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THE SENIOR TIMESTM
A publication of The Senior NetworkTM
January 2024
Golden Nuggets
January got its name from Janus, whom the Romans believed was a god and the guardian of gates and doorways. They believed that Janus had insight into both the past and future. January also symbolizes the end and beginning making it a doorway to the future from the past. In reflecting on this, think about the many doors that were opened to you in 2023. Did you take the opportunities that were there for you or were you too timid to take a chance on doing something new? What about 2024? Are you prepared to move forward and enjoy a brighter future or are you going to remain in the comfortable past?
Young people tend to crave exciting new adventures as they explore the world around them. Older folks would rather stay within the zone they know.
Life is too short to stand still or to dwell on the past. Our focus should be on what lies ahead. Yes, remember the lessons you learned and hold tight to the memories your past has created. BUT moving forward will bring you the most joy and happiness. The Bible says in Job 8:7, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be”. NIV
What a great perspective for 2024! Let’s get ready for a Happy New Year full of promise and hope.
Words of Wisdom
“By the time you’re 80 years old you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it.” George Burns
Who’d A Thunk…
An artificial pacemaker is a medical implement used to stimulate the heart by replicating the action of a natural pacemaker. It was invented in 1956 by Wilson Greatbatch. This pacemaker is a special invention, because of its size and understory. Before 1956 pacemakers were large and external, and they required the main power supply to function because battery technology was not advanced at the time. After inventing the pacemaker, Wilson pursued a compact type of pacemaker that could be implanted. It was successfully demonstrated in a dog before being publicized. In 1956, Wilson was working in Buffalo when he invented the artificial pacemaker. He was working on a heart rhythm record when he mistakenly used the wrong electronic component. When he discovered his mistake, he observed the device and saw that it supplied electrical pulses instead of recording them. He never saw it coming.
Remember When…
· Potatoes: 35 cents for 5 pounds
· Sliced bacon: 35 cents per pound
· T-Bone Steak: 59 cents per pound
· American cheese: 45 cents per pound
· Frozen green beans: 24 cents per half pound
· 1 pack of Kraft® Cheese Slices: 29 cent
· Grandma’s Cooking Corner:
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John Wayne’s Favorite Casserole
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· 2 (4 oz.) cans green chilies, drained
· 1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
· 1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
· 4 egg whites
· 4 egg yolks
· 2/3 cup evaporated milk
· 1 tablespoon flour
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/8 teaspoon pepper
· 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
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· Combine chilies with cheese in a large bowl and turn into a well-buttered shallow 2-quart casserole dish. Beat the egg whites until peaks form. Mix egg yolks, milk, flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Fold egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Pour over the cheese and chili mixture. Comb through with a knife and fork gently until combined. Bake for 30 minutes. Arrange tomatoes on top, and bake another 30 minutes. Garnish with extra chilies, if desired. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
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· DON’T FORGET!
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· Third Annual
· “April Love”
· Senior Talent Show
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· More Info on website!
Brain Teasers:
(Answers further down on page)
What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?
Four cars come to a four-way stop, all coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. They do not crash into each other, but all four cars go. How is this possible?
Humor Me….
A Native American brave asked his chief about the coming winter. “How bad will this winter be?” He asked. “It is good to be prepared. Get some firewood ready,” replied the chief. The chief then called his friend in the national weather service to ask him, “How bad will this winter be?” The meteorologist said, “This will be a pretty cold winter.” The chief then told his people what the meteorologist said. A few weeks later the chief called to ask again, just to be sure. “Well,” said the meteorologist, “It’s gonna be worse than we thought this year.” Again the chief relayed this to his people and told them to get more firewood. Right before the winter came, the chief called the meteorologist once more to ask “How bad will his winter be?” The meteorologist said, “It’s gonna be worse than we thought.” The chief thanked the meteorologist and asked him, “How do you get such accurate information?” “Well, we have teams of scientists that study patterns to predict what the weather will be like. But we found that the more reliable method is to just look at how much firewood the native Americans gather.”
THE SENIOR NETWORK, INC.
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Famous January Birthdays
January 1, 1735- Paul Revere
January 1, 1752- Betsy Ross
January 3, 1892- J.R.R. Tolkien
January 3, 1956- Mel Gibson
January 5, 1946- Diane Keaton
January 6, 1412- Joan of Arc
January 8, 1926- Soupy Sales
January 8, 1935- Elvis Presley
January 10, 1945- Rod Stewart
January 11, 1952- Ben Crenshaw
January 12, 1951- Rush Limbaugh
January 13, 1919- Robert Stack
January 14, 1741- Benedict Arnold
January 15, 1913- Lloyd Bridges
January 15, 1929- Martin Luther King Jr.
