Living at Lakeside News

Greetings,

Residents kicked off the New Year with a gold-and-black décor Happy Noon Year luncheon with all the fanfare of a midnight celebration. We did a countdown toast at noon with faux bubbly, sang Auld Lang Syne and declared New Years Resolutions. We celebrated the actual New Year with a few Southern traditions. We watched the Rose Bowl Parade in the morning, caught the game in the afternoon and at lunch enjoyed a meal of pork, black-eyed peas, cabbage and cornbread. We just know we are going to have a healthy and wealthy 2025.The folklore of a lucky year has come to fruition a couple of times already. First, when we celebrated a Las Vegas-themed Elvis Presley’s birthday party. Residents feasted on the King’s favorite peanut butter and banana sandwiches and took photos driving a pink convertible past the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas landmark. We played the slots at our life-size human slot machine with many winners walking away with a bag of Fort Knox gold chocolate coins, fake $50 Russell Stover dollar bills and rolls of silver Mini-M&Ms rolled coins. We sang and danced along to some Elvis classics and played a little trivia.

The second opportunity for some good fortune came on Chinese New Year, celebrating the year of the snake. Our wonderful kitchen staff made a Chinese meal at lunch, and we served Chinese snacks at our party that was decorated with lanterns, dragons and a red fortune table where all prizes were red in color, such as Kit-Kats, Coke, popcorn, etc. Residents drew out of the mouth of a 3D dragon for a red envelope, and, if they recovered one, they got to pick a prize, and if not, they were given a consolation fortune cookie. A big ”shi sh”i (thank you) to Felecia and Trish with Volunteer Home Health for providing prizes and assisting with this fun day.

We got all glammed up for a night-in at the Lakeside Art Museum. Residents dressed to impress as we opened a Pop-Up Gallery. We had multiple sections of art, such as: replicated famous artworks, resident artwork, up-and-coming artists, local artists and an international artwork section featuring Items from Morocco, Mexico, China, Iraq and Germany. Volunteers Cheryl King and Charlene Doyle passed hors d’oeuvres and non-champagne. At the end of the evening, we raffled off a few of the replicated works of art to those in attendance. Clark Brown took home the prize.

16 lucky residents scored treat-filled coffee mugs on National Gourmet Coffee Day that were given by The Waters of McKenzie. Carrie Christian, representing Amedisys Home Health, played Trivia for Coins and held an auction for residents to bid on some of their favorite treats. We appreciate all our volunteers, vendors and sponsors.

Besides Elvis, we celebrated four more birthdays: Thelma McCain, Janet Duck and Freddie Brooks, and our eldest resident Maxine Garner turned 96. Residents joined her celebration of opening family presents and then the ladies broke out the mixing bowls for a cooking class social and celebrated National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day by making cakes for the evening dessert as a gift to her on her special day.

We welcomed new residents to the Lakeside family in January, Wanda Smith of McLemoresville and Marjorie Evans of Shiloh, Georgia.

Hometown Health Clinic hosted a meet-and-greet brunch featuring Leeann Ellis, FNP-BC. It’s such an added benefit to our residents to have the convenience of an in-home visit from a medical professional when needed.

I wish that every minute of every day for our residents were happy celebrations, but that is not the reality of our time here on Earth, so we took time for a remembrance and a recitation of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech on Martin Luther King Day. We also partnered with Chaplain Randy Blankenship of Baptist Hospice to host at Lakeside the third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the next six months a Grief Support Group. This event is free and open to the public. The loneliness of the post-holiday season and the cold and dark days of winter can often leave some feeling alone and mourning losses, but this group is here and ready to be a source of comfort.

We lost a dear resident this month as well. It is with precious memories we remember Mr. Carl Applegate. Carl was a Veteran of the Korean War where he served as a Corporal Radar Tech, a loving husband and father and a true servant of Christ. He led weekly church services, devotions and Bible studies not just in his home here at Lakeside but at other facilities in Paris, making numerous trips weekly. He was our outdoor holiday décor guy, seasonal flower guy and fed the wildlife daily. He checked on everyone and made them feel special. When neighboring residents entered the hospitals or rehabs, he was almost always one of the first to visit and whatever he felt they might enjoy took it along, not waiting to ask if he was needed. Our loss is Heaven’s gain, Carl Applegate 10-23-1933 to 1-13-2025. Rest In Peace.

Until Next Time...