Seniors' Centre for Excellence - Mapleton, Minto, Wellington North

02/13/2026

Good Evening, Friends and Fellow ZOOMers.

Thanks for sharing such "delicious" responses to the "foodie" questions today. I know some of you will be celebrating Valentine's Day and so I sure hope you get to enjoy some of your favourite food for that! I know Antonia will! (Enjoy that salmon!)

And even if you don't celebrate Valentine's Day, know that you are loved and appreciated every single day of the year!

Thanks for joining in the fun today and make sure you come back next week to have another chance to win this great $75 Gift Certificate from a restaurant of YOUR choice in your community.

Meanwhile, here is "gift" for everyone. How about a bit of a giggle with a country music slant? Yee-ha! Here's a nice little song that some of us might relate to on occasion?

"Romance Ain’t Dead, It’s Just Taking a Nap!"

They say romance fades with time—but sometimes, it just needs a quick nap! 😴 This playful country tune tells the story of a c...

02/12/2026

Greetings, Thoughtful Thursday Friends.
Is it me, or did this week whiz by at helter-skelter speed? I must be having fun (so "they" say!)

In a few days it will be Valentine's Day 2026. Hooray for some, and no big deal for others, as we discovered last week!

Since we have this great Grand Prize Draw for a $75 Gift Certificate from a restaurant of the winner's choice, I thought maybe we would talk food, this week.

Here we go:
1. What would be your choice of restaurant meal? And where would you go to get it?
2. What is one thing you cook (make, bake) well, because someone told you so?
3. What could you live on if you only had three choices? And you can't say "Meat, Potatoes, Vegetables." Let's get specific. For me it would be any kind of Seafood platter, Greek Salad, and cheese.

Your turn...the rules are few...

a. Respond to the questions above in the comments section below
b. Deadline to enter is 8pm this evening.
c. One entry per week.
d. Draw will be made on the evening of Thursday, February 26, 2026
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It's just that easy. Your name will be entered on our Wheel of Names and you will have a chance to win this lovely gift certificate to a restaurant of YOUR choice!

"A restaurant is a place where you can sit down and relax, and let someone else do the cooking for you." —Unknown

02/09/2026

Nourishing oneself mindfully, isn’t a luxury, it is a cornerstone of healthy aging. Every nutrient you take in becomes a partner in supporting your heart, brain, bones, and muscles. When you think of it that way, it makes one want to consider what we consume on a daily basis.

Come join us at the Seniors’ Centre for Excellence Palmerston Dining Program on February 18 and you will discover that powerful connection between a healthy diet and aging (gracefully and with a little vitality along the way!)

We’ve got a delicious meal planned and Registered Dietitian, Danielle McIntosh, from the Minto Mapleton Family Health Team, will be joining us to talk frankly about the importance of diet and eating for optimal aging.

Come learn from the best.
Come savour a good meal.
Come spend time with the best company in town.

Just make sure you let us know soon that you can make it. It wouldn’t be the same without you there. hedwards@mapleton.ca or call the office at 519-638-1000.

02/09/2026

Who doesn't love a good story?
Who doesn't love good food?

Add a pinch of history
A dash of enthusiasm.
Stir in a whole measure of hard working staff.

And that will become the perfect recipe for one delicious reason to head to the Mount Forest & District Sports Complex on Thursday, February 19th.

Come discover the history and popularity behind PEBBLES FAMILY BUFFET (and a whole lot more!)

Sponsored and organized by the Seniors' Centre for Excellence and Kay Ayres.

02/09/2026

Thanks, Mapleton.

Another great time was had by all (we hope!)
So many people to thank for helping our Seniors’ Cantre for Excellence Hygge & Koselig experience to be the success it was.

First.
Thank you to our community friends who weren’t afraid to dig out their Christmas tree and sparkling white lights, one more time! Our “forest” looked fantastic thanks to you!
Three cheers to:

1. Danielle LaCombe
2. Barb & John Green
3. John & Linda Cherrey
4. Drayton Reformed Church
5. Linda Gallina
6. Jennifer Frayne
7. Sandy Good
8. Laura McLain
9. Marilyn Oosterveld
10. Sheila Morden
11. Jodi Colwill
12. Stacey Frey

Special thanks to John & Linda Cherrey for spending two long hours helping us with setting up trees and sorting out lights. You brought us calm and laughter and a whole lot of much appreciated help!

We can never say enough to the Mapleton PMD Arena Staff for always having our backs, and for setting up tables, chairs, fiddling with tech issues, finding us every little nit-picking thing we asked for and for just being such good staff. Thanks, Sandy, Dan the Man, and Rourke!

The steamy soups, assorted sandwiches, and warm apple crisp were delicious and perfect for the Hygge theme. Thanks to Sarah at Undercooked Catering and her terrific team, Dianne, Ellen, and Marlene, for filling us well.

Thanks, Trevor Belec, for getting those fabulous wooden log slabs for us. They made the tables complete. Oh, and thanks for being a tech advisor on the fly, too! We so appreciate that.

