Eric Barr – A Piece of My Mind · In 2012, Eric had open heart surgery at a Cleveland Clinic. The...
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October 2016 Eric Barr – A Piece of My Mind INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 3 rd Annual Western Day 3 More Western Day Pics 5 Fall Recipes 6 Calling All Volunteers 6 Don’t Miss the Fun! 7 Halloween Party Flyer 8 Craft Faire Flyer 8 Coachella Valley Horse… 9 Mark Your Calendars 9 Valley Loses Beloved… 10 Eric Barr, a longtime Garner Valley resident and former GVPOA Board Member, has an incredible story to tell. It is actually quite a miracle that he is here to tell it. Eric taught acting and directing at the University of California Riverside, from 1975-2013. He was Chairman of the Theater Department for over thirty years. He directed over 100 productions, including The Rocky Horror Show, The Sea Gull, and Much Ado About Nothing. Eric was also one of the architects of UCR's MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for Performing Arts. He was the Founding Director of the UCR Palm Desert MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts. In 2012, Eric had open heart surgery at a Cleveland Clinic. The surgery replaced the aortic valve and an aneurism. Unbeknownst to him or his doctors, a staph infection had entered his body in April 2012, during his first open heart surgery. After the surgery everything seemed to be progressing fine and Eric and his wife Karen Genet returned to Garner Valley and resumed their normal lives. That is until in February and March of 2013, Eric began to notice some fatigue and there were a couple of instances of passing out. He went for blood tests. When the doctor called with the results, he said, "Get him to the hospital immediately. This is extremely dangerous." There was a strawberry-size abscess in his heart, and it had destroyed the electrical system. The infection had eaten the sutures holding the replacement aortic valve. The heart threw a clot, and Eric had a left- hemisphere stroke and lost his speech. That night more clots broke off and went to his liver and kidneys. The hospital was not equipped at Eisenhower to handle what Eric required, so a fixed-wing air ambulance was needed to take him to Stanford Medical Center. At Stanford, the infectious disease team wanted him to have two more days of "nuclear-strength antibiotics," Karen said. "The cardiac team wanted to operate immediately. The neurosurgeons were concerned that the blood thinners required for surgery would result in hemorrhagic strokes." There had already been a second stroke in the right hemisphere. This left Eric paralyzed on his left side, he couldn't speak; early on, he had kidney failure. A day after arriving at Stanford, he had a third stroke. "They showed me the CT scan," Karen said. "They pointed out the little strokes, which were like little white dots, but now the whole right side of his brain was white. That's when it became apparent that he was really in trouble." Because of bleeds, the cardiac team waited another 24 hours, still administering the extremely strong antibiotics. The surgical team had warned Karen that it might be a 20- hour surgery and if they ran into
Transcript of Eric Barr – A Piece of My Mind · In 2012, Eric had open heart surgery at a Cleveland Clinic. The...
October 2016
Eric Barr – A Piece of My Mind I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
3rd Annual Western Day 3
More Western Day Pics 5
Fall Recipes 6
Calling All Volunteers 6
Don’t Miss the Fun! 7
Halloween Party Flyer 8
Craft Faire Flyer 8
Coachella Valley Horse… 9
Mark Your Calendars 9
Valley Loses Beloved… 10
Eric Barr, a longtime Garner Valley resident and former GVPOA Board Member, has an incredible story to tell. It is actually quite a miracle that he is here to tell it.
Eric taught acting and directing at the University of California Riverside, from 1975-2013. He was Chairman of the Theater Department for over thirty years. He directed over 100 productions, including The Rocky Horror Show, The Sea Gull, and Much Ado About Nothing. Eric was also one of the architects of UCR's MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for Performing Arts. He was the Founding Director of the UCR Palm Desert MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts.
In 2012, Eric had open heart surgery at a Cleveland Clinic. The surgery replaced the aortic valve and an aneurism. Unbeknownst to him or his doctors, a staph infection had entered his body in April 2012, during his first open heart surgery. After the surgery everything seemed to be progressing fine and Eric and his wife Karen Genet returned to Garner Valley and resumed their normal lives. That is until in February and March of 2013, Eric began to notice some fatigue and there were a couple of instances of passing out. He went for blood tests. When the doctor called with the results, he said, "Get him to the hospital immediately. This is extremely dangerous."
