July

The Goldton at Venice
Newsletter

Resident's Birthdays

9- Adrian M.
14- George F.
16- Maureen C

Celebrating July

1 International joke day
4 Independence day
7 world chocolate day
26 summer Olympics begin
30 International Day of friendship

Events Spotligh

• Cord Blood Awareness Month
• Group B Strep Awareness Month
• Healthy Vision Month
• Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
• National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month
• Sarcoma Awareness Month
• UV Safety Month
• Disability Pride Month
• National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
• French-American Heritage Month
• National Bison Month
• Plastic Free July

Strong Family Connections

In honor of our Monthly National Park being our own home state of Florida, we would like to share a special connection we have to a highly decorated man, Greg Greco. Being a true Floridian, Greg served our country during the Vietnam War as a young teenager. When he returned safely to Miami, he was chosen to be a City of Miami Police Officer working the Coconut Grove and Overtown parts of the area. Suffering a heart attack at the age of 27 due to his close interactions with Agent Orange, Greg retired and decided to turn to his true passion of helping people and nature to the Park Service. Becoming a Park Ranger for the Department of the Interior, he was stationed in the Big Cypress and was a notable figure in the back country region. He worked on many projects headed up by the Governor of conservation and preservation of these special wetlands. He worked side by side with firefighters both on the ground and aerial water drops and most importantly was the lead tracker on the Panther Tracking project to find and tag the endangered Florida Panther. Although he is no longer with us, his name is still mentioned in the Swamp Buggy and Airboat Association’s Annual gatherings and his awards and accolades hang proudly in his family home. He is also our very own Academy Director’s Dad. Thank you for serving us well.

From the desk of Laura Blakeman

Laura Blakeman, Executive Director

Dear Residents and Loved Ones, We had a commercial filmed here last month for our Alexas and Speak2. Amazon was here for two and a half days filming and interviewing. What an honor to be chosen as one of the sites for the commercial for Atlas Senior Living! We had a wonderful time with the visitors from Amazon. One of the comments made to me by the film crew has stuck with me—they said, “I felt welcome the moment I came in the door. It was a feeling I got–like I was home.” Now that is what we want everyone to feel when they walk into the doors of the Goldton at Venice.

We try every day to continue that hospitality from the moment people walk in the door. There are five elements of hospitality. The first one is the atmosphere, we have a beautiful building here and we have a fantastic housekeeping staff! We have that one down pat. The second is customer service, now this one is something that we work on daily. Who is the customer? Well, it is the person you work with, it is each resident, the person looking for a place to live, it is your neighbor, and in our mind it is everyone you come in contact with daily. The third element is guest expectations, we also work on this one daily. Everyone has a different expectation; it is our goal to under promise and over-deliver. The final element of hospitality is flexibility. Flexibility is the cornerstone of what we all do in Senior Living. As I say to the team a lot, “when you think you are going to zag be ready to zig.” One never knows what the day will bring. All four of these elements work together to create an enjoyable and memorable experience for residents, visitors, staff, family members and friends. It is our goal here at The Goldton at Venice to be the premier Senior living community in the area. The Speak2 program is helping us with communication across the board and in turn, is helping us with our hospitality. It is a program that is cutting edge, and we are honored to be a part of the program. If you have any questions about the impact of Speak2 or how it is helping our community, please reach out directly to me.

Laura Blakeman
Executive Director

Choose Happiness

Choose Happiness​
Choose Happiness​
Choose Happiness​
Choose Happiness​
Choose Happiness​
Choose Happiness​

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” —Abraham Lincoln

Is happiness a choice? Yes! Happy people know it’s up to them to choose happiness daily. They don’t rely on circumstances or possessions for joy.

Understanding that happiness is a choice, we must intentionally decide to be happy each day. Here are 12 ways to choose happiness:

Count Your Blessings: Focus on the positive and be grateful.
Carry a Smile: Smiling influences your brain to feel happy.
Speak Daily Affirmations: Use positive statements to build confidence.
Wake Up on Your Terms: Start your day with a meaningful routine.
Hold Back a Complaint: Choose peace over complaining.
Practice Self-Discipline: Personal growth brings fulfillment.
Use Your Strengths: Embrace your natural talents.
Accomplish One Important Task: Find joy in your contributions.
Eat Healthily: Nourish your body for overall well-being.
Treat Others Well: Kindness to others enhances your own happiness.
Meditate: Spend time in solitude to connect spiritually.
Find Benefit in Pain: Seek meaning and growth in difficult times.
Choose joy today and be happy!

