February 2013 - Lafon Nursing Facility

February 2013
Administrator’s Corner ...
What is Mardi Gras celebrating?
The words “Mardi Gras” are
French for “Fat Tuesday.” In the
middle ages, the Catholic church ate
what was on the daily menu. Each
year during the Lenten season, there was at
least one day in which no meat was to be eaten.
For centuries, it was customary to fast by
abstaining from meat with the lone exception of
fish during Lent.
In those days, people had no refrigeration
to hold perishable foods.
Lenten season,
requiring the observer to refrain from meat,
presented some interesting problems for
keeping and storing foods. Since the Lenten
season is 40 days long, meat on hand had to
either be eaten before the start of the
observance or discarded.
The religious following of Jesus chose the
Tuesday before Ash Wednesday to feast before
beginning the season of “fasting.” This day
became known as “Fat Tuesday” and in
French, “Mardi Gras.”
Resident Birthdays
February
Ethel Lawless
Frank Anderson
Marietta Simon
Sylvia August
Marie Bernal
Maxine Rose
Margaret Muentes
Milfred Henry
Wilhelmina Ker
Mary Jones
Bernadine Boskent
A Special Happy Belated
Birthday to Mrs. Anita
Nichols, January 30th.
Staff Birthdays
February
Reference: Chiff.com, “The Fast Find Web Guide”
Demetris Brown
Dolores Lagarde
Doris Smith
Elaine Stewart
Ernest Franklin
Bookerrena
Schneckenberg
Charmaine Rhone
Arnette George
Laura Davis
3rd Annual “Mardi Gras Ball”
Celebration will be held on:
Tuesday February 5, 2013,
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
2013 Mardi Gras Court
King 2013:
Mr. Robert Smith
Queen 2013:
Mrs. Bernice Grant
1st Maid:
Mrs. Maxine Rose
2nd Maid:
Mrs. Vida Campbell
1st Duke:
Mr. Therell Bertrand
2nd Duke:
Mr. Joseph Saul
Past Mardi Gras “Kings and Queens”
King 2011:
Mr. Melvin Navarre
Queen 2011:
Mrs. Claire Degruy
King 2012:
Mr. Frank Anderson
Queen 2012:
Mrs. Margery Telemaque
Hail to the King and Queen, 2013!
2/05
2/07
2/07
2/13
2/15
2/15
2/19
2/19
2/22
2/22
2/23
2/02
2/05
2/11
2/12
2/16
2/19
2/20
2/21
2/27
Mass Schedule

Mon.-Thur., 8:30 a.m.,
Father Cohea
 Sat., 4:00 p.m., Father
Wilbur Atwood, SSJ
Pastoral Ministry/Visitors
Sister Clara Mae Jackson
Representatives of all
religions are welcome.
Please visit your
church members.
Resident Census for
January = 96
Lafon Nursing Facility
of the Holy Family
6900 Chef Menteur Hwy.
New Orleans, LA 70126
Phone: (504) 241-6285
Fax: (504) 245-2721
www.lafonnursing.org
Mrs. Beverly Greenwood
Administrator
Patricia Clark
Director of Nursing
Ms. Cheryl McGinnis
Assistant
Director of Nursing
Abir Abdo
Medical Director
Henry Evans
Kristi Soileau
C. Trent Donahue
Physicians
Mr. Dwayne Walker
Activity Director
Ms. Karren A. Sterling
Activity Coordinator
Mr. Michael Boudreaux
Business Office Manager
Mrs. Phyllis Vindel
Dietary Manager
Mr. Barry Aubert, Engineer
Gary Hardy
Environmental Services
Mrs. Deborah Van Norman
Social Services
Mrs. Nicola Pope
Human Resources
Stephen Black, Admissions
Have a Heart Game
All of the following have a “heart.”
1. A 1956 song by Elvis Presley is “_________
Hotel.”
2. Veterinarians treat this parasite, common
among dogs.
3. Vigorous or robust.
4. England’s King Richard I was known as “The
________.”
5. A form of indigestion.
6. Chevrolet’s advertising slogan is “______ of
America.”
7. A celebrity who is good looking.
8. Earnest, sincere or genuine.
9. Sally Field won an Oscar for this 1984 movie.
10. Military award for being wounded or killed in
action.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 C unsalted butter, cut into pieces, + more for pan
¼ C unsweetened cocoa powder, + more for pan
¼ C confectioners’ sugar, + more for dusting
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ C crème fraîche or sour cream
1¼ C heavy cream
5 large eggs
1 C granulated sugar
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 º F. Butter a 9" springform
pan; dust with cocoa powder.
2. In a saucepan, heat butter with ¼ cup of the
heavy cream over low heat until butter is
melted. Add chocolate; stir until melted and
smooth; remove from heat.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs,
granulated sugar, and cocoa powder; whisk in
chocolate mixture.
4. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake
until puffed and set, about 35 minutes. Let cool
for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge of the
cake before unmolding.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1
cup of heavy cream with the crème fraîche and
confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Dust
cake with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with the
whipped cream.
Library Lovers’ Month
February is Library Lovers’
Month. Can you name the largest
library in the world? If you said
the Library of Congress, you are
right! Founded in 1800, the library
is the oldest cultural institution in the nation.
This library has over 151.8 million items from
different media sources, including books, maps,
photos, manuscripts and recordings, and
approximately 838 miles of bookshelves.
