Oak Wood PlaceSenior Living

603 Wood Street Athens, TX 75751 (903) 675-2002• •

Oak Wood Place Senior Living603 Wood StreetAthens, Texas 75751(903) 675-2002

February 2016

Executive Director..............Debra CremersMarketing Director.................DeAnn BakerSocial Director..................Jana ThompsonWellness Director........Edith Frankum, RNWellness Center.......Phyllis Williams, LVNBusiness Manager.................Tracy FrenchResident Services.......Vivian MontgomeryChef..........................................Alan GoldenHousekeeping Manager........Leona Sadler

Office Hours:Monday - Friday

8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Did You Know?

In Galveston, Texas, it is illegal to have a camel run loose on the beach.

BranchThe

COUPONDrop your name in the suggestion box for a

chance to win!

Our resident hair stylist, Tabitha, will be offering a free cut and style to one lucky resident per month. Please drop your name in the Activity Department’s suggestion box to qualify. One winner per month.

Way Back Texas

February Festivities

• The word “Texas” was the Spanish pronunciation “Tejas” of the Hasinai Indian word meaning “allies” or “friends.” In fact, the Texas state motto is “friendship.” Ironically, many Native American tribes in Texas, including the Hasinai, were totally destroyed.

• If Texas were a country, it would rank as the world’s 7th largest producer of greenhouse gases. Additionally, Texas emits more greenhouse gases than any other state in the United States.

• Sam Houston (1793-1863) was the first president and first governor of Texas. The Cherokee, with whom he lived in Tennessee, called him “the Raven.” Though one of the most famous Texans, he was actually born in Virginia and served as governor of Tennessee. A statue of Sam Houston called a “Tribute to Courage” is the world’s largest freestanding statute of an American.

• In 1969, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong called Houston, Texas, from the moon. The first word spoken on the moon in 1969 was “Houston.”

• Approximately 90% of the world’s recoverable helium is located in the ground under Amarillo, Texas.

• The largest county in Texas is Brewster. It measures 6,193 square miles, which is roughly the size of Connecticut. Delaware could fit inside Brewster three times.

February is a time to celebrate matters of the heart and get a little festive for Mardi Gras! February 9th, we will celebrate Mardi Gras with a Karaoke Party full of fun and entertainment.

The 12th of this month will be our 50's Sock Hop in honor of Valentine's Day! Sweets for our sweethearts, great music and two dance routines performed by our Oak Wood Grannies and The Southern Belles!

About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. This makes Valentine’s the second largest seasonal card sending time of the year. We invite you to come to Oak Wood Place and decorate some original Valentine’s Day cards, with your Valentine’s!

Between the party, the dance, all of the shopping and engaging daily activities, Oak Wood Place is the Best place to be.

Chef’s CornerThe month of love is here and with this fabulous month comes the Month of Cherries. Those sweet yet tart, tiny bits of goodness will be making an appearance this month on our menu.

Keep watch to see just how fun cherries can be for dessert.

Do you have a favorite family recipe with cherries to share with Chef Alan? Stop on by and share that secret ingredient with Chef Alan for a chance to see it on the menu this month.

-Chef Alan

Health TipHigh blood pressure often shows no signs or symptoms, which is why having your blood pressure checked regularly is important. It’s easy to get your blood pressure checked. You can get screened at your doctor’s office and drugstores or even check it yourself at home, using a home blood pressure monitor.

If you know you have high blood pressure, take these steps to help get it under control

• Ask your doctor what your blood pressure should be. Set a goal to lower your pressure with your doctor and talk about how you can reach your goal. Work with your health care team to make sure you meet that goal.

• Take your blood pressure medicine as directed. Set a timer on your phone to remember to take your medicine at the same time each day.

• Quit smoking—and if you don’t smoke, don’t start.

• Reduce sodium intake. Most Americans consume too much sodium, which can raise blood pressure. Read about ways to reduce your sodium and visit the Million Hearts® Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Resource Center for heart-healthy, lower-sodium recipes, meal plans, and helpful articles.

Wit & Wisdom

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

― Oscar Wilde

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

― Mae West

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it

goes on.”

― Robert Frost

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

― Oscar Wilde

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest

accomplishment.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

― George Eliot

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are

simple.”

― Dr. Seuss

Happy Birthday!This Month in History

1979 - China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations, 30 years after the foundation of the People’s Republic.

1960 - In Washington, D.C., Senator John F. Kennedy announced his intention to seek the Democratic

presidential nomination.

1959 - Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state with a land mass

almost one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states together.

1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming became the first female governor

inaugurated in the U.S.

1972 - President Richard Nixon signed a bill approving $5.5 billion over six

years to build and test the NASA space shuttle.

1987 - The Dow Jones industrial average first topped the 2,000 mark.

1964 - The U.S. Surgeon General declared cigarettes may be hazardous

to health, the first such official government report.

1954 - The USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered submarine, was

launched at Groton, Connecticut.

We would like to wish all of our February babies a wonderful Birthday! Please join us as we celebrate all of you at our birthday celebration.

02/02 Marian Elledge02/06 Yolanda Dora02/07 Matthew McArthur02/10 Wendy Whitehead02/12 Mace Moorhead

02/13 Rosa DelVillar02/14 Faye Spoor02/18 Debra Parolini02/18 Marissa Matriciano02/28 Matt Shea

Happy New Year from Oak Wood Place

Our residents had a great time ringing in the New Year with a game day! We played Chicken Foot, Skip-Bo, Domino’s, and Yahtzee. Welcome 2016!