st 1 OPTIONS Head Office and Day Program will be closed Wednesday, November 11, 2020 in recognition of Remembrance Day Marilyn and Melanie My name is Marilyn. I am single but I have my brother, Don, my niece, Carly, two roommates and a support staff, Melanie. Melanie and I met in a very unique way. If I had a pet, I would choose a fluffy kitten and name it, Alex. The best thing about having a roommate is that you can do things together, like watch TV or talk and go for walks. I have lived with my roommate for over 7 years. We have done a lot of great things and had so much fun together- we’ve gone to Banff a few times, Victoria, B.C., seen many rock concerts, attended The Calgary Stampede and watched the Grand Stand shows, zoomed in a helicopter, dashed in horse drawn carriages, been to lots of family parties, dog sledded in the mountains, watched tons of movies, went on a variety of picnics, BBQ’s, country drives and so much more. In my spare time, I enjoy beading, doing my hair, watching some ‘oldies’ on DVD, spending quality time with my family and going to my staff’s family for visits & dinner, going for walks, listening to music, driving in the country and socializing with my roommates. It was funny when I slipped and fell in the snowbank on my behind. I have travelled to Victoria, Banff and have been to many camp sites in Alberta. The craziest thing that I have ever done is go on a helicopter ride over the Rocky Mountains in Canmore. If I won a million dollars, I would buy lots of hair accessories with my win and go on vacations. My dream vacation would be to go to Hawaii with staff. I’ve not met anybody famous, but I wish I could meet Michael J. Fox. If I could have the whole house be one colour, I would like it to be purple. My name is Melanie. I am currently single. However, I am a Supportive Roommate to three wonderful woman, each whom I have met in very incredible and serendipitous ways! I have lived with Marilyn for 7 ½ years. I have two other roommates’; one has lived with me for 16 years and the other for 5 ½. The best thing about being a Supportive Roommate is knowing that you are helping to make a positive difference in the well-being and quality of life of another human being. One time, staff injured themselves in a funny way by picking up a hot piece of metal; at a temperature of about a bazillion degrees, that had just been welded??? It’s funny now but it wasn’t funny then! In my spare time, I like to read, go for walks, listen to music relax by candlelight, watch ‘cold case files,’ drive through the country, go to the gym and spend time with my son, granddaughter and God baby. If I could have a pet, I would have a Rottweiler, a German Sheppard and a Bullmastiff; all puppies. And, I would have a couple of kittens; an Exotic Shorthair and a Maine Coon. They would all grow-up together. I have travelled to Mexico, Hawaii and California. The craziest thing that I’ve ever done was take a 27-hour Greyhound bus ride to a small village in the middle of nowhere in the Yukon, NWT. When I win a million dollars, I will buy a beautiful house and go on a vacation. My dream vacation would be to go to a spa resort in Fiji and to visit countryside’s and quaint villages in Switzerland and Italy. I met Brett Hart – WWF ‘The Heart Break Kid,’ once in a very brief encounter. I couldn’t manage if everything in my house was one colour- I’d go bananas!! I do like the colours pink, purple and dark orange. Melanie Marilyn DIANE'S NOVEMBER MOVIE REVIEW Movie Title: 102 Dalmatians Type of Movie: Family Year Released: 2000 Starring: Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil Review: Cruella de Vil was an evil lady who stole the puppies from their parents, Pongo & Perdita. She wanted to make fur coats out of the puppies. Nanny is the housekeeper who cares for the puppies. At the end of the movie, Pongo & Perdita find their puppies and bring them home. This movie is a nice movie for the whole family to enjoy. Meet Tucker We got Tucker on Sunday the 27th of September, 2020. He is a French bulldog/Boston terrier cross; mottled dark brown in color. We got him from Top Dogs. He will be 4 months old on November 4th, 2020. He likes to play, but my other dog buddy, didn’t. Tucker sleeps in his crate in the living room. He was not house trained when we got him. The first picture taken with him was on September 27th and that was the first time on a leash. Training; -obey commands -house training -to get up on my chair -retrieve a ball -heeding on the leash -he got his first snow suit and