January 16, 1909- Ethel Merman
January 16, 1935- A.J. Foyt
January 17, 1706- Benjamin Franklin
January 17, 1899- Al Capone
January 17, 1922 –Betty White
January 18, 1882- A.A. Milne
January 18, 1904- Cary Grant
January 18, 1913- Danny Kaye
January 19, 1807- Robert E. Lee
January 19, 1809- Edgar Allen Poe
January 19, 1946- Dolly Parton
January 19, 1947 – Paula Deen
January 20, 1896- George Burns
January 20,1930 – Edwin “Buzz Aldrin
January 21, 1738- Ethan Allen
January 21, 1924-Telley Savales
January 21, 1940-Jack Nicklaus
January 24, 1941 –Neil Diamond
January 25, 1931- Dean Jones
January 26, 1880- Douglas MacArthur
January 26, 1925- Paul Newman
January 27, 1756- Wolfgang Mozart
January 27, 1832- Lewis Carroll
January 29, 1880- W. C. Fields
January 29, 1918- John Forsythe
January 29, 1945- Tom Selleck
January 29, 1954- Oprah Winfrey
January 30, 1951- Phil Collins
January 31, 1919- Jackie Robinson
January 31, 1923- Carol Channing
January 31, 1937- Suzanne Pleshette
If you know an individual, group, business, organization, or municipality that is “senior-friendly”TM, you may nominate them for the “Senior-Friendly” Hall of Fame. Submit their name, contact information and why you think they should be considered.
Send to:
SENIOR OF THE MONTH
January 2024
Larry Wayne Gatlin
Larry Gatlin was born in Texas on May 2nd, 1948. His father was an oilfield worker, and the family lived in several locations while he was a youth, including Abilene and Odessa. He was reared listening to country and Southern gospel music and has performed with his brothers Steve and Rudy since childhood.
In 1968, Larry was a wide receiver for the University of Houston football team and on November 23rd of that year, Larry scored a touchdown in the Houston 100 to 6 win over the University of Tulsa (one of the most lopsided games in modern college football history).
In August, 1969, Larry married the “love of his life”, Janis Ross. They are still married today fifty-four years later. They have two children, Josh and Kristin, and also are proud grandparents. This marriage is one of the longest country music marriages; and Larry shared that its success is that rarely does a bedtime go by that he and Janis do not share how blessed they are to have each other!
Larry’s music success came in 1971 when he was discovered by Dottie West. This was a major turning point for his career as Gatlin helped West produce some of her hit songs.
In 1979, Larry formed a group, the Gatlin Brothers, with Steve and Rudy. They made hit singles such as “All The Gold in California”, which achieved success on country song charts.
FROM THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL
There is an epidemic of loneliness in the United States and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General.
The report titled "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation," finds that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. And it warns that the physical consequences of poor connection can be devastating, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease; a 32% increased risk of stroke; and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. *
"And you can feel lonely even if you have a lot of people around you, because loneliness is about the quality of your connections."
*A 2022 paper from Johns Hopkins University also found socially isolated older adults had a higher chance of developing dementia than their peers.
"Social connections matter for our cognitive health, and the risk of social isolation is potentially modifiable for older adults,"
THE SENIOR NETWORK’s #1 priority now is socialization of seniors. We create events and transport seniors to them wherever we can.
Answers to Brain Teasers
Take the first letter of each word and place it at the end. It will spell the same word backward.
They all made right-hand turns.
OUR NON PROFIT OF THE MONTH
The American Red Cross
As one of the nation’s premier humanitarian
organizations, the American Red Cross is dedicated to helping people in need throughout the United States and, in association with other RedCross networks, throughout the world. It depends on the many generous contributions of time, blood, and money from the American public to support its lifesaving services and programs.
Clara Barton and a circle of her acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21,1881. Barton first heard of the Swiss-inspired global Red Cross network while visiting Europe following the Civil War. Returning home, she campaigned for an American Red Cross and for ratification of the Geneva Convention protecting the war-injured, which the United States ratified in 1882. Barton led the Red Cross for 23 years, during which time we conducted our first domestic and overseas disaster relief efforts, aided the United States military during the Spanish-American War, and campaigned successfully for the inclusion ofpeacetime relief work as part of the global Red Cross network–the so-called “American Amendment” that initially met with some resistance in Europe.The Red Cross received its first congressional charter in 1900 and a second in 1905, the year after Barton resigned from the organization. The most recent version of the charter, which was adopted in May 2007, restates the traditional purposes of the organization which include giving relief to and serving as a medium of communication between members of the American armed forces and their families and providing national andinternational disaster relief and mitigation.
Today, the supporters, volunteers and employees of the American Red Cross provide compassionate care in 5 critical areas:•People affected by disasters in America•Support for members of the military & families•Blood collection, processing and distribution•Health and safety education and training•International relief and development
