Country Club Village

PARTY Gras 2012!

2012-02-23T16:31:00.000-06:00

It's Fat Tuesday in Hot Springs!

Let's play a game...can you guess who these three are?

We had a GREAT lunch! Our wonderful Chef team gave us some Cajun flavor surrounded by the traditional Green, Yellow and Purple!

We think Bill should wear this hat every day of the year!

Even with six inches of feathers, Linda is the shortest person in the building. Poor Linda...

Now, what Mardi Gras would be complete with a parade of floats throwing beads into the crowd?

Oh yes.

The staff decorated cardboard boxes and Chef Lee created a beautiful King Cake! We cranked up the Jazz music and pranced through the Dining Room at lunch!

Go big or go home!

It was harder to tell who was having more fun-the staff or the residents!

DANCE DANCE DANCE!

"Never leave the house without your cardboard box, Dennis!"

Everyone had an amazing time at the Mardi Gras lunch! After lunch, we headed upstairs into the Stardust Room and danced with DJ Monica! Don't worry, we'll share those pictures with you tomorrow. Until then, Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

I'll Love You To the Moon & Back!

2012-02-23T15:45:00.002-06:00

We had a positivitly AMAZING Valentines Day celebration at CCV! To start the day off right, our Secret Pals exchanged gifts-but shhhh! We won't tell! We had a violinist play for us during out candlelight lunch-it was the most amazing lunch we've ever had! Have a look and follow our wonderful Valentines Day!

Who WOULDN'T love to each lunch at a place like this?

After our amazing Italian lunch with chocolate covered strawberries, we headed upstairs for a dance that we won't soon be forgetting!

This was the wonderful night sky stage!

Remember Tom and Jonnie? They were our King and Queen of Hearts for 2011. They enjoyed one last dance as the Reigning King and Queen before handing down their crowns.

Jonnie as she crowned Lynn...

Mike and Lynn shared their first dance as the King and Queen of Hearts 2012!

We even got Chef Joseph to come and dance with us!

Tom was such a gentleman!

We had a fabulous time! Join us next year!

Off & Running!

2012-01-24T15:28:00.000-06:00

We have had a fabulous 2012 so far! We have been so busy, in fact, that we haven't had time to keep up the blog as much as we would like. But-there's no time like the present! Lets get everybody cuaght up with some of what we've been up to!

Skip Bo is one of our favorite games! And a little peeking never hurt anybody...

We're keeping our brains sharp! Each week, a new word puzzle is set out. Residents complete the puzzle and return it for Funny Money. We have had a blast with our word puzzles!

Wii bowling is one of our favorite pass times! We have to say, we're getting pretty good!

Valentines for Vets is our current Service Project. We are creating Valentines to be given to the Veterans at the Veterans' Hospital. We are so passionate about this program! It is wonderful to be able to do something that can make some of our Country's Heros happy.

Stay posted-we will be having lots of new pictures and videos and news of the excitement at CCV coming to you soon!

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-23T13:34:00.003-06:00

As we join around our tables with our friends, family and neighbors, we would like to wish you a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

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We hope you Gobble 'Till You Wobble!

Trip to Isle of Capri Casino!

2011-11-23T13:29:00.000-06:00

On Monday, we all woke up early to make the pilgrimage to Mississippi to play at the one and only-Isle of Capri Casino at Lula!

Unfortunately, it rained cats and dogs all day long! We didn't mind-we were in a wonderful bus with TV's!

When we got to the Casino, it didn't take us long to find our way to the machines!

This beautiful waterfall was right at the hotel entrance. We were shocked to find that people had actually been putting in change AND paper money!

Linda was quite proud of her winnings!

Verna won over $20 at one machine!

Jonnie, Tom and Juanita found some luck at the Blackjack Machine. We had the most fun here!

Hank took a moment to celebrate small victories.

We even enjoyed a wonderful buffet lunch!

Everyone had a fabulous time! Despite the rain, wind and lighter pockets, we cannot wait until our next Casino trip! Our next gambling adventure will take us to the great state of Oklahoma! After the holidays, we'll load the bus and head north-you should join us!

Hug a Veteran Day!

