Volume 10 Issue 2 February 2012

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Dates to Remember

2/1 Resident Council 2/5 Superbowl Party 2/6 Out To Lunch Bunch 2/7 Movie Day 2/8 Resident Birthday

Party 2/10 Jewelry for Valentine 2/13 Valentines Party 2/14 Valentine Bingo 2/15 Hoop It Up 2/21 Mens’ Club 2/28 Bowling 2/29 Womens’ Club

Welcome Our New Residents!

Eugene Esparza Lisa Scheppa Rita Wileman

February Birthdays

2/5 Ruth Ary 2/12 Mace Moorehead 2/13 Penny Smith 2/21 Marion Elledge 2/22 Martha Leath 2/23 Jo Morrow 2/25 Kelly Paul 2/27 Marion Heller 2/28 Matt Shea

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The history of Valentine's Day—and its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valen-tine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valen-tine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men—his crop of potential soldiers.

Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discov-ered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tor-tured. According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl—who may have been his jailor's daughter—who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valen-tine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniver-sary of Valentine's death or burial—which probably occurred around 270 A.D—others claim that the Chris-tian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "christianize" celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for puri-fication. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-

wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both wom-en and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day at the end of the 5th century. The Roman "lottery" system for roman-tic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly be-lieved in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London follow-ing his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valen-tine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to ex-press their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

History of Valentines Day

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Activity Time at Oak Wood Place

With  all  of  the  new  and  exciting  things  happening  at  Oak  Wood  Place,  we  have  added  new  activities  this  month!    We  are  always  striving  to  come  up  with  new  things  to  do  in  

the  activity  department  to  keep  everyone  on  the  move.    This  month  we  enjoyed   Rob  the  Table  and  Winter  Olympics!

Carolyn  was  born  in  raised  in  Beaumont,  Texas.    Lucky  enough  to  call  the  same  place  home  for  64  years,  she  is  a  true  native  of  South  Texas.  Ms.  Perry  started  her  working  career  as  a  printer  before  becoming  a  file  clerk  later  in  life.    She  retired  in  1995.

Here  at  Oak  Wood  Place,  we  take  pride  in  Carolyn  being  one  of  our  fastest  residents.    After  many  grueling    competitions  she  consistently  comes  out  on  top.    This  year,  she  won  prizes  while  competing  in  the  Wheelchair  Races  at  the  Senior  Olympics.

You  can  find  Carolyn  listening  to  gospel  or  blue  grass  music  on  most  days  here  at  Oak  Wood.    She  says  that  listening  to  music  is  one  of  her  favorite  hobbies.    Although  it  is  difficult  to  pick  a  favorite  color,  Carolyn  says  pink  would  definitely  be  her  color  of  choice.

Loved  by  everyone  here  at  Oak  Wood,  her  constant  smile  is  always  a  welcoming  sight  to  see.    When  asked  what  she  loves  most  about  Oak  Wood,  she  didn’t  hesitate  before  saying  Bingo.

Marcia  started  here  at  Oak  Wood  Place  back  in  2003  as  our  Appointment  Coordinator.    Since  then  she  has  had  many  different  tasks.    Before  coming  here  to  Oak  Wood,  she  worked  as  the  Assistant  Manager  at  her  grandfather’s  motorcycle  shop.

Ms.  Keys  is  constantly  on  an  adventure.    She  loves  to  pursue  activities  such  as  photography  and  music.    Many  staff  members  have  recruited  her  to  photograph  different  special  occasions.    Her  favorite  color  is  green.

You  can  find  Marcia  on  any  given  day  getting  different  residents  to  multiple  appointments.  She  states  that  Oak  Wood  Place  has  allowed  her  to  be  herself,  and  has  become  a  constant  thing  in  her  life  for  which  she  will  be  forever  grateful.  

We  are  very  lucky  to  have  Marcia  here  as  one  of  our  family  members  at  Oak  Wood.    Thanks  for  all  that  you  do!

Resident of the Month—Carolyn Perry

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Employee of the Month—Marcia Keys

603  Wood  Street 903.675.2002 Athens,  Texas  75751 Toll  Free:  866.675.2002 www.oakwoodplace.com contact@oakwoodplace.com

Did You Know? American car horns beep in the tone of F. You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching

television. Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years

of age or older. The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s

chewing gum. A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright

brother’s first flight. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called

“aglets.” There are approximately ten million bricks on the

Empire State Building. Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

What exactly is being served through the drive-thru? Fast food is a part of everyones life. I have heard people say that they “don’t eat food out of a win-dow,” but lets face it - everyone craves those french fries at some point.

The following items are the 10 most commonly found ingredients in fast food.

Citric Acid: The most common preservative. Commonly used to preserve meats and fish.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup: The most common sweetener. Many beverages and processed food made with this sweetener are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

Caramel Color: The most common color additive. Used to prevent the loss of foods inherent color.

Salt: The most common flavor or spice. Salt appears more than any other item on fast-food menus

Monosodium Glutamate: The most common flavor enhancer, although it has not distinct taste itself.

Niacin: The most common nutrient. Niacin, or B3, is known to be the nutrient of choice when enriching foods.

Soybean Oil: The most common Oil or Fat. Used for anything from deep-frying to non-dairy creamers.

Mono- and Diglycerides: the most common emulsifiers. Emulsifiers are used to help stubborn liquids mix smoothly.

Xanthan Gum: The most common stabilizer or thickener. Very helpful in things such as salad dressings to help keep components from separating.

Chicken: The most common meat product.