Resident´s Birthdays
4/7 Sherry Effler
4/10 Joe Rucci
4/13 Michael Murphy
4/18 Ellen Ackerman
Celebrating April
4/30 Family Information Night
5:30-7:30
Events Spotlight
4/1 April Fools Day
4/2 National PB&J Day
4/4 National Burrito Day
4/11 National Barbershop Quartet Day
4/14 National Gardening Day
4/15 Tax Day
4/16 Wear your PJ’s to work day
4/22 Passover Begin
4/22 Earth Day
Associate of the Month
Melinda Fox
Congrats to our Melinda Fox. Melinda grew up in the Greer/Taylors area. She graduated from Wade Hampton High School. She attended Anderson Jr. College. There she met the love of her life, Billy Ray Fox. After graduation, they married and moved to Travelers Rest which was his hometown. They had 1 daughter and 2 beautiful grandsons. Her husband passed away in 2006. In her free time she enjoys reading, going on hikes to look for waterfalls and working in the yard. When I go on vacation she likes going to the beach and look for seashells. Melinda has been with Spring Park for 11 months. She enjoys talking to the residents and getting to know them.
Yosemite
This waterfall is located on the south side of Yosemite Valley. Comprised of multiple cascades, which range in height
from 50 to 500 feet.
(Sentinel falls)
Benefits of Bingo
Games for senior citizens, like bingo, are great because it increases social engagement. Seniors often struggle with isolation. Every year they are losing friends and family to distance, death, or other factors. They’re also less energetic than they once were, which makes it difficult to be motivated to leave the house and be a part of social activities. Since bingo games usually happen at the same time every week, it can easily become part of a routine.
Playing bingo improves cognitive function in the elderly. Brain games, even those online, help aging adults remain sharp and tackle day-to-day tasks. Most seniors are able to play bingo at various stages of mental health. Bingo is repetitive, which is helpful for elderly players who may not have the wherewithal to learn new rules and skills. In this way, bingo strikes the perfect balance between improving the mind and being a simple, engaging game.
One of the benefits of playing bingo for the elderly is that it supports memory improvement. A wide variety of digital games and apps for seniors exist to help combat cognitive decline. However, older people may think more traditionally when it comes to gaming. It’s important to consider, “what do seniors like to do?” New games and technology may be foreign & unfamiliar. Games for seniors need to be interactive and engaging. This allows them to focus on the task at hand for a longer period of time, opening up neural pathways for learning. So, get out and play B-I-N-G-O!
Celebrating Easter & why we have eggs
Helen Anthony is a retired schoolteacher, but her passion is poetry. Many years ago, her pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church asked her to write a poem about spring for Easter. Helen wanted our residents to have a copy and we decided everyone should enjoy.
RESURRECTION
Winter lost its grip,
And spring opened its womb birthing God’s creation.
An orchestra bowed. Euphoric sounds, colorful scents
Moved to the rhythm of strong March winds.
Families, with old habits, new habits, greet the mornings.
Reverently speaking to the holy days.
Night followed evenings.
A time to reflect, a time to remember the millenniums past.
God had ordained a place for his beloved son.
Dawn came,
Melodious whispers wafted through the air.
The sun slowly opened the curtain paled sky
Crescendo voices announced a benediction.
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Redemption
No more nights
Eternal hope
Happy Easter
Helen Anthony
Yosemite
The park is best known for its waterfalls, On October 1, 1890, Yosemite became a national park
Yosemite
National Park
Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, spans 761,269 acre of land.
Scottish American Heritage Month
Scottish American Heritage Month is a time to don kilts, hum to the tunes of bagpipes, and celebrate the rich tapestry woven by Scottish immigrants in the fabric of American history. Rewind to the 17th and 18th centuries & picture the adventurous Scots sailing across the Atlantic to the promising landscapes of Canada and the United States. They sought refuge from religious persecution, economic hardships, and land scarcity. Political unrest, coupled with the promise of religious freedom and better prospects, were incentives for many Scots to pursue a fresh start in the New World. The spirited settlers didn’t just plant their flags, they wove their culture into the fabric of their new homes. From Nova Scotia to North Carolina, they created communities that echoed the hills of Scotland. They didn’t leave behind their love for haggis or the skirl of bagpipes; they infused these traditions into the heartbeat of American culture. Today you’ll find echoes of Scottish influence in the very fiber of America. From the lilt of folk tunes to the thunder of athletes at Highland Games, their legacy lives on. The haunting, soulful whine of the bagpipes and the swirl of the tartans evoke a sense of kinship reminding us of the indelible mark left by these pioneers. Scottish American Heritage Month isn’t just a nod to history; it’s a celebration of resilience, tradition, and the merging of cultures. From their stories of fortitude to their rich cultural contributions, their legacy transcends time.