2011-11-17T11:25:00.000-06:00

At CCV, we love and honor our Veterans every day of the year, but each Veterans Day, we take special time to show them how much we truly care. This Veterans Day, we were elated to have the ROTC from Hot Springs High School preform a Presentation of Colors during lunch.

The young men did an excellent job and we were all deeply moved by the presentation.

A few of our Veterans joined together in front of our Veterans' Wall to take a group picture.

Remember, love and honor your Veterans and their families. Without them, the lives and freedoms that we so enjoy would be nonexistent.

Happy Veterans Day!

Staying Well With Tai Chi!

2011-10-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

Kathy with The Oaklawn Center on Aging came by yesterday to teach us Tai Chi! As part of our Wellness program, we are always focused on new (to us!) and exciting ways of staying healthy. Kathy has been studying Wu Style Tai Chi for years and shared her experience with us.

Janet was showing Pat how to stay centered.

When Tai Chi is practiced regularly, it will drastically reduce the chance of falling.

We had a great turnout!

The beauty of Tai Chi is that it can be practiced standing or from a chair!

We all had a wonderful time! The class lasted an hour, and when we walked out everybody felt great! We are looking forward to seeing Kathy again next week! With regular practice, we are all excited to being Tai Chi experts!

Queen Wilhelmina Fall Color Run

2011-10-24T10:45:00.000-05:00

Queen Wilhelmina is the second highest mountain peak in Arkansas. At the top is a beautiful lodge and some of the most amazing scenery in the state. We loaded up the bus last week and made a trip to see the wonderful colors of the fall leaves changing.

This is the view from the mountain. At the bottom, you can see a set of train tracks. During the week, a small train shows tours around the top of the mountain on those tracks.

This is the lodge where we stopped and had a wonderful buffet lunch.

Bill did a fabulous job of getting us up and down the mountain safely!

The Pasmans had a wonderful time!

This is some of the amazing scenery we saw along the way.

We truly do live in a beautiful state!

We stopped on the way down and braved the wind and cold to get some great group pictures!

A better view of the tracks that run around the top of the mountain.

"I am going to take a picture of YOU, taking a picture of ME!"

After lunch, we all sat down for a rest and enjoyed the lodge.

This is the few from our window at lunch!

Part of the group waiting to go and fix their plates.

On the way home, we stopped at the Lum and Abner Museum. It was on the National Register of Historic Places and most of us on the trip remember listening to the Lum and Abner show on the Radio!

WATCH OUT! Those drooling machines are really guard dogs!

BILL-WATCH OUT!

There was an entire hallway of pictures of Lum and Abner.

In Arkansas, you can't call it a museum unless it has a deer hanging up!

This old saddle was donated to the museum and was part of an entire room related to Arkansas farm equipment.

We all had a wonderful trip! The leaves were beautiful, the food was fabulous and we couldn't have asked for better company! Thanks to Bill's wonderful driving, we were all even able to take a nap on the 2 and a half hour drive home. We are planning another trip to Queen Wilhelmina next year to see the leaves again!

Join us tomorrow-we're heading out again! This time, we're going to go snag some lunch here in town at The Purple Cow. See you tomorrow!

Oktoberfest!

2011-10-20T13:02:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, we all got in touch with our German Roots and celebrated Oktoberfest in style! Everyone dressed in their best German outfit and settled in for an afternoon full of festivities!

We started out the afternoon with this wonderful meal that was prepared by our amazing Chefs!

Tom took a moment to enjoy being a blond...with pigtails!

It wouldn't be Oktoberfest without (near) beer!

We even had a German Wine Tasting! A speaker came in and explained the different kinds of German wine and even explained why the bottles are colored differently.

A HUGE thanks to our Wine Sponsors for providing us with so much wonderful information!

Our own, Professor Mike Millewood, explained the history of Oktoberfest!

We had a packed house for lunch!

Linda was thrilled at the chance to serve Ginger Snaps!

We had a GREAT live Polka band! They were WONDERFUL! We all got to dance the Polka!

Mike and Jeanne made a great dancing duo!

Stay tuned for more pictures and videos! We all had a wonderful time and are looking forward to our next big event-a Hoe-Down in November!

