Bowling Fun at Juniper Village at Lebanon

Our co-worker Lindsay Bender, the Business Office Assistant, made our Christmas at Juniper Village at Lebanon a little more exciting by placing a very large and mysterious wrapped gift under the Christmas tree in The Village.  We forgot to open it during the excitement of our Christmas party and Open House, and we still forgot to open it on Christmas morning.  But finally on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, we remembered the special gift that Lindsay and her two daughters had so lovingly chosen and wrapped just for us, and we tore into it with all of the excitement of Christmas morning.  And just like those Christmas mornings from long ago, the gift was a special game:  an Electronic Tabletop Bowling Alley, complete with all of the bells and whistles and sound effects of a real bowling alley!  Luckily, Lindsay was there to help us assemble our new game and to supply us with all of the many needed batteries. (Lindsay is always the one we go to for tech help!)  Very soon, we had everything assembled, found just the right table, and the contests began!  We took turns bowling all afternoon.  The pictures speak for themselves about how much fun everyone had that day.  Lindsay’s daughters are planning to challenge our residents some afternoon, if they ever get a snow day!  Many thanks to Lindsay and her family for their amazing thoughtfulness and generosity!

Elvis Was In The Building!

On Friday, January 8th, we celebrated Elvis' birthday all day long at Juniper Village at Lebanon.  We started off with some Elvis trivia, surfed the Internet to find out more about his life, had a special Family and Friends Luncheon featuring his favorite foods, and wrapped up the evening with a screening of his movie, "Jail House Rock".  But the highlight of the day was when Elvis actually entered the building at 2:00 pm and treated us to an hour of his best numbers.  Residents, staff, and family members were dancing in the aisles, and ladies in the first row were swooning as he threw his sweat-soaked scarves into the crowd as souvenirs.  Elvis only took one break, and that was to let resident crooner Paul H. sing a Neil Diamond number, which the crowd also enjoyed.  It was standing room only, and Elvis shook everyone's hand before he left the building.  One interesting note: baritone John Garloff already had the voice down before this program, but he always had a full beard and moustache.  JUST FOR JUNIPER VILLAGE, John shaved off his beard and moustache that morning.  Even his own college student granddaughter did not recognize him when he made his entrance in his Elvis attire!  John immediately started growing out his beard after this performance, as this is the only all-Elvis show he plans to do!  We owe a great deal of thanks and a thunderous round of applause to John Garloff and his supportive family for making this event possible!

The Bologna Drops Early at Juniper Village at Lebanon, PA!

We started our New Year's Eve celebration a day early at Juniper Village at Lebanon.  We have been privileged to have world-renowned pianist Karl Hausman at our New Year's Eve Party for the past several years, and this year he could only do our party if we scheduled it a day early, so that's what we did.  We might do this every year from now on, because we had a packed house with standing room only!  The night started out with a wonderful Family Dinner featuring steamed shrimp and Asian Pot Stickers.  Then the party moved to our lobby, where we were serving trays of cheese, crackers, and of course.....Lebanon bologna!  Karl put on quite a show, which inspired residents and family members to get up and dance!  Then at the stroke of midnight (or actually 7 PM Lebanon time), the lights were dimmed and our very own lighted bologna was dropped as the crowd shouted out the countdown from 10 to 1.  Then Karl played Auld Lang Syne on the piano as everyone toasted with their real champagne or sparkling cider.  It was a magical night that everyone was still talking about the next day.

January 2016 Events in Lebanon, PA: Welcome New Beginnings

Happy New Year! January is the time when we all welcome new beginnings and set resolutions to make this year better than the last. But how does one keep those resolutions throughout the year ahead? The New York Times offers four suggestions: First, make a concrete plan, something visual to embed it to memory. Second, put something you value on the line – is it your health or your pocketbook – keep that in mind when you are tempted to break your resolution. Third, bundle your temptations. For instance, you want to exercise more, but struggle getting to the gym and you also have a fondness for gossip magazines but feel they are a waste of time. Combine the two – read the magazines only at the gym! And fourth, seek social support. You can achieve more by pursuing goals with the help of a mentor.

Still haven’t made any resolutions? Resolve to join us every month for a wide variety of events and activities. This month we explore our creativity through music with outings to local musical performances, Elvis’ birthday celebrations and concerts by our Joyful Noise Choir. We invite you to Welcome New Beginnings and make regular visits to Juniper Village part of your new year’s goals!