There was a strawberry-size abscess in his heart, and it had destroyed the
electrical system. The infection had eaten the sutures holding the replacement aortic valve. The heart threw a clot, and Eric had a left-hemisphere stroke and lost his speech. That night more clots broke off and went to his liver and kidneys. The hospital was not equipped at Eisenhower to handle what Eric required, so a fixed-wing air ambulance was needed to take him to Stanford Medical Center.
At Stanford, the infectious disease team wanted him to have two more days of "nuclear-strength antibiotics," Karen said. "The cardiac team wanted to operate immediately. The neurosurgeons were concerned that the blood thinners required for surgery would result in hemorrhagic strokes." There had already been a second stroke in the right hemisphere. This left Eric paralyzed on his left side, he couldn't speak; early on, he had kidney failure.
A day after arriving at Stanford, he had a third stroke. "They showed me the CT scan," Karen said. "They pointed out the little strokes, which were like little white dots, but now the whole right side of his brain was white. That's when it became apparent that he was really in trouble."
Because of bleeds, the cardiac team waited another 24 hours, still administering the extremely strong antibiotics. The surgical team had warned Karen that it might be a 20-hour surgery and if they ran into
Eric Barr - A Piece of My Mind (Continued)
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complications they would come out and ask her what she wanted them to do. "After eight hours of surgery, the chief surgeon walked into the waiting room,” Karen recalled. I thought Eric was dead! He walked up to me with a big smile and said, "It went better than we could ever have expected. His heart is really strong and he is going to be okay." Great news to hear, however it would be a long time until Eric regained many of his abilities.
Acute rehab for spinal cord and brain injuries was recommended by the chief heart surgeon even though the other doctors thought that Eric was too sick for rehab. After spending two weeks in Stanford, Eric spent nine weeks at the acute rehab center. Eric was successful at the center, which he attributes to his many years of martial arts and working out. He had been healthy before and felt he could be again. He was inspired by the younger patients and an 80 year old woman, who couldn't even sit up when she started and then was able to sit in a chair within six months. "There were two professional athletes there at the same time. We'd go to rehab together, and working out was competition. That made rehab a little more palatable," said Eric. He worked on regaining bodily functions and his cognitive function in speech therapy. He regained his speech even before he left the hospital. Eric needed a wheel chair for three months and a walker for six months. Some lasting effects of the strokes are difficulty with short term memory and his left hand has
spasms and it contracts. He suffers from trans-global amnesia and has recently started having seizures. This is a result of scar tissue on the brain. Eric continues to do exercises at Eisenhower and at home. He has left neglect because the right brain is not processing his eyes, which prevents him from driving.
Eric believes that everyone's stroke experience is different and their recovery is different. He feels a good support team at home, which he has had in his wife, Karen, and other family members; and definitely physical therapy is essential to recovery. Rehab is where Eric first got the idea for doing a show. The title, A Piece of My Mind came first. When Eric returned home it was evident that he would have to leave the university. He wanted to do a show as a gift to his students, who had never seen him perform. Eric spoke with his colleagues about this and they were very supportive. They told him they had booked the theater, which held 150 people, so he needed to finish it. As it turned out, so many people made reservations that the performance had to be moved to a larger theater. This theater seats 500, and it too was sold out!
Eric began to develop the script one letter at a time. He used dictation software and then enlisted Karen and others to type as he spoke. In four months, Eric wrote, rehearsed, and performed a one-hour, one man-show. He didn't even realize how amazing this was. He said," This is what I have been doing all my life, so it wasn't like someone getting up on stage for the first time.” And
Trivia: With the paving of Cahuilla Road, now State Highway 371, and telephones finally installed in homes by late 1959, more people found the hill country to be a more attractive place to live. Those working were still able to live here and continue to work by commuting off the hill over the improved roads. Retired people came looking for retirement homes.