Everglades National Park

America’s Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, and also the only place in the world where American Alligators and American Crocodiles coexist in the world

Independent Living | Resident of the Month

The Barrelles

The Barrelles Resident of the Month

I grew up the second of 6 kids in a close-knit family, in a small town in the central part of Illinois.

I’ve always loved doing research on family history and I wrote and published the family history book on my Dad’s relatives. Don and I then took a trip to Switzerland to meet some of the family.

Don and I started dating in High School when he asked me to the homecoming dance. He was a Senior and I was a sophomore. After Don graduated from Illinois State University we got married and had a nice wedding on June 19th, 1960, in a church in our hometown.

In 1975 I had breast cancer. While I was still a patient in the hospital American Cancer Society came and asked me if I could be a volunteer. I did various jobs for them and soon they asked me to be in charge of their workshops, to be held quarterly, for new breast cancer patients in Oakland County MI where I lived. The purpose of the workshop was to give new patients additional information and support in solving cosmetic problems after surgery and to help them continue feeling beautiful even after surgery. After 12 years American Cancer presented my co-worker and I with distinguished volunteer awards in recognitions for our contribution to reach to recovery programs recover plus workshop.
I love to bake and collect recipes. My family requests that I put together a cookbook and soon I will get started on that!
Other things I love to and used to do:
I love to go to gospel music concerts and Michigan state football games, especially love cruising. We took 18 cruises. I used to bowl in a league and had high game with a 244! I used to play golf and had a hole in one!

Assisted Living | Resident of the Month

Mary Clark

Mary Clark Resident of the Month

Mary Clark comes to us from a little town in New Jersy but hasn’t lived in Florida very long although she’s not quite sure for how long. She was a school teacher in New Jersey where she loved sports especially baseball, reading, sewing and crochet. Playing the violin was a favorite but piano is her specialty and you can still hear her playing everyday for all to hear. She loves spending time with family and her kids are very good to her. Mary will be 103 years young in December and is affectionately known as Grandma around here. We love you Mary and were so glad to have you here with us.

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Recipe Spotlight

Conch Fritters

Fritters Ingredients:
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons buttermilk
8 ounces (226.8 g) conch, finely minced
1 jalapeño, finely minced
¼ cup (40 g) finely minced white onion
¼ cup (37.25 g) finely minced red bell pepper
¼ cup (32 g) finely minced carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon Creole seasoning
Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce:
½ cup (130 g) salsa
1 cup (224 g) mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Dipping Sauce: Puree salsa in a blender. In a bowl, mix the pureed salsa, mayonnaise, garlic powder, basil, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Stir well before use.
Fritters: Heat oil in a small frying pan or deep skillet to 350°F (175°C), ensuring it’s at least 1 inch deep. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and egg. Add buttermilk to form a thick paste. Stir in conch, jalapeño, onion, red pepper, carrots, garlic, and Creole seasoning until evenly mixed. Drop 1-inch balls of batter into the hot oil using spoons or a cookie scoop. Fry until golden brown (about 2 minutes for small fritters, up to 4 minutes for larger ones). Transfer fritters to paper towels to drain using a slotted spoon.

Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Associate of the Month

John Palumbo

John Palumbo Associate of the Month

John Palumbo is our Transportation Extraordinaire. John is blue true and true. He was a New York finest and now enjoys his days here in the Sunshine State with his wife and with us. Always willing to go above and beyond for our residents and get them to and from their destinations safe and sound. We are grateful to Have John here with us and appreciate the person that he is. Love you John.

Memory Care | Resident of the Month

Shirley Pappas

Shirley Pappas Resident of the Month

Shirley Pappas is originally from Arkansas where she worked in an office as a legal secretary. The beautiful weather brought her to Florida in 1968 and still loves the beach. She enjoys reading and watching movies. Dancing and playing with her cat were always a highlight for her. Ms. Shirley tries not to miss any opportunities to go outside and get her some sunshine. Your smile is amazing Shirley and you’re a delight to be a part of our Goldton Family

Collaborators

Laura Blakeman Executive Director The Goldton at Venice
Laura Blakeman
Shelbie Greco, Academy Director | The Goldton at Venice
Shelbie Greco
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