Our fabulous January 2016 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  Understanding the Benefits of Music Therapy with WB Music Therapy, a company that provides individual and group music therapy to several personal care, assisted living and nursing care facilities in the south central PA region as they help people living with Alzheimer’s disease and/or Dementia: decrease agitation, communicate and make music in group activities, interact with others, recall and process memories, increase range of motion, participate in reality-based interactions, express and process feelings in a supportive environment, and improve quality of life, so join us to learn more about WB Music Therapy and how these specialized programs can help your loved ones and community residents at this complimentary program that will be held in The Club of the Community House with a light lunch provided on January 13^th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. (Please RSVP to 717-272-8782.)

§  Blood Drive For Central PA Blood Bank because each pint of blood donated can save as many as three lives, so join us at Juniper Village to make your contribution to the Central PA Blood Bank set-up in The Club of the Community House, and everyone’s participation is encouraged and much appreciated, plus a special “Goody Bag” will be given to each participant on January 19^th from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

§  Drum Circle Therapy with Wendy and Scott Gilbert of Drum2B1 who will share their passion and the therapeutic benefits of “beating the drum” at this hands-on session that will lift your spirit and soothe your soul, so please consider joining us in the Village Lobby as you won’t be disappointed on January 28^th from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. (Program is free, but please RSVP to 717-272-8782.)

We look forward to sharing our January 2016 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as we Welcome New Beginnings.

Holiday Open House with Cookie Exchange and Special Visit from Santa!

The residents, staff, families and visitors of Juniper Village at Lebanon were treated to a special visit from Santa at our annual Holiday Open House.  Santa brought gifts for all of the residents and for the children in attendance, and everyone, regardless of size or age, got to sit on Santa's lap.  After getting their picture taken with Santa, each person moved on to the Cookie Exchange table to get some goodies and fill up a take-out bag with cookies!  Special music was provided by Allen Kohl on the accordion in The Village, and by Gary Cohen on the piano in The Club.  It was a very relaxing evening where everyone was able to linger over cookies and drinks and catch up with relatives they haven't seen in a while.  A special surprise came from our director, Joan-Marie Norman, whose husband Chuck brought in a beautiful mailbox for letters to Santa, which was made by his students at the Reading Vo-Tech School.  Santa was very impressed, and it was only minutes before someone was already putting a letter into the new mailbox, which is located in the Village lobby.  Many thanks to everyone who made cookies and helped in any way to make this a wonderful evening for all!

Santa’s Mailbox

Santa came to visit.  We have an original Santa mailbox for families to drop those important letters. Mailbox made by Joan-Marie Norman’s husband’s Career & Technology students.

December 2015 Events in Lebanon, PA: Celebrate Little Things

This month is all about celebrations! Not only will we be celebrating holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, but we will also celebrate the little things that make life worthwhile. Little things such as the reassuring touch of a friend’s hand, a kind word from an acquaintance and a warm smile from a stranger.

In our all too busy lives we sometimes forget to honor the simple things in life that bring us peace and joy. Most experts recommend that we allow 10-20 minutes of relaxation and stress relief each day. Making time for that can even be a stressful experience! During this busy month of baking, shopping, visitors and juggling tasks take time to remember what is really important.

Here are some tips to keep holiday stress in check: Acknowledge your feelings – you are not alone as holiday stress is not uncommon. Be realistic with expectations – you can only do so much, learn to say no. Ask for help when needed – everyone wants to be needed and may feel more included by being able to contribute. Plan ahead to minimize unplanned expenses and tasks. Take a breather – take a walk at night and do some stargazing, listen to soothing music, or get a massage. Above all enjoy all the holidays have to offer by sharing time with others.

Join us during the busy month of December for our annual cookie exchange and holiday celebrations. Take time to Celebrate Little Things with those you love.

Our fabulous December 2015 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  Juniper Village at Lebanon Supports the Toys For Tots Program as a proud drop-off site for our local Toys For Tots campaign, we are asking you to help us make a difference in a child’s life by donating new, unwrapped toys in our collection boxes at the entryways to both the Village and Community House buildings that will then be distributed to less fortunate children in Lebanon County, so thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity during this holiday season, and please drop off on December 1^st to 31^st from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm.

§  Holiday Open House with Cookie Exchange and Visit from Santa Claus as we celebrate the holidays with music, laughter and love, so bring a tray of your family’s favorite cookies with recipe attached to share, and let your little ones have their picture taken with Santa on December 10^th at 6:00 pm.

§  New Year’s Party and Bologna Drop to start celebrating early by joining us for festive holiday music with Karl Hausman, as we celebrate 2016 with our own Lebanon Bologna drop and toast to the New Year at this fun event held in the Village Lobby on December 30^th at 6:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our December 2015 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as we Celebrate Little Things.