THE SENIOR TIMES NOVEMBER 2025

GOLDEN NUGGETS

 “Over the river and thru the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go” is the first line of a famous Thanksgiving song.  It speaks to the excitement we feel as we hurry to reach our grandmother’s home. Why do we feel these joyful anticipations?  What is waiting for us there?  We know there is going to be a feast which will most likely include turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, string beans, cranberry sauce, gravy and pumpkin pie. YUM!  It probably will be a time to enjoy the company of family and friends, sharing good cheer and loads of laughter.  We look forward to this time of gathering where we show how grateful we are to be a part of a loving family.  All too quickly this anticipated time will come to an end, and we will be saying goodbye.  That is why going to grandmother’s house is so special.  However, there is another house we should be just as eager to enter.  It is the house of the Lord.  The Bible states in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”  In His house we will find a feast that is better and richer than any food on this earth.  We will be able to enjoy the fellowship of friends and loved ones who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.  There will be laughter and great joy.  Best of all, this special gathering will have no end.  We will be able to enjoy this home forever! This Thanksgiving take time to enter the house of the Lord!

 REMEMBER WHEN

 Today we think of sign language as a form of communication for people with hearing impairment. But Native American people were using a form of sign language way before others, and not exclusively for communication among deaf people. Although there’s no consensus on precisely when it developed, its use was noted by Spanish colonizers among tribes in Florida.

Native American people called it “Hand Talk,” although there are other names, including Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL) and American Indian Sign Language (AISL). Native Americans comprised many different cultures and tribes, without a central language. Hand talk enabled tribes that spoke different languages to effectively communicate with one another in trade interactions or times of council or conflict. AISL is in danger of being lost, along with other Indigenous languages, although there have been some efforts to preserve Native American language. Some members of certain tribes in the U.S. and Canada still practice AISL.

Brain Teaser

(answer at end)

How do you spell COW in thirteen letters?

GRANDMA’S COOKING CORNER

Pocahontas’s Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread

Ingredients:

· 1 c. yellow cornmeal

· 1/2 c. flour

· 2 tsp. baking powder

· pinch of salt

· 1/4 c. brown sugar

· 1 1/4 c. creamed corn

· 1 c. pumpkin

· 3 tbsp. molasses

· 1 egg lightly beaten

· 1/4 c. butter melted, slightly cooled

· 1/4 c. milk

· honey for drizzling

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar; mix with a whisk until well-blended.

Add creamed corn, pumpkin, and molasses. Stir just until blended.

Add egg, butter, and milk. Stir just until blended.

Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square pan or loaf pan

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out mostly clean.

Drizzle with honey.