Gilles Belec, you are a rock star. Without you, picking up, delivering, and dropping off trees and making that lovely fireplace, our setting and atmosphere would have been ho-hum. Instead, you helped us sparkle with Hygge to the Max!

Joanne Wiersma, you were incredible. Thanks for sharing your Hygge & Koselig expertise. We like to think that you allowed others to discover the importance of embracing winter and the simple things and how it can translate into a more peaceful way of life filled with gratitude and peace. You are so appreciated.

And speaking of gratitude. Thank YOU to ALL our beautiful seniors (and the odd young un’) who graced our room and participated in our Hygge experience. Without YOU, all our efforts would have been in vain. Thanks for your constant support. We love to find ways to keep everyone Active, Connected, and Engaged!

02/06/2026

Good Evening, Thoughtful Thursday Challenge, Friends.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts today on Valentine's Day.
I say Hallmark can do fine without us. Keep keeping it simple (or non-existent) as you see fit!

Make sure you come back next week to get another chance to win that lovely Gift Certificate from a Restaurant of Your Choice.

Meanwhile, happy Thursday and here's a nice little romantically-poetic quote from Robert Browning: "Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be."

And if romantically-poetic quotes are not your thing, here's one for you: "I love you more than coffee, but please don't make me prove it."

(Oh, and thanks for defining in your own words, what love is! Here they are ↓) .

Happy Weekend, everyone!

02/05/2026

Happy February, Thoughtful Thursday Challenge Friends.

Love is in the air. (Or should I say, Hallmark is gearing up?)

I took this from Google Yoda just now:



Let's just say that the average price for those Hallmark cards is $8.95 each. (I have no clue how much Hallmark cards are.)
150 million x $8.95 = 1.3425 billion dollars! Rather mind blowing I would say. Thankfully I rarely contribute to that pot! Yikes.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, let's get right down to the luvvy-duvvy.

1. Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Why or why not?
2. Did you read the "Word from Helen" story yet on the front page of our SCE H&S February newsletter? It's about giving and getting Valentines in school "back in the day" and Helen's traumatic experience. Can anyone relate? Care to share?
3. Let's get sentimental. Remember the 1970 "Love Story" movie when Ryan O Neal told Ali McGraw (can't recall their stage names), "Love is Never Having to Say You're Sorry!" Now it's your turn. Finish this sentence: Love is ___________________.

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There you have it. A few rules and just like that, your name will be entered into the draw for a chance to win this fabulous $75 Gift Certificate from a Restaurant of Your Choice.

a. Respond to the questions above in the comments section below
b. Deadline to enter is 8pm this evening.
c. One entry per week.
d. Draw will be made on the evening of Thursday, February 26
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Have fun and maybe start making your own Valentine's card (with apologies to any Hallmark rep who might be checking us out!)

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." - Maya Angelou

02/03/2026

We have good news and bad news.

The good news is, we are so excited about this amazing Hygge & Koselig Experience coming to the PMD Arena this coming Friday!

The bad news is (sniff...) we are sold out!

02/03/2026

Many people have savoured the flavours of a Pebbles' meal over the years, and have been more than impressed.

But not many know the history behind this successful business. Come join us "behind the scenes" in Mount Forest at the Mount Forest and District Sportsplex on Thursday February 19 at 1 pm, and let's listen and learn.

Oh, and while we are at it, there are samples. Come try a taste of Pebbles' famous banana loaf.
And did I mention there are prizes? Plenty of prizes?

No registration required. And free admission. Just show up, nestle in, and the Seniors’ Centre for Excellence will treat you to another great presentation.

02/02/2026

Sometimes as we get older, our appetites change.
Sometimes as we get older, we want to learn more about how to eat well to stay well.
Sometimes we get great opportunities to learn and discover that we have so many choices when it comes to nutrition.

Come join us at this Seniors' Centre for Excellence workshop in Mount Forest this Thursday, and listen to Alyson Colton Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator speak about how to properly nourish our bodies.

This Eat Well—Feel Well (free) presentation is happening at the Mount Forest Library and we do ask that you register beforehand (so we know how many refreshments to have on hand and also to make sure we save you a seat!)

02/02/2026

SCE Myth Buster #15

There’s a widespread myth that older adults are always in pain and neglect their health, but John Timmerman’s experience and lifestyle choices debunks that myth with gusto.

John considers himself to be in fairly good health, making deliberate choices to eat well and stay physically active. Each morning, John starts his day with yogurt, blueberries, and walnuts, treating himself to bacon and eggs only once a week. He makes sure he includes at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day too. His alcohol consumption is minimal—just about three drinks per year, and under doctor’s advice, he takes a low-dose aspirin daily.

John is diligent about his annual medical checkup and blood work and is first to remind his peers how important it is to make good choices and to be responsible for looking after themselves.

These helpful habits not only benefit him in so many ways, but they also defy the stereotype that aging inevitably means poor health, constant pain, and neglect of self; John shows that healthy aging is entirely possible with steady, mindful choices.

Way to go, John, and thanks for being an inspiration.