6 Super Snacks for Seniors

2011-10-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, Home Care Assitance sponsored Healthy Snacks! Even though we cannot share the wonderful snacks with you over the internet, we would love to take this oppertunity to share with you some of the valuable information that we learned.

When it comes to healthy snacks, the age of the baby carrot is over. Sure, raw carrots are great for you, but so are plenty of other delicious foods. These ten delicious snacks are also "superfoods"- not only are they not bad for you, they have health-boosting properties to boot. Whether you crave something sweet, something salty, something crunchy, or something creamy, there is a superfood snack for you. Note the servicing sizes mentioned and enjoy all snacks in moderation for a healthy, varied diet.

1. Almonds have been shown to lower cholesterol and help maintain a healthy weight. About 1/4 cup of almonds is a beneficial serving. Enjoy them plain or roasted, whole or slivered. Almond butter-just a tablespoon or two-is a healthy treate, too. Try some on whole grain cracker and a cup of green tea for a late afternoon energy boost.

2. Blueberries are as full of caner-and disease-fighing antioxidants as any food around, so much so that they have been even shown to restore antioxidant levels. Also, like cranberries, they can help prevent urinary tract infections. Note that wild blueberries tend to have even more antioxidants than cultivated ones. Fresh berries are delicious all on their own or with a bit of Greek yogurst (see #5). Frozen berries can be used in smoothies or put on top of low-fat frozen yogurt. Use about 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries as a serving.

3. Broccoli eaten either raw or lightly stemaed contains tons of soluble fiber and antioxidants, as well as folic acid, calcium, iron and potassium. Broccoli has even been shown to have the power to reduce diabetic damage. Don't throw about the stalk/stem! Cut off the thick, fibrous darker green peel to reveal the tender, pale green vegetable underneathe-it has the crunch of celery and a mild broccoli flavor. Try broccoli florets or peeled stems with a little drizzle of soy sauce or a simple dip made from fat-free Greek yogurt (again, see #5)-stir in minced garlic and herbs, lemon zest and minced rosemary, or a sprinkle of cumin and cayenne to taste. About 1/2 cup of florets or peeled stem is a serving.

4. Cherries, tart ones in particular have similarly insanely high antioxidant levels as blueberries, putting them in the position to fight memory loss, heart disease and diabetes. They've also been shown to help reduce inflammation, helping alleviate arthritic and gout pain. Fresh, frozen, or dried (unsweetened) tart cherries make a great snack on their own or combined with other nuts (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds) and fruits (blueberries, raisins). Count 1/2 cup fresh cerries or 1/4 cup dried cherries as a serving.

5. Greek yogurt is a thick and creamy in a way regular yogurt can only dream of. It's high in calcium, of course, and contains good levels of probiotics, which aid healthy digestion. But did you know low-fat and fat-free versions contain twice as much protein as regular yogurt? The texture of Greek yogurt makes it a great snack-especially when topped with dried fruits like blueberries, tart cherries, or raisins-as well as a good substitute for fatty sour cream. Include it in your three servings (1/2 cup each) of low fair dairy a day.

6. Dark Choclate-saving the best for last! Dark chocolate has tons of antioxidants, magnesium, mangases, copper, zinc, and phophorous. Look for cholcate that contains over 70% cocoa to get the full benefit of cholcate's antioxidant powers and limit your intake to about an ounce a day.

Lyndsey took a moment to pass out her delcious snack cups.

These snacks were DELCIOUS!

"Almost!" Bingo with Bank of the Ozarks!

2011-10-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

We recently made friend with Pam, the manager of our local Bank of the Ozarks. Many of our residents use this bank and Pam took a few hours out of her day to call "Almost!" Bingo for us. She provided prizes!

You may be asking, "What IS 'Almost!" Bingo?"

Have you ever played a game of Bingo and you sit waiting on baited breath for that one number to be called? You wait and wait....but the one number that you need just is not called before somebody else cries "BINGO!". Then, you clear your card to begin the next game, only to hear that one number you were so ready to hear gets called first?

We know that frustration well!

"Almost!" Bingo is played just like normal Bingo-we call numbers until somebody wins. But after a winner is called, we call 5 more numbers and anyone else who can Bingo in those 5 extra numbers ALSO wins! "Almost!" Bingo is one of our favorite games, but because of the high payouts, we only play once a month. Nobody misses "Almost!" Bingo when it comes around!

