Blog

We live in an overstimulated society, where busy schedules lead to lack of connection, where many people go through life barely looking one another in the eye, where connection is summarized by scrolling down a Facebook newsfeed and clicking “Like” to show we care.  Research shows that helping others can be good for our overall health. It reduces stress, improves our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health. Doing something nice for someone doesn't cost a lot of time or money. We have all been told that it's the small things in life that can make a big difference.   So, if you are not already in the habit of performing random kind acts — or if it does not come naturally to you — start by thinking about what you like to do.  It’s not about you being like, ‘Oh man, now I have to learn how to bake cookies in order to be nice’.  It’s about, what skills and talents do you already have?  And how can you turn that into an offering for other people? If you do nothing else today, keep an eye out for an opportunity to help someone with a random act of kindness or hold onto that warm feeling, when someone helps you.  Here is a quick list of 10 things to consider: Read stories to school children. Hold the door open for someone. Smile at everyone you see today. Tape some coins on a vending machine for someone else to find. Leave a kind note in a library book. Donate an old toy to charity. Leave positive notes in random places. Help someone with their bags. Buy someone in the queue a coffee. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Remember, acts of kindness can be done all year round!

Residents made a lot of noise playing different kinds of drums, maracas, and tambourines.  We didn’t know we had such a talented group at Columbia Cottage.  Maybe we should start a band.   There were lots of smiles and laughter too along with the music.

For national make your own cupcake day, Residents enjoyed making sunflower cupcakes.

Guy Brown is being honored by Homeland Hospice for his military service.  We all salute Guy and thank him for his service.

Our residents enjoying playing the mini golf game. This is one of their favorite activities that we play.  As you can see, we have so good golfers. Who knows maybe we have the next U.S. Open Championship player among us.

Let's all give a big Cottage welcome to Sarah Plummer, our new 2 nd shift resident wellness director.  Sarah attended York County Vo-tech nursing program and received her LPN license. Sarah likes the outdoors and is a fur baby mom of two rescue dogs and two rescue cats. We are all so happy to have Sarah join our Columbia Cottage team.

Peachy Facts Peaches are the third most popular fruit grown in America. United States provides about 25% of the world's total supply, while China and Italy supply about 62%. Georgia produces 25,000 ton of peaches, But California grows the most at 510,000 tons followed by North Carolina. Peaches are from the rose family, and they produce 5 petal pink blossoms. Peaches are known to reduce anxiety and are often referred to as the "fruit of Calmness". Peaches are classified as a drupe, which is a fruit with a hard stone. Peaches get their flavor from their variety not their color. DID YOU KNOW that August is also GOLDEN? The anniversaries of the Klondike Gold Rush (Aug. 16), the designation  of Klondike Gold Rush National  Historic Park (Aug. 5), Gold Rush Days in Valdez, Alaska (Aug. 3) and Oronoco, Minnesota (Aug. 19), and so much more. We hope “Yukon” enjoy it all! August was named to honor the first Roman emperor (and grandnephew of Julius Caesar), Augustus Caesar. August’s zodiac signs are Leo (July 23–August 22) and Virgo (August 23–September 22). August’s birth flowers are the gladiolus and the poppy. The gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, sincerity, and generosity. The poppy symbolizes eternal sleep, oblivion, and also imagination. August’s primary birthstone is peridot, which is said to symbolize strength and healing power, protecting its wearer from nightmares and evil, ensuring harmony and happiness. Babies born in August are lucky to be guarded by peridot’s good fortune. August is the month of sandwiches! This makes sense because the sandwich was invented in August of 1762 when the Earl of Sandwich (yes, that’s a real guy) requested two pieces of bread with meat inside.

Dreams are quite complex, aren’t they? The other morning, I awoke from a deep sleep and remembered sitting by a small lake in Erie, Pa with my grandfather. It was a sunny afternoon day in August and Pop-Pop decided to take my brother and I to the local fishing hole. Well, the fish were not biting so my brother and I quickly found other things to do – like skipping stones on the water. We had a competition to see who could skip the farthest and who had the most skips. Well, I came in last and was quite upset since I was the only one who plays baseball. Since Pop-Pop won, he said he had something special for us. My dream skipped around for a bit, but I remembered us going into my grandfather’s church and we all started to set up for a dinner event. My brother and I had to wash down the tables and set up chairs. After that, we were asked to peel the carrots and potatoes. My dream then took a weird turn and the last thing I remembered was that I was running to school to take a math test which I hadn’t even studied for…. Crazy, right? I share this quick story because it reminded me of the saying, “…like the ripple effect when a stone lands in a lake, so your kindness extends beyond your own initial effort...”. Basically, when you do something for someone else, you forget about your own troubles. That’s the thing about giving – making that positive difference for someone today leaves a legacy of kindness that can be passed on to others. Making a difference in someone’s life can be as small as sitting down and talking to someone or as big as volunteering to build a much-needed community project. Therefore, I encourage us all to examine the positive difference you make in other’s lives, and begin to build your legacy today!

We added this 6-foot coloring poster to the wall in our staff break room. Coloring is an excellent way for our staff to unwind during their break. Experts say that coloring can ease tension, reduce stress, slow our breathing, and clear our minds. It seems we have a lot of talented and creative staff who are enjoying their time to reduce their stress before heading back to work.

On May 25, Columbia Cottage staff and residents had two special guests come to see us. Aldinger Farms brought us two baby kangaroos. Abby is the biggest one at seven months; the little one has no name and is three months.   I have never seen so many smiles and cuddling going on. This was a welcome break for all since we had our annual state inspection the day before.

The Homemaker of the Year is an individual that shows commitment to providing exemplary service to Columbia Cottage residents. This years’ Homemaker of the Year is Phyllis Miller. Phyllis started at Columbia Cottage in November 2010. She worked for many years as a Homemaker and conducted craft time with the residents. Just recently she took the Medication Technician exam and was promoted to pass medications. Phyllis has always shown great compassion, patience, and love to the Cottage residents. As a staff member she is dedicated, reliable, and is a great example of what a homemaker/medication technician should be. Phyllis and her husband live here in Hanover and have two boys and she is grandmother to two girls and boy. In her spare time, she loves to garden, craft, and above all spend time with her family. The staff and residents of Columbia Cottage feel very lucky to have Phyllis as a part of the Cottage family.

The Holidays generally are a time of year of celebration and joy, as well as one of reflection as we ponder our resolutions for the New Year. Columbia Cottage has had a great year and many reasons to celebrate! The thing that most of us are thankful for is the privilege that each resident and family provides us in caring for our residents. The residents and families bring us great joy and we appreciate your trust in us and thank you for the continued opportunity to care for our residents. Additionally, we would like to thank all our staff for their dedication and hard work. We sincerely appreciate the love and care you provide to our residents and understand what a great job each of you do to make Columbia Cottage a home and not just “another facility”. The Greatest Gift that we have been given is time! Take the time to share with our residents and families during this Holiday Season and let them know how much you care. Families and Residents take the time to share kind words with our staff and let them know how much you appreciate their hard work. We have been given a wonderful gift TIME, sometimes we forget just how precious it is, so consider your time a gift this Holiday Season and share it! To all of our Residents, Families, and Staff: May the Magic of the Holiday Season stay with you throughout the New Year. We wish you the gifts of the Season, Peace, Joy, and Hope! Happy Holidays, Deena and Erin