Volume 15, Issue 6 June 2018 Through the Looking Glass Alice in Wonderland explanation came in the form of a poem Oak Hammock’s artistic bent was evident when written and narrated by the Oak Room hosted a fantasmagorical party. The Pat Collier. Through- entrance was decorated with trees and twigs, and out the skit, the marvel- Agatha, the twin sister of the Cheshire Cat, grinned ous bass of Ron at all who entered. Once inside, the guests found a Hoopes (the Caterpil- delicious assortment of strange foods such as Half lar) roared, but he re- Mad Jam Tarts and Down the Rabbit Hole Scotch mained unseen until Eggs. Carrot Cupcakes would come later to the de- the end. light of the rabbits hopping around the room. And a Tweedle Dum and very special Topsy-Turvy Cake was made by Tam- Tweedle Dee – George mi Clary. Alice looked totally confused as an impos- Lewis and Valerie Grif- ing voice roared from hidden corners, and then the fith – played amusing Red Queen made an impressive entrance. She roles as well. Just see- summoned the librarian who shared a video of the ing them in their cos- books stored in the Oak Hammock library’s nooks tumes made the event The Red Queen enters. and crannies. It takes a village to present a great worth attending. And show, and this was no exception. Jan Havre was you can’t have a queen without heralds, so Nancy the writer/director. Wood and Marta Whipple filled those roles. The White Rabbit (Donna Moss from Assisted Very special thanks go to Dick Martin for the vid- Living) fretted over being late while the March Hare eo/sound system/special effects and to Pat Martin (Elaine Skeel) was annoyed she had to look for the for the creative costume designs. Additional thanks Cheshire Cat. The Mad Hatter (Vicki Mulhearn) go to Ann Elnicki for sneaking into everyone’s back prepared a Fabulicious Feast with the help of Chef yard to collect branches and twigs for decorations Jon and the dining crew and Alice (Beth Paul) was and Dick Elnicki for gluing them all together, Russ scolded by the Red Queen (Jan Havre) for not be- Golly, Richard Jones, Gaye Kirkpatrick, Katherine ing very well-read. That was the cue for the Librari- Osman, Mary Polk, Marion Siegel, Andy Wilkerson, an (Janet Janke) to be summoned and explain the Dining Room Crew, and the Library Committee. where all the books of Oak Hammock resided. The - Beth Paul and Jan Havre 2 The Oak Leaf A Wonderland in the Oak Room 1 2 3 1. Waiting for admittance 2. Heralds Nancy and Marta 3. Vicki Mulhearn as the Mad Hatter 4. Beth Paul as Alice 5. Elaine Skeel as the March Hare 7 6. Donna Moss as the White Rabbit 4 5 7. Janet Janke as the Librarian 8. Ron Hoopes as the Narrator 9. Themed Cake by Tammi Clary, AL Baker 10. George and Valarie are Tweedle 6 Dee and Tweedle Dum 11.-16. Creatively themed menu items - Beth Paul and 1 8 The Oak Leaf Staff, photos 9 13 12 10 11 16 14 15 The Oak Leaf 3 John and Susan Bankston On the morning I first met John and Susan design, and her work in that field led to her becom- Bankston, the ing an accomplished landscape artist. sun was out for Meanwhile their love of sailing remained strong, the first time in and over the years they bought several boats in three days! The which they both raced and cruised. John and Susan view from their both taught sailing, were certified Scuba divers, and light and airy were well known in the sailing world. During this apartment in time, they managed to combine their love of water Building 2 was with environmental volunteerism, spending many as friendly and hours in remote areas of the Bahamas, working with cheerful as the the Bahamas National Trust. Each February, they two charming people who live there. lived aboard their boat in the Exuma Cays Land & John and Susan met in the summer of 1962, Sea Park, assisting a group of scientists in main- when Susan graduated from St. Petersburg Jr. Col- taining this pristine wilderness. lege and John was studying at the University of The sailing years unfortunately had to end about Florida. He was interning in Clearwater during that ten years ago when John was diagnosed with Park- fateful summer of 1962 and the rest, as they say, is inson’s Disease. The couple was fortunate to find history! After his graduation from UF in 1963, John the best medical help available in Dr. Michael Okun became a successful commercial general contractor and Dr. Kelly Foote. Both of these outstanding phy- in Clearwater, the couple married, and over the next sicians practice at UF Health, and so John and Su- few years produced three lovely