#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench - Rita Munro - How does your garden grow? Gardening, Nursing, and Journalism

Rita Munro - How does your garden grow? Gardening, Nursing, and Journalism

12/07/21 • 30 min

8 Listeners

#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench

Episode #31 - Rita Munro joins Erin Davis from The Village of Arbour Trails in Guelph, a place she makes more beautiful simply by being there, sharing her outdoor expertise, and bringing people together to grow gardens and friendships.

When Rita moved to the Village, she suggested a need for a garden outside the front of the Village. Pitched the idea to Wendy, Director of Lifestyle Options, and everyone came together to make this happen.

Gardening advice from Rita. "Look at the plants/flowers that you really like and research its requirements. It's not rocket science or difficult at all."

"Don't be intimidated by gardening because it not really a difficult thing at all." -Rita Munro

Rita worked in the operating room all of her career, in a high energy tense state all the time. Coming home to her garden, her own little paradise to enjoy and let the tense or emotional feelings fade away.

"Anyone can benefit from time outside; a green pleasant smelling outdoor spot brings solace." -Rita Munro

From Medium.com:
Those who garden regularly have the most benefits from the sensory experience
- Exercise
- Stress reduction
- Decreased risk of dementia
- Good dose of sunshine
- pulling weeds can burn upto 400 calories an hour
- critical thought which keeps you sharp

Featured Poem read by Lloyd Hetherington: God's Garden by Dorothy Gurney

Rita shares about her career as a nurse and how it began in Kingston and enjoyed every moment throughout her life. About her career as a nurse in the operating room, "everything that you are doing is helping someone, there's terrific team spirit, and clear organization." -Rita Munro

"So disappointing that people would use the locations of hospitals to protest trying to undermind this group of people that we need more than ever." -Rita Munro

On journalism, Rita has written a memoire: A snapshot of life in the depression
A story of growing up in the Ottawa valley to share with family

#ElderWisdom

"Patience is so important to going through life." -Rita Munro

"If you can divert your concern into something positive, reaching outside of yourself whenever possible." -Rita Munro

Is there a group you belong to? (Coffee group, Discussion group)

"People don't retire from gardening, they retire to do gardening." - Erin Davis

Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.

----more----

The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.

It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.

"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel

This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.

#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench is produced by Memory Tree Productions
Learn more about our host, Erin Davis, at erindavis.com
Learn more about co-host, Lloyd Hetherington
Learn more about #ElderWisdom at elderwisdom.ca

Gardening advice from Rita. "Look at the plants/flowers that you really like and research its requirements. It's not rocket science or difficult at all."

"Don't be intimidated by gardening because it not really a difficult thing at all." -Rita Munro

"Anyone can benefit from time outside; a green pleasant smelling outdoor spot brings solace." -Rita Munro

Featured Poem read by Lloyd Hetherington: God's Garden by Dorothy Gurney

"So disappointing that people would use the locations of hospitals to protest trying to undermind this group of people that we need more than ever." -Rita Munro

On journalism, Rita has written a memoire: A snapshot of life in the depression
A story of growing up in the Ottawa valley to share with family

#ElderWisdom

"Patience is so important to going through life." -Rita Munro

"If you can divert your concern into something positive, reaching outside of yourself whenever possible." -Rita Munro

Is there a group you belong to? (Coffee group, Discussion group)

"People don't retire from gardening, they retire to do gardening." - Erin Davis

Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.

----more----

The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.

It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.

"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel

This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.

Previous Episode

Felix Rommens - Living with hearing impairment, keeping hands busy with art, and growing up during WW2

3 Recommendations

Episode #30 - Felix Rommens is 97 years old. If you are wondering what keeps him young and loving life at The Village of Winston Park in Kitchener, it has to be his art. Erin Davis and guest co-host Doug Reed welcome Felix to the green bench to share in a conversation about his art and about his hearing impairment, which has formed the life is living today.