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Eric Barr - A Piece of My Mind (Continued)
he said, "When you get on stage, you don't feel sick. The energy from the audience gives you all sorts of energy to perform. On stage, I feel completely healthy. I feel more like myself than anywhere else." The show is rehab for him. The character is Eric, but he is telling anyone who has suffered a stroke's story. People relate to what he is saying.
Eric continues to take his three act, one-man show on the road. He performs it for survivors, clinicians, and professionals. Act 1 is about the stroke itself, and how alien one feels in their body. Act 2 is life in rehabilitation. The final act is the challenge of coming home. He felt like a stranger in his own home. His feet stuck in the carpet, and he could not get up the stairs. Even today, he has a chair half way up the stairs that he rests on before continuing up. He still cannot tie his shoes and dressing is still a challenge.
Eric's symbol for his business cards and the playbill is a heart inside of a brain. He views the heart as the enemy that attacked his brain and other organs. He is going to perform his play at a leadership conference at Stanford. He just recently performed it in Idyllwild. On October 1, he performed for the City of Riverside. He also performed the show as a fundraiser for the Pacific Stroke Association in Palo Alto. Look for future performances on Eric's website, apieceofmymind.net.
Eric is an amazing man who is using his experience to inform and entertain others. He has come a long way in his recovery. He is able to ride his horse now in the hills. His body memory makes this happen. Eric and Karen have a van that they take camping. Life is improving for both Eric and Karen.
Quote: "In the garden, autumn is indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November."
Our annual Garner Valley Western Day keeps getting better and better! We were pleased to see so many new neighbors enjoying the Garner Valley Common and Arena on a bright and sunny day.
3rd Annual Western Day
The day started with riders competing in the arena in four different events. The Barrel Back Through required both speed and control; the Egg & Spoon Race rewarded smoothness; the Quadrangle Barrels tested turning ability, and the Margarita Glass
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3rd Annual Western Day (Continued)
Challenge put it all together, requiring the rider to pick up a margarita glass filled with water, negotiate around the barrels without spilling (hopefully), and then placing the glass back on a barrel, all in less than one minute. Patti Hartman and her Foxtrotter “Mojo” were both fast and smooth, and could not be beat. Dean Holdridge again excelled as our ringside event announcer, providing music and commentary for the audience.
While the mounted shooting course was being set up, spectators played a game of Western TV Trivia. There were some tough questions that tested our memories! The enthusiastic audience then learned the steps involved in learning the exciting sport of cowboy mounted shooting, and were treated to a mounted shooting demonstration by Ed Graham, a world, regional and state champion; Carol Slagle, an experienced shooter and a state and regional champion training a young horse; and Leslie Ingham, a novice shooter.
The catered BBQ at the Common was a hit with over 100 people enjoying an incredibly tender and flavorful brisket, pulled pork,
chicken, gourmet mac and cheese, and “the best baked beans ever”, according to one husband. Hog Heaven Barbecue Company from Temecula did a fabulous job, and we hope to have them come back to teach a BBQ class at the Common. Two large delicious cakes made by Timmie Martens topped off a great lunch.
After lunch, awards were presented to all of the riders, including Top All-Around Cowboy to Ed Graham and Top All-Around Cowgirl to Catherine Powers. Pete Peters was awarded the Western Day Top Volunteer trophy for his hard work in preparing the arena, helping set up the Common, and anything else we needed.
It was great to see old friends and also to meet new neighbors and welcome them to our wonderful community. The Trail Committee would like to thank everyone who came and participated, and all who volunteered their time and talents to make our 3rd Annual Western Day a great success.
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More Western Day Pictures
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Fall Recipes
On November 8, 2016, our Garner Valley Common will serve as a Polling Place for the General Election. If you are interested in volunteering as a Pollworker, please contact Vicky Hurn for further information at 951-659-5181.
Food for Thought: "The real problem of your leisure time is how to keep other people from using it!"
"The control center of your life is your attitude."
Tomato Florentine Soup Serves 6-8 Ingredients: 2 cans chicken broth 2 cans Italian style fire roasted diced tomatoes (can food process a bit so they aren’t so chunky) 1 can tomato sauce 1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves minced garlic Directions:
1. Add ingredients to crock pot and cook on high 4-5 hours
2. Top with grated parmesan or feta cheese
Options: Add cooked Italian sausage, mini meatballs, cheese tortellini (cooked and added last minute), or anything else you may want after soup is cooked.