Pam brought some information from Bank of the Ozarks for the residents to look over.

Polly was one of our big winners!

Wilma and Amber LOVE "Almost!" Bingo!

Pam did a fabulous job of calling numbers!

"N-32!"

Irene won the big Cover-all prize!

We all had a great time and look forward to seeing Bank of the Ozarks again for Birthday Bingo in a few weeks!

Thank you, Pam!

Running Over With October Fun!

2011-10-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome to October!

Life at CCV has been busy, BUSY lately! It seems as if we are always going and doing one thing or another.

Meet our big Lunchtime Bingo Winners! Nancey and Donald Fry won the Lunctime Coverall Bingo! Their prize was a gift card to Walmart. Congratulations, Donald and Nancey!

We made these beautiful photoboards in a craft! They hang on a wall and you can slide pictures through the ribbons so that you don't damage your picture.

Now that the weather has finally begun to cooperate, we have been able to get back to taking our regular walks at Hollywood Park! Irene and Hank went ahead of the pack and turned our casual walk into a workout.

This is the beautiful scene that Irene and Hank stopped to have a look at. This wonderful creek runs right along the walking path.

You may have noticed this colorful character walking around CCV the last few days. Meet John! John has been taking pictures for our upcoming CCV Book! We are hoping to have the book around the beginning of 2011. This day, John joined us to take picture of the Line Dance Practice. He just kicked his shoes right off, climbed in the chair and started clicking away on his camera!

Mike will be gone for the next few weeks, so Lynn is leading the Line Dance class solo. Girls always have more fun, anyway!

Tomorrow, we will play our favorite game-Minute to Win it! Remember, next week, we will be decorating fall door wreaths, getting our blood pressure checked, getting some flu shots, playing "Almost!" Bingo, enjoying some Healthy Snacks and learning at the Fall Prevention Seminar that is being presented by Gentiva. Join us in all the excitement!

We would like to share with you today's Giggle-

"My only [retirement] advice is to lay off alcohol, tobacco, and wild women. Any can kill you."
- James Biggs (104-year-old resident in a Dallas retirement-community)

Garland County Fair!

2011-09-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

The weather is cooling off a bit and the smell of fall is in the air-that means it's time for the Garland County Fair! We loaded up and headed over for the Senior Day. The Garland County Master Gardeners had a wonderful exhibit that showcased the best plants of 2011. We were able to walk through the exhibit after it had been judged.

The beautfiul plants were obviously well tended.

This was our favorite plant of the day!

A few of the Best of Show entries.

We couldn't understand how they judged one egg better than another, but it was fun to guess!

Ellis took a minute to enjoy the handpainted art.

Each of this quilts was handmade!

After we walked through the Master Gardeners' Exhibit, we headed over to the animal barn.

"The Grass is always greener...."

OINK!

The life of a show cow is obviously very hard.

We met this young woman who took a few minute to explain the finer points of shaving a cow. Who knew?

We all got a laugh out of this. The cows were being washed with DISHWASHING LIQUID. Ironic, much?

We all had a wonderful time at the fair and look forward to going back next year!

Bean Bag Baseall SENIOR OLYMPIANS!

2011-09-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

For the last two months, our Senior Olympic Baseball Team has been practicing day and night to get ready for the 2011 Senior Olympics! The Country Club Village Vipers had a fantastic time and made an amazing showing! We competed against 15 other teams and were one of two teams competing for the very first time.

Tom was our team Captain and took a minute before our first game to give a pep talk and go over last minute rule changes and reminders.

Our first team was from Camp Aldersgate. Jim flipped the coin. CCV won the coin toss and let Aldersgate "Bat" first.

This Bean Bag Baseball board was like nothing we had ever seen before!

Jim was our Scorekeeper. To his right is Stacey, the Scorekeeper for Aldersgate.

We even had our own cheering section!

After the game, we said our "Good Games" to Camp Aldersgate. They were a WONDERFUL team and we were so lucky to have such great sports to play with in our first game. They were friendly and cheered right along with us! We are looking forward to seeing them again next year!