daughters, two of san began regular visits to Gainesville for John’s whom also graduated from UF, the third from Au- treatment. They began a search for a CCRC, and it burn. was nothing short of serendipitous that Susan quite In 1989, John and Susan grew eager for adven- by accident discovered Oak Hammock on line! ture and ran away from home! Avid sailors, they Now they have settled in, and are so happy to lived aboard their sailboat for the next two years, be here among fellow Gator fans! Susan is already during which they enjoyed visiting many foreign involved in Oak Hammock’s very active art commu- ports and meeting fascinating people. nity, and John spends time reading and working out Eventually, though they still loved their life as in our fitness center. When they arrived, he was us- gypsies, Susan suggested that perhaps it would be ing a cane. After spending time with our excellent nice to have a home base on dry land. And so they trainers in rehab, he has thrown out that cane. And bought land in the mountains of North Carolina and thanks to the cutting edge care he is receiving from built a beautiful house, which they still own and en- Dr. Okun and Dr. Foote, his tremors have complete- joy in summers. Vero Beach also beckoned, and ly ceased! Welcome to Oak Hammock, John and they made it their winter home for seven years. Dur- Susan. We are delighted that you have joined our ing this time, Susan developed an interest in interior family! - Jan Havre Our International Staff We live in a world that is no longer defined by borders. Oak Ham- mock employees are no exception to the diversity found in today’s en- vironments. Teresa O’Hara, Director of Human Resources, took the time to gather some information for us, and it’s exciting to see the vari- ous countries that are represented by our workers. The majority of our international work staff hails from the Philip- pines (20) followed by Puerto Rico (10) (a territory where residents are U.S. citizens but still a distance away from the mainland U.S.). The rest of the workers are limited to one to four from each of the following countries: Italy, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, India, Vi- etnam, Haiti, Jamaica, and even Russia. - Beth Paul and Bill Castine 4 The Oak Leaf You Make the Difference Awards Deitra Williams, Skilled Nursing Department Deitra consistently provides help and support to our residents by going outside her job description, showing great teamwork and commitment to helping others. She responds to call lights without seeking the help of CNAs, addresses concerns, and talks the resident through the entire care while being pleasant and professional. 5/14/18 Emelia Heaton, Housekeeping Department Emelia went the extra mile to clean up overflowing water that had gone into the furnace room in one of the resident’s apartments. She did this without being asked to do so and consistently does whatever is needed to make her residents happy. 5/22/18 Patrick Eckart, Maintenance Department Patrick consistently provides help and support to our residents as well as his fellow employees who need assistance in other departments. He took it upon himself to clean the exterior of the Security Gate- house without being asked to do it. 5/23/18 Contributions to the Oak Hammock Honors Oak Hammock Benevolent Fund The residents of Oak Hammock Make a gift to our Benevolent Fund “in memory” congratulate the following staff of someone who has passed, “in gratitude” for on achieving the designated honor: someone who has done a good job or deed, or “in honor” of a thoughtful friend. Isabella Angulo B.A., Visual Arts Since we last reported on the contributions to Nan Colon Licensed Practical Nurse the Benevolent Fund, a total of $272 has been re- Tenika Jordan Registered Nurse ceived in memory of Joan Dewey and Julian Green Chasity McCloud Registered Nurse and in honor of Tom George, Margaret Zircher, and Amanda O’Shea Registered Nurse Pat Liston. Chris Rocks Certified Dietary Manager - The Oak Leaf Staff and Marquesha Odom - Heather Gilkey and the Residents’ Council Health Pavilion Happenings 1. Roberta Lipsig shops 2. Edith Ellet 3. Carmen Tango with Sugar the Cat 4. Santa Fe Zoo Visits 5. Santa Fe Zoo 6. Ellie the Fashion Store 1 7. Jenny Stoufer with Sugar 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Oak Leaf 5 Celebrating Life's Stories National Skilled Nursing Care Week was held May 13-19. Events at Oak Hammock Pavilion featured the “Wild West” sponsored by “SunCrest Omni Home Health” which included a horse race and root beer floats.