection against water intrusion through the exterior wall. All told, these will be extremely well made and efficient residences, which are easy on the heating/ cooling bills, as well as friendly to mother nature.

The east half of the building is already weather-tight, allowing the interior to be finished. The mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing tradesmen have already completed their rough-in work in the east half of the building. In this location, drywall is being installed as well as ceramic tile, wood doors, millwork, cabinets, painting and appliances.

The residential units at the east end of the building will start to approach completion by this year's end. This completion sequence will march west through the building throughout the winter months.

At ground level, the building will begin to take it's final form during late Summer of 2010 when driveways will be paved, landscaping installed and construction trailers removed.

The current schedule targets building completion by October 2010--less than one year away!

Labels: Chicago assisted living, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

Garlands members enjoy a tour of enchanting Lake Geneva.


Dolores Gray, Delores Lobraico and Betty Catlin enjoy the view from the "Belle."


After a delicious lunch, Lois Haselwood, Florence Wysocki and Cookie Cook listen to the Captain's narration aboard the "Belle."


Members board the bus after a beautiful day.

Labels: chicago retirement community, Fitness and Activities, senior retirement communities, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

"Images from Tibet" features the photography of Brian Ziegler, son of Garlands' member, Gregg Ziegler. For over ten years now Brian has pursued an avocation of photography from his international travels. This exhibit presents works from his trip to Tibet in the fall of 1999. Each image was captured on color negative film, transferred into digital format by scanning, and then printed onto canvas with an inkjet plotter. Join Brian on September 9 to discuss his travels through the lens. "Images of Tibet" Art Reception with pictures.

Right to Left: JoAnn, Gregg, Brain & Lyra (Brian's Daughter) Ziegler.

Labels: Chicago estate planning, chicago senior living, Fitness and Activities, upscale retirement home, upscale senior living

Hans and Istvan, The Garlands Gourmets.

"Gourmet food at a retirement community? You gotta be kiddin'!" said my wife, Rita.

"No. I'm not!" I replied. "Istvan Abdai, Director of Food and Beverage, and Hans Ladwein, Executive Chef, have joined culinary forces to create a gourmet night at the Roycroft, our upscale restaurant."

And so off we went . . .

Hans has a reassuring German accent that lends authority to his role as master chef. Istvan prides himself on having studied and mastered the subtle art of matching wine to cuisine, and he describes it in a distinctive Dutch tone, adding to the mystery of the wine.

The Chef's Table was where twenty gathered at the Roycroft about five thirty to begin a gourmet treat. Standing, the members mingled enjoying white and red wines, hors d'oeuvres and excited conversation--an appropriate beginning to the long-awaited evening.

A grand u-shape of tables with white table cloths, scattered flowers, assorted wine glasses and fancy silver cutlery set the mood for "Gourmet." The open end of the u directed us to Hans and Istvan who carefully and knowledgeably prepared us for the meal.

Hans and Istvan detailed the excellence to come: Chilled Swiss Cucumber Soup with a white Riesling Kabinett 2006 from Hirschbach und Sohne— introduced the high level of dining. Then a medley of spring greens, tossed tableside with cider vinegar, olive oil, honey poupon and walnuts. All nursed with a Camelot Chardonnay 2007. Pan-seared Diver scallops (hand picked deep in the ocean) placed over black cappelini in truffle oil and lemon-basil beurre blanc (a rich hot butter sauce with a white wine reduction) announced Hans' five-star ability. Istvan's kept this great food tied-in to the Camelot Chardonnay 2007.

We stopped for an amuse-bouche: a Blood Orange Sorbet, to refresh our
palettes before the main course.

The Marsala glazed lollipop veal chop was set on braised baby leaks. Roasted mushroom potatoes, tomato Florentine and shitake caps blended well with the veal as did the Estancia Central Coast Merlot 2007.

Great restaurants in our "Upscale Senior Living" retirement community demand a great finish to a great meal. Hans hit it on the nose with Cappuccino mousse and chocolate ganache on pomegranate coulis with chocolate and berry garnish.

As we left fully satisfied, I asked, "Are you a convert to exquisite dining here at the Roycroft?"

"I've been converted!" Rita replied, "Can't wait until Hans and Istvan have another 'Gourmet Delight."

Labels: Chicago assisted living, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

If you've been following our better balance report since it started in January, here's a review of what we've learned:

• Your sense of balance needs to be used often to stay in good shape.
• When you were younger, your daily activities exercised your sense of balance and kept it in good condition.
• As you get older, and your activity level decreases, your sense of balance gets less stimulation, causing the quality of your balance to deteriorate.
• Strong legs can help prevent falls and improve quality of life.
• There are many simple changes you can make to your home to decrease your chance of falling there.
• The combination of doing balance exercises, increasing leg strength, and reducing tripping hazards gives you the best chance of avoiding falls, maintaining independence and enjoying a high quality of life.