Tips for Healthy Aging
As we grow older, we experience an increasing number of major life changes, including career transitions and retirement, children leaving home, the loss of loved ones, physical and health challenges—and even a loss of independence. How we handle and grow from these changes is often the key to healthy aging. Coping with change is difficult at any age and it’s natural to feel the losses you experience. However, by balancing your sense of loss with positive factors, you can stay healthy and continue to reinvent yourself as you pass through landmark ages of 60, 70, 80, and beyond. As well as learning to adapt to change, healthy aging also means finding new things you enjoy, staying physically and socially active, and feeling connected to your community and loved ones. Unfortunately, for many of us aging also brings anxiety and fear. How will I take care of myself late in life? What if I lose my spouse? What is going to happen to my mind? Many of these fears stem from popular misconceptions about aging. But the truth is that you are stronger and more resilient than you may realize. These tips can help you maintain your physical and emotional health and continue to thrive, whatever your age or circumstances. Here are 5: 1. Learn to cope with change. 2. Find meaning and Joy 3. Stay connected 4. Get active and boost vitality 5. Keep your mind sharp No matter your age it’s never too late to get started.
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Recipe Spotlight:
Spicy Fried Chicken Pasta
Ingredients:
6 pieces cold, spicy fried chicken
6 cups cooked rotini pasta
6 boiled eggs, yolks separated
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Creole mustard
1/4 cup minced onions
1/4 cup minced celery
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup minced red bell peppers
1/4 cup minced green bell peppers
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
To make this dish, start by getting 6 pieces of spicy fried chicken from your favorite fast food outlet. I recommend Popeyes. Cut the bone-in chicken into cubes, keeping the skin intact. In a bowl, mash egg yolks, then add mayonnaise and Creole mustard, blending well. Dice egg whites and add them to the mixture. Combine all other ingredients except the chicken and pasta, ensuring they’re coated with the sauce. Add rotini pasta and gently mix, then add the fried chicken cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with boiled eggs or additional pieces of hot fried chicken. Feel free to personalize the dish with your own seasoning blend. The key flavor comes from the seasoning on the chicken before frying.
Resident of the Month
Pete & Anita Duncan
Pete and Anita Duncan first met in Charleston, SC in the mid 1950’s when Pete was in college at the Citadel and Anita in Nursing School at the Medical University of South Carolina. Pete grew up in Charleston, Anita in Jacksonville, Florida. They married in 1956, sixty eight years ago! After serving four years in the Army training recruits in Alexandria, Virginia, while Anita worked in the hospital as a Newborn Nursery nurse, they moved back to Charleston and started a family. They had two girls, Angie and Beth, before Pete’s work with Westvaco Paper Company moved the family to Connecticut for many years. They moved back to Charleston when Pete retired from Westvaco, and Pete filled his spare time working as a church elder, volunteering with Kiwanis, Score, and the Citadel Alumni Association. Anita upon retirement dove into her favorite hobbies of helping with the five grandkids, gardening, sewing, and finding treasures at yard sales! Pete and Anita moved to Spring Park 18mos ago to be closer to their daughter Angie who lives in nearby Dacusville, SC.
Yosemite
Yosemite is famous for its giant sequoia trees; these trees can grow to be about 30 feet wide and more than 250 feet tall
Yosemite
Yosemite is home to a “firefall.” While it’s not actually fire, the Horsetail Fall on the eastern edge of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley gives off the illusion of a fiery orange fall when the sunset hits at just the right angle for a few short weeks in February
Collaborators
Lisa Hawkins