We won our first game in overtime! Bill (Pictured on the left) scored a Home Run that let us win the game and advance to the next bracket! Here we are taking a break before the second game.

Our unofficial mascot! This Stick Bug rode with Jim all the way from Country Club Village to the Olympics!

The room was packed! 8 teams played 4 games at any given time.

Our second game proved to be much for us. We had a ton of fun, but unfortunately, we did not proceed to the next round.

Cal put all he had into the second game!

This is the trophy that we hope to bring home next year!

We had a wonderful time. We have plans to build a board that looks like the one we played on here and get ready for the next round of Senior Olympics! But in the meantime?

We hear there is a rumor about a Bean Bag Baseball Tournament in Little Rock.....

Watch out, Little Rock-We've got our eyes on you!

New Resident Referral Program Pep Ralley

2011-09-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

Prior to the recent Razorback Game, we launched the new Referral Program with a Pep Rally where Linda, Jim and Nora dressed up like football players and cheerleaders and taught our residents the new CCV Cheer!

Learn it with us!

"CCV- We Love You!

And We Know

You Love It, Too!

Alright!

Come On!"

Linda, Jim and Nora 'Hamming' It Up!

Bill was all dressed up and ready for the game!

We "Pigged" Out with Pigs in a Blanket, Pork Rinds and Red Soda!

Residents signed up for Door Prizes and New Resident Referral Funds!

Check out all that red!

Waiting for the big game to start!

Remember to wear your red on Friday to Earn Razorback Bucks and bring your friends for Referral Funds.

Wooo Pig Sooie!

Happy as a Porcupine Meeting a Pineapple!

2011-09-13T15:36:00.000-05:00

Today was our big Flu Shot Clinic! Bubba and Andrea came down from Walgreens and hunkered down in the Stardust Room for 2 hours this afternoon to deliver a grand total of 47 flu shots! The best part? The shots came at NO out of pocket cost! Residents with Medicare Part B could get their flu shots not pay a cent!

We all filtered upstairs after lunch. After some quick paperwork, we all got in line for a poke, then a sucker!

Elsie was proud to show off her battle wound!

Our favorite health question of the day?

"Are you pregnant, or do you plan on being pregnant in the next month?"

Dianne-"I'd die first!"

Gene didn't even flinch!

If you are going to let anyone poke you in the arm with a needle, it may as well be Bubba! Dianne said that she barely felt it.

One more thing....

A video of the one and only, Mr. Sam Nix, getting his flu shot. Under his fingernail, of course.

Enjoy!

We were thrilled to have so many shots given today. With "Them" saying that the flu season will hit Arkansas early this year, we were happy to get the shots done and over with. For those of us who prefer to wait until October, we are looking forward to doing another round of flu shots next month. Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you to everyone who took a poke for the herd today! Congratulations on your new band-aids!

Have You Met Cody?

2011-09-12T14:46:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows Sharon. She has been the Office Manager at CCV for 25 years (26 this fall!). She is the first face that you see when you walk in the door.

But not everyone knows Sharon's son, Cody. We have all heard the stories, but few have actually met this mysterious figure. Well, today, we had a very special treat! Cody came to give us a presentation on Arbonne, a line of lotions, face creams and all natural products.

Meet Cody!

Cody explaining the benefits of Arbonne.

Mr. Charles took a moment to get a cookie and a cup of coffee.

Linda-"Mike, if you were a man, what smell would you like?"

Mike-"Uhhhhh"

Lyn and Stacy- "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Cody fit right into the CCV family and we are so happy that he took the time out of his day to come and visit with us! We look forward to seeing him again soon!

Woo Pig Sooie!

2011-09-09T13:58:00.001-05:00

It's Friday again-and that means that the smell of Hogs is in the air! Each Friday, we deck out in Razorback Red and gear up for the big game! Tomorrow, the Hogs play New Mexico in Little Rock. You can bet your bottom dollar that we will be in the Stardust Room, glued to the TV and cheering for those Razorbacks!

In last week's game, the Hogs blew away the competition at 51-7. To keep the good "mojo" going, we took a minute at lunch today to 'Call Them Hogs!" See the video below to get your blood pumping along with ours!

We hope you have a fabulous weekend! You are going to need your rest for next week-here are a few highlights for next week.

