June Brings the Joy of Father’s Day & Awareness of Alzheimer’s to the Retreat at Mountain Brook
June brings the joys of Father’s Day and the summer solstice to The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, along with the opportunity to join with others across the country in a show of support of Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month with purple ribbons and purple clothes. In fact, a google search about initiatives of the Alzheimer’s Association reveals that one of them—The Longest Day®—encourages people to “outshine the darkness” of Alzheimer’s disease with a fundraiser of their own choice in connection with the summer solstice, the day of the year with the most light. This year that will be Thursday, June 20. On June 13, the Retreat at Mountain Brook team is excited to announce a bingo night benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. Each entry is five dollars, with no limit to how many cards you can purchase. We will have refreshments and door prizes and hope everyone can attend. All proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s association. Watch for details. Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It is not considered a normal part of aging, but, rather, a progressive disease. There is no known cure. Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama provides resources and support to all those impacted by the disease. Sharing Stories Sometimes personal stories can help us understand a medical condition that hasn’t affected us directly. The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ were deeply moved by the 2014 movie Still Alice. Starring Julianne Moore, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a linguistics professor with a rare hereditary form of early-onset Alzheimer’s, it’s something you can watch in the privacy and comfort of your luxury apartment home. Another great option for Father’s Day—Sunday, June 16, 2024—is to provide him with the experience of a lifetime. Virgin Experience Gifts has something for every type of dad—foodie, gearhead, adventurer, golfer—you name it! Live, Local & Loud Something else fun to do to celebrate Dad, or the start of summer, would be to take advantage of some of the Magic City’s great live music scene. Songkick has a great rundown of pretty much everything scheduled for the rest of the year. It’s hard to pick just one to highlight, but aren’t most dads fans of Drive-By Truckers? They’ll be at Iron City Saturday, June 15, 2024, playing their ambitious 2001 double album in full. Wow. The U.S. Open It just wouldn’t be a good June blog without a mention of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, being played at No. 2 Pinehurst outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, June 13-16, 2024. It’s always a memorable experience, whether you attend or watch it with a group of friends at The Retreat at Mountain Brook Clubhouse. Father’s Day Fun Sometimes socks just won’t cut it when it comes delighting Dad on his day. The Idea Specialists™ know that they can’t go wrong with the father figures in their lives by giving the gift of a good bourbon, and this year the Master of Malt blog has done a great list of the Top 10 everyone needs to try in 2024. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Whisky is probably a safe bet, but they’re really intrigued by the Charcoal & Cornmeal & Rickhouses & a Decade. (Wouldn’t you be? LOL)
Birmingham’s Retreat at Mountain Brook Apartment Community is Marking Many May Occasions—Especially National Pet Month!
Graduations, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day—there are so many important occasions in May that you might forget to celebrate something just for fun—National Pet Month! It’s a favorite of ours here at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, because we are a seriously pet-friendly high-end apartment home community, complete with a large fenced pet park. Love Is A 4-Legged Word Our Idea Specialists™, who consider cat hair to be a fashion accessory and never met a dog they didn’t like, spent a little time on the old Google looking for some fun ways to treat themselves and their fur babies. While on the search, they learned that National Pet Week is also a thing, always observed during the first full week of May. It’s sponsored by the Auxiliary to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to foster responsible pet ownership, recognize the human-animal bond, and increase public awareness of veterinary medicine. Could the theme for 2024 be any better? It’s “Love is 4-legged word.” Hugs and pets all around!! And biscuits, dog biscuits, too! From Birmingham’s own Blind Dog Biscuit. You can’t go wrong ordering their special “Bee Ham Biscuits” (country ham and honey). Gifts For Grads & Moms The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ found the perfect combo of pet love and a present for your favorite moms and grads in a custom watercolor painting on canvas. Just upload a photo of your four-legged friend and Texture of Dreams will do the rest! While the traditional gift of cash to graduates might seem boring, it doesn’t have to be if you put it in a pop-up bouncing gift box filled with confetti. Fun!! The Idea Specialists™, some moms themselves, think these packages from Spoonful of Comfort will help the strong feminine presence in your life have a “soup-er” Mother’s Day! (They also understand that you might just be tempted to treat yourself to of their yummy goodies to enjoy in your comfy clothes in the privacy of your own luxury apartment.) Food & Flowers You can’t go wrong with taking Mom out for a special meal on her special day, especially if you’ve given her some flowers first. And the brunch at Trattoria ZaZa is extra-special, with their signature breakfast pasta and pizza, polenta, and cherry rosemary scones. Mimosas are a must! The Idea Specialists™ know it might seem a little early in the month to be planning your friends and family Memorial Day gathering by one of The Retreat at Mountain Brook’s three gorgeous saltwater pools, but advance planning is never a bad thing! This year, they’re for sure including grilled peach caprese salad on the menu, with the freshest of peaches and tomatoes from The Farmers Market at Pepper Place. There are lots of recipes out there for this spring and summer classic, but our group is particularly fond of this one at How Sweet Eats (and not just because food personality and cookbook author Jessica Merchant says glitter is her middle name, LOL). Also, be sure to check out this guide to Alabama’s peach season, and give SoulGrown a follow if you haven’t already. They’re always posting great stuff! We’re also fond of a nice sangria by the pool, and Southern Living has a great piece on which wines to use for it. If you don’t already have a favorite way to make yours, check out this white sangria on Dinners, Dishes & Desserts. Honoring Their Memory Watching the National Memorial Day Concert, featuring the National Symphony Orchestra with guest performers, is an annual tradition for the Idea Specialists™. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff also participate in the concert, offering their leadership perspective on the value and honor of military service and acknowledging the challenges that veterans and their families face. Always broadcast and streamed by PBS the Sunday night before Memorial Day, the concert honors our country’s veterans, servicemen and women, and military families, and all those who died in America’s wars. Its goal is to unite the country in remembrance and appreciation of those who gave their lives for our nation and serves those who are grieving through the mission put forward by Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