MILITARY SALUTE

 Pascal Cleatus Poolaw, a full-blooded Kiowa Indian from Anadarko, OK, joined the U.S. Army on the 27^th of August 1942 during World War II.  On September 8^th, 1944, then-Staff Sergeant Pascal Cleatus Poolaw was serving with Company M (Heavy Weapons), 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations.  On that day, SSG Poolaw’s unit was in action against German forces near Recogne, Belgium, during the Siegfried Line Campaign. While attacking in support of a rifle company, SSG Poolaw displaced his machine gun squad forward, across an open field, under heavy mortar and small arms fire. The squad was positioned in such a manner as to minimize the casualties in his squad. After reaching the new position, SSG Poolaw saw the enemy advancing in a strong counterattack. Standing in the face of withering machine gun fire, unflinchingly, for 5 minutes, SSG Poolaw hurled hand grenades until the German force had sustained numerous casualties and dispersed. Due to SSG Poolaw's actions, the lives of many of his men were saved and M Company was able to continue the attack and capture strongly defended German positions. SSG Poolaw’s courageous actions that day earned him the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor, the Silver Star Medal.  On September 19^th,1950, then-Sergeant First Class Poolaw was serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, in Korea.  On that day, SFC Poolaw’s Company C was in action against enemy forces when the company attack on an enemy position was halted by stiff resistance. SFC Poolaw volunteered to lead his squad in an assault and then courageously led his men in a charge up the slope to penetrate the enemy perimeter and engage the numerically superior enemy in fierce hand-to-hand combat. SFC Poolaw's bold action inspired his men to hold their position until the rest of C Company could seize the objective. SFC Poolaw’s outstanding leadership and courageous actions that day earned him a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star Medal.  April 4^th, 1951, near Chongong-ni, Korea, while Company C was attacking strong hostile positions, one squad of then-Master Sergeant Poolaw's platoon was immobilized by a devastating barrage of automatic weapons and mortars. Exposing himself to the deadly fire, MSG Poolaw slowly advanced across open terrain, firing his rifle as he progressed. By deliberately diverting the attention of the enemy upon himself, MSG Poolaw enabled his men to maneuver to more advantageous positions. MSG Poolaw's valorous actions were instrumental in the fulfillment of the unit mission and earned him a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Silver Star Medal.  Poolaw's military career with its 4 years of combined combat experience in World War II (1943-45) and Korea (1950-52) was impressive. Although he received a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant during the Korean War and later promoted to First Lieutenant, he later relinquished it. He retired from the Army in 1962.  Poolaw's son, Pascal Jr., had joined the Army and was serving in the Vietnam War. In February 1967, he was wounded in both legs by a landmine and had to have his right leg amputated below the knee. Poolaw's youngest son, Lindy, was also drafted and had received orders to deploy to Vietnam shortly. Upon learning about the orders for deployment, Poolaw came out of retirement and volunteered for the combat zone with the hope of serving there in place of his son, sparing him the horrors of war. [Poolaw even gave up his rank as a First Lieutenant, a promotion he earned during the Korean War, so that he could serve in the field in combat.] Regulations prohibit 2 members of the same family from serving in combat at the same time without their consent. When Poolaw finally reached the port of departure on the West Coast, he discovered Lindy had left for Vietnam the day before. Having the father and son of the family serving in combat at the same time was nothing new to Poolaw. He had served in World War II with his dad, Ralph Poolaw Sr., and his two brothers. He decided to follow his son to Vietnam and was deployed on May 31^st,1967, as the First Sergeant of Company C, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.  November 7^th,1967, First Sergeant Poolaw was serving with Company C, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. On this date, during Operation Shenandoah II, 1SG Poolaw was accompanying his unit on a 2-company search and destroy mission near Loc Ninh. As the patrol was moving through a rubber plantation, they were subjected to sniper fire. Within minutes, the area was raked with intensive Claymore mine, rocket, small arms, and automatic weapons fire from a numerically superior Viet Cong force. 1SG Poolaw ran to the lead squad, which was receiving the brunt of the enemy fire. Ignoring his personal safety, 1SG Poolaw exposed himself while deploying the men and establishing an effective base of fire. Although wounded, 1SG Poolaw continued to move about the area encouraging his men and pulling casualties to cover. 1SG Poolaw was assisting a wounded man to safety when he was mortally wounded by Viet Cong fire. His dynamic leadership and exemplary courage contributed significantly to the successful deployment of the lead squad and undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. 1SG Poolaw's selfless actions earned him a Third Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Fourth Award of the Silver Star Medal.  To this day, First Lieutenant Pascal Cleatus Poolaw, Sr. is considered the most decorated Indian soldier in U.S. military history. In a letter he wrote just before his death, Poolaw said he rated his job as being more important than his life.

Words of Wisdom

“Showing kindness to a stranger is a gift that is always returned.”

Native American Proverb (Iroquois)

Who’d A Thunk

Native American healers pioneered pain relief. Indigenous populations in the Virginia area used jimson weed as a topical pain reliever by grinding the root to make a plaster for external wounds like cuts and bruises. Healers also had patients eat the plant as an anesthetic as they set broken bones.

Nonprofit of the Month

Cru was originally founded as Campus Crusade for Christ® in 1951, when Bill and Vonette Bright began the ministry on the UCLA campus. God gave Bill a vision of the total fulfillment of the Great Commission throughout the world.  They are only a part of God’s workforce to accomplish that vision, but they are passionate about playing their part and helping others play theirs. From the beginning, they have sought to be a caring community on mission together. Cru is committed to helping proclaim the gospel throughout the world. Their mission of winning, building and sending often occurs best in the context of relationships. Even when the initial proclamation comes from outside a community, typically the gospel continues to spread among family members, friends, neighbors and peers. They want to equip you as you share your faith with those in your community. You can find valuable tools to bring Christ into every area of life.  These tools include helps for evangelism, Bible study, devotionals, mentoring, digital ministry and discipleship.