Monday-Airborne Presentation with Sharon's son, Cody

Tuesday-Flu Shots Provided by Walgreens

Wednesday-Blood Pressure Checks and Ask The Nurse

Thursday-Garland County Fair Senior Day!

Friday-Jefro Hyde, LIVE in the Stardust Room!

We would like to leave you with a final thought, compliments of our former President, Mr. George Bush.

"I've often thought that the process of aging could be slowed down if it had to go through Congress."

Have a great weekend!

The Price is RIGHT!

2011-09-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

This morning, we got together for a little game of The Price is Right! Items were displayed (just like in the TV Show) and everyone guessed at how much they were worth. The closest guess without going over won!

The overall winners- Hank, Charles, Louise and Sam!

The final four make their FINAL bids!

The Showcases. Sam and Charles won the chance to bid on one showcase and Hank and Louise won the chance to bid on the second showcase. The final showcase came down between Hank and Sam. Hank won overall!

Congratulations to ALL the winners! We had a blast playing The Price is Right and look forward to playing it again in October!

Stick around-this afternoon, we'll be playing Minute to Win It, sponsored by Home Care Assistance!

Smooooooth Yoga

2011-09-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

One major focus here at CCV is our Wellness Program, with an emphasis on physical wellness. We have danced until we were dizzy and exercised until we wore out our dumbbells. We have bent and stretched and walked for miles!

As important as exercise is, it can get boring. We decided to shake up some of the "Same old, same old" with some Smooooth Yoga!

Meet True! True has been doing Yoga for the last four decades. He specializes in breathing exercises and even has a book that has been published-you can find it at the Garland County Library. True came in yesterday to give us our very first Yoga lesson.

Reach High!

Reach all the way up, lower your hands and slowly let your breath out....

This is actually a Tai Chi move, but it works very well the type of work we were doing.

Inhale deeply....

True showed off a little bit. Hold your legs straight out in front of you and raise your whole body with your arms. It's harder than it looks!

This is a great stretching exercise that works your "Love Handles".

Bend down and stretch.....

Exhale slowly!

We all had a little giggle here-we felt like Ballerina Dancers!

Streeeeetch!

This is a great way to get blood moving in your feet. Put your heels together and tap your big toes together, then spread your feet again. Repeat 20-30 times, fairly quickly. It gets your blood pumping and promotes healing in your feet.

We were so happy to have True with us. He was a fabulous Yoga teacher! We were all amazed at how happy and calm we felt afterwards. Amber related it this way "I feel better now than if I had just had a massage for an hour!" We had a wonderful time. Our bodies felt great and we can't wait until next time!

Congratulations Jim and Linda!

2011-09-05T11:07:00.000-05:00

You already know Jim and Linda Gothard. They have lived with us as our Assistant Managers and have recently stepped up to accept the General Manager Positions!

Jim and Linda celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary this summer. They have two daughters, one in Ohio and one right here in Arkansas. They have three grandsons and another grandchild on the way. The Gothards love traveling, especially to historic places. They enjoy spending time with family-whether it's immediate family or the Sunshine Family! Jim and Linda have been working with seniors for four years. The Gothards love this building and the residents of CCV. We could not possibly be more happy to have them as our managers and look forward to working with them for years to come!

Congratulations, Jim and Linda!

Deal or No Deal!

2011-09-02T16:11:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, Home Care Assistance sponsored a Deal or No Deal game! We played four rounds of Deal or No Deal and had a wonderful time! We had the cases, the money and even the BANKER!

Lyndsey was our Hostess.

You want Case #1?

Edith was REALLY getting into the act when it was her turn.

"The Banker would like to make you an offer..."

"NO DEAL!"

Join us next week when Home Care Assistance sponsors Minute to Win It!

Hot Springs:A Journey Through History

2011-09-02T12:05:00.000-05:00

The Hot Springs Convention Center has collected dozens of pictures that were taken in Hot Springs over the last several decades. The pictures were all displayed and we took the opportunity to get out and go have a look for ourselves!

Wilma and Amber had to ham it up with this hand carved wooden piece of art in the hallway before we went to go see the pictures.

Susan was much kinder to the Great Dane than Amber and Wilma.

