Resident´s Birthdays
Betty Price 1/1
Gary Boyer 1/4
Guynell Durham 1/5
Bobbie Head 1/5
Doris Nelson 1/7
Carolyn Dobson 1/16
Annabell Whitson 1/18
Linda Johnson 1/27
Celebrating January
Hot Tea Month
Blood Donor Month
Brain Teaser Month
New Year’s Day
January 1
Trivia Day
January 4
Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day
January 11
Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 14
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 15
Kid Inventors Day
January 17
Take a Walk Outdoors Day
January 20
Australia Day
January 26
National Seed Swap Day
January 27
Puzzle Day
January 29
Community Events
We will be celebrating all month with the theme of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Bubble Bath
In the hustle and bustle of modern society, who has time to soak in the tub? Well, on January 8, Bubble Bath Day, nobody will be angry if you monopolize the bathroom.
Bubble baths first became popular in the early 1900s because parents believed they had a calming effect on children, making bedtime much easier. Why shouldn’t the same hold true for adults? The hot water eases tension, the fragrant bubbles provide aromatherapy, and herbal bath salts can reduce swelling, improve circulation, and reduce muscle and joint pain. Add some candles and light music, and you’ve turned your bathroom into a spa. Even Cleopatra was known to take baths in milk and honey. You, too, can bathe like the queen of the Nile by adding a half cup each of powdered milk, honey, and castille soap to your next tub.
Cades Cove
This beautiful misty mountain
valley is perhaps the most
popular spot in the park with its historic cabins, abundant wildlife, including black bears. The fall is the best time to visit providing excellent wildlife viewing opportunities and some of the best fall foliage found anywhere in the world.
It's a New Year Baby!
Baby New Year, a symbol deeply rooted in the traditions of welcoming the new year, carries with it a fascinating history. The concept of Baby New Year dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, where it was associated with the god of time, Cronus or Saturn. In these ancient civilizations, it symbolized the cyclical nature of time and the renewal of life that comes with each passing year.
Over time, the concept evolved and found its place in various cultures and traditions.
In modern times, the image of Baby New Year has become synonymous with the transition from December 31 to January 1. You’ve likely seen illustrations of a plump, diaper-clad baby sporting a sash bearing the year’s new number. This charming figure embodies hope, renewal, and the endless possibilities of the year ahead.
Beyond the symbolic figure of Baby New Year, many cultures celebrate the birth of New Year’s babies in a more literal sense. It’s considered an auspicious sign to be the first baby born in the new year, with parents often receiving special attention and gifts. These “New Year’s babies” serve as a reminder of the perpetual cycle of life and the promise of fresh beginnings.
In the United States, the tradition of selecting a Baby New Year to represent the upcoming year is a common practice in media and advertisements. This tradition allows for creative interpretations of the baby’s persona, reflecting cultural trends, hopes, and aspirations.
Baby New Year, with its r
Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
The most visited National Park
in the United Estates
Do You Kazoo?
The kazoo, that humble buzzing instrument shaped like a submarine, was invented by Warren Herbert Frost on January 9, 1883. However, Frost’s instrument was not the simple toy we know today. It wasn’t until 1902 that the classic version was designed by George D. Smith.
To play the instrument well, one must hum a tune into it. Indeed, kazoo players’ talents depend more on their humming ability than anything else. Perhaps one of the most adored modern kazooists is the classically trained singer Barbara Stewart, who not only performed at Carnegie Hall but also wrote The Complete How to Kazoo.
The kazoo is commonly played for comedic effect in jug bands and comedy revues, but it has also been used in music by master composers such as Leonard Bernstein and Charles Ives. Known as the “most democratic” of instruments, anyone can pick up a kazoo and play it right away. Perhaps you should do just that on January 28, Kazoo Day.
Associate of the Month
Bri Morris
Our January Employee of the Month is Bri Morris. She is a second shift caregiver with a huge heart. Bri has been at Oakview Park for six months. She loves her job because working with seniors brings joy to her life. Bri enjoys taking care of the residents and seeing their smiling faces every day. When Bri is not working, she is being a super mom. She has three beautiful children (4-year-old daughter, 2-year-old son, 1 year old son). Bri loves to do hair as well. We are so happy to have her on our team!
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January Recipe Spotlight:
Orange-Basil Vinaigrette
A refreshing and flavorful vinaigrette to use as a salad dressing or as a sauce over grilled fish.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup minced basil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a 1 pint mason jar. Screw lid on jar tightly and shake vigorously to incorporate all the ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Use as a salad dressing or a sauce over grilled fish. This goes especially well on herb encrusted salmon salad with mixed baby greens.
Resident of the Month
Brenda Blackwell
Our January Resident of the Month is Brenda Blackwell. Brenda is a very active resident here at Oakview Park! You can find her in almost every activity as well as being very social with all her friends. She has a passion for Elvis Presley and loves singing all his music on any given day. One of her favorite past times is sitting outside on a warm day and helping plant flowers in our community garden. She was married to husband for thirty years and has three beautiful children who visit often. Brenda worked for many years at a sewing mill and was a member at Calvary Baptist Church. We are so happy that she is out January Resident of the Month.
oh my word
There are between 600,000 and one million words in the English language, depending on your definition of what should count as a word. The average English speaker knows only 50,000 and uses far fewer on a daily basis. So on January 9, Word Nerd Day, take the time to supplement your quotidian lexicon with either a neologism or other new and utilitarian lexeme. In other words, learn a new word.
Even if linguistics is not your bailiwick and you believe that intricate locution is a supercilious conceit, you need not eschew your neighboring logophiles. Certainly, there is no need to engage in odious obloquy simply because the aforementioned display a penchant for conversational superfluity. Instead, consort with the jocular holiday revelers and participate in the day’s delectable verbosity. You may reap a veritable cornucopia of rhetorical lagniappes.