shirt -he doesn’t even bark October 19th, 2020 WHEN I FIRST SAW THE FAMILY DOG! By: Gelacia I thought we were babysitting Tucker, but by the next day I realized he was ours and he wasn’t going anywhere. Now I enjoy going home knowing that I get to spend Tucker time!! He chews on everything so I have to keep my door shut because if not, he will chew on my wires. I use him as a therapy dog although I know he is a family dog. Sometimes I am in a bad mood but when I come home and see him, he makes me so happy. He is always a little rascal, but I do LOVE him!! DD House Takes a trip to Cobbs Adventure Park If you haven’t been to Cobb’s Adventure Park, here is some information on the park... Cobb’s Adventure Park is located just south of Highway 1 on the East edge of Calgary at 84 Street NE. Cobb's is generally accessible to strollers, wheel chairs, motorized scooters, etc., but as they are a primarily outdoor venue, weather may cause some areas to become less accessible at times. Although some activities are currently closed due to Covid-19, there is still lots to do and see at Cobb's so give yourself at least a couple of hours! Be sure to check out the Kangaroo Petting Zoo, Pedal Carts , Tractor Ride , Giant Slides, Black Light Minigolf and more outdoor fun for all! FALL HOURS September 1 – November 1 Fri, Sat & Sun: 11am – 5pm Labour Day – Sept 7: 11am – 5pm Thanksgiving – Oct. 12: 11am – 5pm OCTOBER EVENING HOURS Oct 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 & 31 Fri & Sat evenings: 6pm – 10pm Volunteering with the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society Thank you to Beth Laing , Tobynn Geurts, Elsa Zaragoza, Skylar Gulka , Mona Pebenito , Redgie Lendio, Melody Anne Arbeau, Rosalinda Dela Cruz, RJ Calimag, Desarae Doole, Colby Ewasiuk, Donna Koenig, Dominik Cwik, Harold Cafe and Nathan Sloan for their volunteer efforts to keep the park clean and beautiful. After almost 20 years with OPTIONS Gina is moving on. YOU WILL BE MISSED!! October Fun: The Residential Department held a Halloween Pumpkin Display Contest amongst all of the houses...each house had to decorate at least three pumpkins in an outdoor display on their doorsteps or porches. Prizes were rewarded for First Place, Second Place and Third Place. The judges, Sean Yost, Luvene McIntosh, Tanya Idt and Bev LeBlanc had a difficult time picking the winners. Congratulations to the following Winners: First Place Winner - Chinook House Tied for Second Place - Canyon House and Altadore House Tied for Third Place -McKenzie House and Acadia House Thank you to everyone for participating and showing us your creative side! From OPTIONS Day Program Remembering Indigenous Veterans November 8th is National Aboriginal Veterans Day, a day of remembrance and commemoration of the contributions of Indigenous veterans in the First and Second World Wars and Korean War. National Aboriginal Veterans Day began in Winnipeg in 1994 when Indigenous veterans were not recognized in Remembrance Day activities and is now celebrated in many communities across Canada. Over 14,000 Indigenous people are estimated to have volunteered in all three wars, and approximately 600 died during these conflicts. First Nations, Inuit and Metis people were not eligible for conscription because they were not citizens of Canada but many volunteered despite the challenges they faced, including traveling long distances from remote communities to enlist, learning English and coping with racism against them. Indigenous people were not allowed to join the Canadian Air Force until 1942 and the Canadian Navy until 1943. Both men and women enlisted, serving as soldiers, nurses and in other roles, many serving with distinction and winning medals for bravery in action. Mary Greyeyes, a member of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, during the Second World War After the war, enlisted Indigenous people returned home to continued discrimination, including in some cases denial of benefits, loss of Indian Status, and expropriation of their land by the government for non-Indigenous veterans. It was only in 1995 that Indigenous veterans could lay wreaths commemorating their fallen comrades at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The first monument commemorating the role of Indigenous people during these three wars was dedicated in 2001 in Ottawa. It took until 2003 for the Government of Canada to provide veterans’ benefits to First Nations soldiers who had been denied them in the past, and Metis veterans have never received them.