 Grandpa’s Sports Stories

Discussions about influential U.S. sports figures seldom include the names of Native Americans. Yet there have been numerous Native athletes who broke records while also breaking social barriers.   One was Jim Thrope.  James Francis Thorpe (May 28, 1888– March 28, 1953), was an All-American athlete and the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. He won two gold medals at the 1912 Olympics, taking top honors while also setting records in both the Decathlon and classic pentathlon.  Born in the Sac and Fox Nation in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Thorpe was signed by the New York Giants in 1913 and played for various MLB teams until 1919. The slugger simultaneously played for the Canton Bulldogs American Football team, bringing them three professional championships in the process. In the early 1920s, Thorpe would help create the National Football League we know today. He is considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time and was named Athlete of the [20th] Century by ABC Worldwide of Sports in 2001.

HUMOR ME

The year is 2050 and the United States has just elected the first woman, from Alabama, as president.  A few days after the election the president-elect calls her father and says, ‘So, Daddy, I assume you will be coming to my inauguration?'  'I don't think so. It's a 16-hour drive, your mother isn't as young as she used to be, and my arthritis is acting up again.'  'Don't worry about it Daddy, I'll send Air Force One to pick you up and take you home. A limousine will pick you up at your door.'  'I don't know. Everybody will be so fancy. What would your mother wear?'  'Oh, Daddy', replies the president-elect, 'I'll make sure she has a wonderful gown custom made by the best designer in Washington.'  'Honey,' Dad complains, 'you know I can't eat those rich foods you and your friends like to eat.'  The President-to-be responds, 'Don't worry Daddy. The entire affair is going to be handled by the best caterer in Washington, I'll ensure your meals are salt free Daddy, I really want you to come.'  So, Dad reluctantly

agrees, and on January 20, 2051, the first woman from Alabama is being sworn in as President of the United States. In the front row sit the new president's Dad and Mom. Dad leans over to the Supreme Court Justice sitting next to him and whispers, 'You see that woman over there with her hand on the Bible, becoming President of the United States?'  The Justice whispers back, 'Yes I do.'  Daddy says proudly, 'Her brother played football for the University of Alabama.'

SENIOR OF THE MONTH 

November 2025

SHEILA DEBASTIANI

 Born a Coal Miner's daughter, Sheila grew up in Masontown, West Virginia, which is fifteen miles east of Morgantown. She is the youngest of four children and graduated from West Virginia University School of Radiologic Technology.

In 1988, Sheila and her husband packed up their 18-month-old son and moved to the Raleigh, North Carolina  area.  They celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this year.

Sheila’s career as a Radiographer included working in the Cardiac Cath Lab at both Rex and WakeMed.  Her most recent position was Cardiovascular Program Development,  in which she worked with regional Community Hospitals to develop programs such as cardiac stenting and telemedicine. She retired in 2023 after working 44 years in healthcare.

Spending time with their five-year-old grandson is Sheila and her husband’s favorite activity.  They also enjoy gardening and traveling together.  They are “foodies”, so stay pretty busy in the summer canning and cooking their harvest. They also make wine and ciders.  Sheila enjoys spending quiet afternoons on her porch reading and listening to music. Her husband is a potter, so she attends shows with him. 

Sheila and her husband traveled to northern Italy this summer with his siblings and their spouses to go to his grandparents' hometown of Feltre.  They stayed in Vicenza, and visited many other points of interests including Venice, Verona, Murano and Burano.  They fell in love with the people, culture, art, food…. everything Italian, and can't wait to go back. 

          Sheila attends St. James United Methodist Church in Raleigh and is a vocalist and guitarist for the Praise Band and sings in the Sanctuary Choir.  She is the leader of the New Hope Strummers, a ukulele ministry open to all ages in the community and serves the community as a Stephen's Minister.

          You can meet Sheila at many of The Senior Network events as she shares her time and talents with the senior population.

          Read more of Sheila’s story under posts in the “blog” section and under “entertainers” on our website, theseniornetwork.org.

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Answer to Brain Teaser:

SEE O DOUBLE YOU

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954-666-2040

info@theseniornetwork.org

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