Nearly 50% of people 75+ have trouble with their hearing.

"Being deaf, I was kind of a loner. So, in order not to get completely bonkers, I started working with my hands and my mind." - Felix Rommens

Felix was working in Belgium at the highest he was able to go in office work (hating office work), so he decided to move the whole family to Canada at the age of 41. A visit to the employment office on the day he landed and went directly into the building process, building homes, working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. On the 7th day, he would do work at his own home.

When he retired at 71, he looked forward to the arts and crafts that he enjoyed. "The whole idea about my art is to keep something for tomorrow, so you keep going." - Felix Rommens

"I have only one life and I want to live it to the end." - Felix Rommens finds projects he looks forwards to with art and continues to use his hands as he did when he was 20.

Felix has the use of a woodshop at the Village to keep active in his art but also works in his suite, finding a way to continue working on projects.

"Keep on the positive side, think of all the good things that have happened to you." - Felix Rommens

Felix was captured by the Nazis during World War II, made to work in factories, awaiting liberation after 2 years in Germany, and then ran at the age of 18 on foot to make it home. His father was an officer in the Belgian army, shot at 40, and Felix as a child had to take care of him for the next 15 years due to his injuries.

"There are always two sides on a coin - I only took the good ones." - Felix Rommens

Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.

----more----

The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.

It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.

"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel

This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.

Next Episode

Reflections, gratitude, and tribute to the wisdom of Season 1

6 Recommendations

Episode #32 - Erin Davis brings us this very special season-ending edition of #ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench.

"In more than 30 episodes, we have hit milestones, grown bigger, gone deeper than any one of us could have imagined back when Ron Schlegel gave his blessing to this idea of amplifying the voices and tapping the wisdom of those most cherished among us, our seniors." - Erin Davis

"The position of co-host has the experience of a lifetime for me. I've grown in many many ways, with friendships, knowledge and a new lease on life." -Lloyd Hetherington

"My favourite part of the podcast is being able to put my headset on and go for a walk with my dad." - Denise Hutchinson

Hear about Erin's favourite episode: #18 with Patricia & Dennis Bayley from The Village of Taunton Mills.

Lloyd shares an episode that resonates with him, it was the story with Sheri Noecker from The Village at University Gates on Episode #27.

What podcast guest's story has resonated with you? Share with us on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag or through our website contact form at elderwisdom.ca

Messages of gratitude for the wisdom and stories shared on these podcasts brought to you by Schlegel Villages team members, podcast production team, and some online reviews.

We love to hear from you whether it is through our social media channels, our website elderwisdom.ca, or in podcast reviews on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, or the Goodpods App.

We captured some words of wisdom from Centenarians living at Schlegel Villages. Marie Rosa is 106 years old living at The Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke with her little sister Virginia who is 100. The question asked is 'What advice or words of wisdom would you give your 20-year-old self?'

104-year-old Bessie shares her words of wisdom from The Village of Taunton Mills in Whitby, "Sing more".

Our gratitude:
*Lloyd Hetherington
*The Village Team Members
*Rob Whitehead
*Ted Hudson
*Memory Tree Productions team, Peter Shannon, Melinda Wilson, Karen Kocher
*Our listeners from around the world
and a big thank you to our host, Erin Davis

From all of us at Schlegel Villages and the podcast team, we thank Lloyd Hetherington for his wisdom, stories, and engagement on the green bench. He will be stepping back from the co-host role and will continue to be involved in different ways with the #ElderWisdom campaign.

We will be back in February 2022 with Season 2 and welcoming a new co-host, Doug Robinson, who was our first guest of Season 1 and lives at The Village of Sandalwood Park in Brampton.

"Take the time, relax, unwind your soul and you will find that in every podcast there is a grain of truth just waiting for you to enjoy it and grow with it." -Lloyd Hetherington

Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.

----more----

The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.

It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.

"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel

This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.