Autumn Latte Serves 6 but can easily be doubled and placed into a larger crockpot. Ingredients:
4 cups 2% milk 1 ½ cups strong brewed coffee, decaf or regular ½ cup canned pumpkin 2 TBSP sugar 2 TBSP brown sugar (dark brown recommended but light is ok) 1 TBSP vanilla ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. ground cloves ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp. ground ginger 1/8 tsp. salt Whipped cream (optional) Ground cinnamon (optional) Cinnamon sticks (optional) Directions:
1. Combine first 11 ingredients in slow cooker. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
2. Cover and cook on high 2 hours or until steaming hot. Whisk again.
3. Ladle into mugs. If desired, dollop with whipped cream, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with cinnamon stick stirrers.
Calling All Volunteers! On Saturday, October 15, we will be picking up trash along Hwy. 74 as part of our “Adopt A Highway” program. If you can spend an hour or two to help, please meet at the Common at 8:30 a.m. to pick up equipment and get instructions. Coffee and donuts will be served. Contact Paul Miller with questions at 951-659-9991.
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Don’t Miss the Fun! Mark your calendars for our 6th Annual Halloween Costume Party which will be held on Friday, October 21 at 6:00 p.m. There is a charge of $15 per person payable at the door. You won’t want to miss the fun of the chili cook-off and the fabulous entertainment (think Elvis, Tom Jones, and Patsy Cline)! There will be prizes for best chili and best costumes. Here are some pics from last year to get your creative juices flowing. Costumes are optional.
Please RSVP to Chris Peters by October 14. Call 659-3792 or email [email protected].
If you would like to enter the chili cook-off, please let Chris know when you RSVP. Bring your crockpot to the Common no later than 5 p.m. The judging will begin at 5 p.m. and the party will start at 6:00 p.m. when Rock & Roll returns to Garner Valley! All profits benefit local scholarships and other charities.
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Joke of the Month:
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Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Events!
YOUR EDITORS
Lynnette Holdridge (626) 233-1224
Leslie Ingham (909) 631-3685
Kim Miller
(951) 659-9991
Email: [email protected]
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October 15th Volunteer to pick up trash along Highway 74. Meet at the Common at 8:30 a.m. See page 6 for more details. Contact: Paul Miller 951-659-9991.
October 21st 6th Annual Halloween Costume Party, 6 p.m. Hosted by the Garner Valley Women’s Group. $15 per person. There will be prizes for best costume, and best chili. See Flyer on page 8. RSVP by October 14th
Contact: Christena Peters 951-659-3792 or email [email protected] November 8th Volunteer as a Pollworker for the election. Polling place will be our own Garner Valley Common. Contact: Vicky Hurn 951-659-5181. November 19th Mountain Art & Craft Faire, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Garner Valley Common. Free Admission. Contact: Jo 951-303-4867 or Danielle 951-659-5586
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Valley Loses Beloved Resident
Bob is survived by his wife, Jeannette, their daughters and their husbands, and his seven grandchildren. Bob was born on November 18, 1944, in Portland, Oregon. He owned and operated Durst's Thriftee Thriftway Grocery Store, located in northwest Portland, for over thirty years. Bob was a beloved member of the community in Oregon as well as in Garner Valley.
Per Bob's wishes, there will be no funeral or memorial service. A charity close to Bob's heart is the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. Donations may be made on Bob's behalf in lieu of flowers.
Robert (Bob) Durst passed away on Monday, September 26. He will be greatly missed by his friends and neighbors. Bob was truly one of a kind. His love of life was evident in the way he lived; he loved riding horses, skiing, hunting, hiking, fishing, and camping with friends and family. Bob was very active in our community and loved spending time with friends, often cooking for the men when the wives had a function, and attending numerous social events where he always brought a smile to your face. Bob’s humor and wit often made him the life of the party. Bob was also a very dedicated volunteer who spent countless hours working with the Trail Committee to improve our community trails and equestrian arena. He was always ready and willing to lend a hand, no matter what or when.