National Wedding Month
Today we throw rice at a
newlywed couple, but it used to be
the wedding cake that was thrown!
Wheat, a symbol of fertility, was one
of the earliest grains to be showered
over new brides, and unmarried
women would try to collect the grains to ensure
their own marriage. Early Roman bakers
started baking wedding wheat into small sweet
cakes to be eaten, but some guests would still
throw the cakes at the bride. A compromise
ritual was eventually reached in which the wheat
cakes were crumbled over the bride’s
head, and then the bride and groom would
have to eat a portion of the crumbs.
The “Serenade”
Ah, the serenade. What can be more
romantic than being sung to by a suitor?
When we think of serenades, we think of
romantic Italy at sunset, or the gondoliers in
Venice.
The custom of serenading one’s love
interest was established long ago, and the
word “serenade” is derived from the perfect
weather for it. Calm, clear skies — known
as serenata in Italian — are the best to sing
under, so suitors hoped for clear skies on
nights they planned on singing to their loves.
Eventually the songs themselves took on the
name serenata, which was modified in
English to serenade.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with
the mind. ~William Shakespeare
Compliments to the Chef’s Hat
Pride in Food Service Week is
February 4th - 8th. Have you ever
wondered why chefs wear such
unusual hats? These toques blanches
(French for “white hats”) evolved over
many years. The chef who was employed by
French politician Talleyrand in the 18th
century was the first to require white hats
for all kitchen staff, to keep hair out of the
food. The white color was to show when the
hat needed cleaning. Adding a poofy top to
the hat was imperative, as kitchens can get
very hot, and this added some ventilation
for the head. A chef in Vienna did not like
the floppiness of these hats, so he put
cardboard inside his hat to stiffen the lower
part of it. This became tradition, but today
modern chefs use starch to stiffen their hats.
The greatest happiness of life is
the conviction that we are loved;
loved for ourselves, or rather,
loved in spite of ourselves.
~Victor Hugo
Cupid
This cute little cherub, armed with arrows
dipped in love potion, is a popular image for
Valentine’s Day. He is associated with this
holiday because in Roman mythology he is the
son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.
The Story of Mount Rushmore
A South Dakota historian, Doane Robinson,
wanted to increase tourism, so he came up with
the idea of carving Mount Rushmore. Initially Kit
Carson, Jim Bridger and John Colter, legendary
“mountain men,” were to be the faces carved into
the mountain. Robinson enlisted the help of a
sculptor named Gutzon Borglum, who suggested
four influential American Presidents be carved into
the rock, as they were more prominent figures.
Working under extreme weather conditions on
a peak with an elevation of 6,200 feet was
extremely dangerous. Money issues, combined
with harsh winters, stalled construction for several
years.
In 1941, fourteen years after
construction began, the faces of
George Washington, Abraham
Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and
Theodore Roosevelt were unveiled.
Medical Memo: Heart Palpitations
Almost everyone has an uneven heartbeat, or
palpitations, now and then, and it is usually
harmless. If the palpitations are frequent or
lasting, change in the heart’s rhythm can cause
health complications. Palpitations are caused by
changes in the electrical impulses that control the
heart muscle. Symptoms of palpitations include
an awareness of your heartbeat, shortness of
breath, lightheadedness or fainting.
As we age, the likelihood of having
palpitations increases. In rare cases, underlying
heart conditions are the cause of the palpitations,
but they are most frequently caused by
environmental factors.
These triggers can
include anxiety, stress, thyroid problems,
nicotine, caffeine and alcohol consumption.
Mild palpitations can be controlled with drugs
or surgery. Occasionally, devices are placed in
the heart to monitor and control more severe
palpitations. The most common device is a
pacemaker.
Prevention:
 Don’t smoke, and avoid consumption of
alcohol, diet pills, stimulant drugs, cough
medicines and decongestants.
 Find a healthy outlet for stress. Try
meditation, deep breathing, yoga or
aromatherapy.
 Eliminate caffeine from your diet (found in
coffee, tea, chocolate and caffeinated soft
drinks).
 If you are able to exercise, try brisk walking,
jogging, swimming or bicycling to help
control your resting heart rate.
 Eat balanced, low-fat meals, in addition to
increasing consumption of calcium,
magnesium and potassium.
Snack Food Month Search-A-Word
Funny Presidential Quotes
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February is American Heart Month
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According to the American Heart
Association, everyone can make seven
simple changes in their lives to help
improve heart health. These changes are to get
active, control cholesterol, eat better, manage
blood pressure, lose weight, reduce blood sugar
and don’t smoke. Even changing one or two of
these factors can dramatically improve health.
PRETZELS
CRACKERS
POPCORN
ICE CREAM
CHOCOLATE
GRANOLA
COOKIES
POPSICLE
Lafon Nursing Facility
of the Holy Family
6900 Chef Menteur Hwy
New Orleans, LA 70126
FUDGE
JERKY
FRUIT
CANDY
CHEESE
CHIPS
FRIES
NUTS
 "Things are more like they are now than
they have ever been." ~ Gerald Ford
 “I know only two tunes: One of them is
'Yankee Doodle' and the other isn't.”
~ Ulysses S. Grant
 “If you want a friend in Washington, get
a dog.” ~ Harry S. Truman
 “Blessed are the young, for they shall
inherit the national debt.” ~ Herbert Hoover
 “Man cannot live by bread alone; he
must have peanut butter.” ~ James Garfield