~Mike Ross, author of "The Balance Manual,"

www.balance-exercises.com

Labels: better balance report, Chicago assisted living, Chicago independent living, Fitness and Activities, senior retirement communities, upscale senior living

Say what you will about the virtues of modern technology, but sometimes a little glimpse at the future is a welcome harbinger of great things to come! So is the case with the new "virtual video" of The Garlands second phase of development. Through the magic of modern technology, what is currently architectural drawings, concrete and steel comes to life in DVD form as a replica of what the Garlands completed campus and new Phase II residences will look like on opening day in 2010. Take a glimpse into the future of our active retirement community and order your complimentary DVD today to pass along to a friend! Call 847-304-1996.

Labels: active retirement community, active senior living, chicago retirement community, garlands blogger, upscale senior living

Easter is a special time for many families the world over, and it's no different for our family here at the Garlands, where celebrations are a big part of active senior living community.

Easter brunch with all the trimmings, including visits with the bunny and an egg hunt in the courtyard, is a time-honored Garlands tradition.


Carl Peterson and Cookie Cooke pose with the Easter bunny before enjoying the Easter brunch.


Marlene Rolecek and grandchildren get ready to hunt for eggs with the Easter bunny.

Labels: active retirement community, chicago senior living, easter, garlands blogger, senior retirement communities, the garlands, upscale senior living

The Card Players by Paul Cezanne

The Card Players

Thursday afternoons: two o'clock--sacred time for the men at this active retirement community. Usually, fourteen gather before two o'clock to draw for a seat at the different tables. The men chat; little gossip, lots of sports, hints of politics but many "Ifs"--if I'd only caught a club, if I'd held onto my ace, if I'd stayed-in--I'd a won. Maybe! Marvelously, poker focuses on improving short term memory. After every hand, we test each other by asking, who dealt? Six or seven at the table think about it. Eventually a player recalls, and the game goes on. Constant memory exercise.

Good card games have great characters playing. Let's mention some of them: Organizer is first to set up poker-chips for each player. $10 required to play and another $5 in case of a bad-luck day. Lose $15 and you're out. This happens. Chips: blue 50¢, red 25¢ and white 10¢. Small money, lots of fun. Creator's long chamber list of crazy 'Dealers Choice' games maintains our interest. Some players get in a rut dealing the same game over and over again, seldom playing other great games, especially from Creator's list

Avocateur thinks winning is just the luck-of-the-draw and talent is baloney. Studying the case proves talent wins over time. Impatient signals a good hand by asking others to bet quickly--he's never that attentive with a weak hand. Analyzer fingers his cards tenderly, peeks at them repeatedly, verifying their strength before betting and then cajoles all to play properly.

Betting patterns tell stories about players' hands. Dropper quits game after game waiting for good cards. When Dropper, raises or bets--look-out--he's loaded and will take your money. Cautious, on the other hand, is always figuring the odds of winning, like trying for a bridge grand slam. Cautious drops out of some games with a winning hand--his losses are treasured by all.

The subtleties of poker are often spoiled by players dropping out-of-turn because of a poor hand. Bluffer tries now and then to win by bluffing, but is foiled when Impatient throws his hand down, out-of-turn, forcing the weak player before him to call Bluffer just to keep him honest.

Avocateur now respects evidence showing there is more to winning at poker than luck alone. There are regrets that other remarkable players like North Star, (a natural card counter), Accountant, (alertly tracks bets and antes) and Seven (lucky number fan) sat at the second table. Names have been changed to protect the Bluffer. Sharing this active senior life is a special joy for all. Come join us Thursdays.

Jack Roche

Labels: active retirement communities, active senior living, Chicago assisted living, chicago retirement community, Jack and Rita, senior retirement communities, upscale senior living

Experience upscale senior living at The Garlands and immerse yourself in Hawaiian culture at the same time!

Enjoy a fun and relaxing evening at a Hawaiian Luau complete with a Hawaiian-inspired feast and a performance by the Royale Polynesian Revue featuring music and dance from Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand.

The Royale Polynesian dancers will entertain you with music and dance from Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. Be dazzled by costume changes and a Don Ho-eque singer. Leis will be provided.

The Garlands Chef Hans has prepared an exceptional menu of greens with citrus segments, berries, Macadamia nuts and hearts of palm with rice wine vinaigrette; Hawaiian seafood salad; whole barbequed suckling pigs; char grilled barbequed pork tenderloin; char grilled Opakapa topped with papaya salad; pineapple coconut chicken; whipped sweet potatoes; fried rice; banana fritters; stir fried peapods, sprouts, sweet peppers and water chestnuts in a Teriyaki glaze; tapioca pudding with caramelized pineapple; coconut cream pie and a tropical fruit display.

The Luau will be held Friday, August 22, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at The Garlands of Barrington, 1000 Garlands Lane, Barrington, IL. The cost is $40 per person for dinner and entertainment with a cash bar. Reservations can be made by calling 847-304-1996 by August 19.

Labels: active retirement communities, Chicago independent living, From the Executive Director, senior living facility, upscale retirement home, upscale senior living

The most significant development lately has been the pouring of the first floor in the underground parking garage. Heated, underground parking is a benefit that members of The Garlands really enjoy--each residence comes complete with a designated parking place, just one of a million conveniences that make up The Garlands lifestyle, and what we feel is a part of upscale senior living. Meanwhile, site utilities for storm and sanitary lines, main electrical feed and being installed in the coming weeks.

Labels: Alzheimer's Care, chicago retirement community, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living