A picture of a picture...who's that with The King??

Amber and Wilma stopped to look at the pictures of The King meeting The President.

The Bronze statue was not part of the photo display, but it was well worth the walk down a long hallway to get a better look!

As the proud home of President Bill Clinton, no photography exhibit would be complete in Hot Springs unless it had a picture of Clinton's inauguration in 1993.

Susan took her time looking at all the old pictures.

Central Avenue in 1890- "A very crooked street in a very crooked town"

Louise loved all the photographs!

"Bathe your way to health at Hot Springs National Park!"

This was neat! They had framed one of the old Chef uniforms from The Arlington Hotel!

Who knew Jack Dempsey was a hero?

HAHAHA!

Mike is so prim and proper. If only he was made out of wood...

Mike and Louise enjoyed the pictures of Babe Ruth in Hot Springs!

We had a wonderful time looking at the exhibit and look forward to our next outing together!

Meet Our Resident Crafter!

2011-08-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

Many of our residents here at CCV refuse to believe that being "retired" means sitting around and watching TV. They keep busy all day, every day-and long into the night!

Meet Laura! Laura is one of our most active neighbors. She is always at exercise and always at Bingo, and she makes a point to swing by other activities when she has time. Laura opened her doors today to give us a glimpse at what she is always up to!

Have you ever heard of "Canning"? It is the art of weaving strips of cane. Laura has not one, but two of these amazing rockers that she did herself! It's a shame that they are normally covered with a cushion.

Laura also crochets! The blanket you see pictured below is the one she is currently working with.

It is made from these small circles. Each circle takes an hour or so to stitch, then each circle is sewn together to create a beautiful bed cover.

When the blanket is finished, it will look something like this. This is the last one that Laura completed.

And because the stuff poodle makes an adorable excuse for a close up, this picture gives you better detail of the beauty of the work.

Laura also quilted this beautiful wall hanging. Every stitch of it was hand sewn.

One might say that Quilting is Laura's passion. She took the time to show off some of her quilts. The one pictured below is actually made from tiny scraps of fabric from her daughter's childhood dresses. The beautiful trim was added last.

Here is a closer view to see the individual patches.

This is one of Laura's first quilts. It is called a "4 Patch". Each of the colored squares is sewn to three other squares to make a large square. Then, each of the large squares is attached to create the quilt. But then, the batting and backing must still be added.

This is another one of Laura's first quilts. She says that as long as you take care of a quilt, they will last for decades. She didn't even remember how old this one was!

Laura also took a few minutes to show how a quilt is assembled. The stitching is all done by hand. Look at how tiny the stitches are!

This is the newest quilt. It is laid out on the bed until it is ready to be all sewn together.

A quilt like this takes weeks. Once it is finished, it will be treasured for years to come.

Laura hopes to finish this quilt and donate it to a local school. The school plans to raffle off the quilt and use the money to help their students. We cannot possibly describe how proud we are that Laura is using her time, energy and talent to create something so beautiful and then donate it to such a great cause.

We are looking forward to update you will pictures of the finished product!

Happy Monday!

G'day, Mate!

2011-08-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

Last night, a group of 13 of us loaded up and headed over to Outback Steakhouse for a nice dinner out. We had a great drive over-Stacy managed to avoid hitting anything hard enough to leave a scratch on Bill's bus that he might notice. That, in itself, was a victory!

Mr. and Mrs. Easton sat up front with Juanita and Linda bringing up the rear.

Left to right and front to back- Betty, Charles, Lurlene, Jonnie, Marge, Viola and Stella.

With so many choices, it's hard to decide what to order-but trust us when we tell you that everything came out wonderfully!

After our meal, we decided to sit on the porch for a spell to enjoy the nice, cooler weather.

The combination of great food, wonderful company and pleasant conversation made for a fabulous trip! We are looking forward to the next trip out for dinner!

How Sweet The Sound...

2011-08-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

We just thought that we would post a super-short blog post to share a video from our HandBell practice yesterday afternoon! Because of the new time, Terry, Edith and John couldn't be here for this practice-but we'll get them next Wednesday at 11am.

Here is our rendition of Amazing Grace-Enjoy!

HUMP DAY!

2011-08-24T16:08:00.000-05:00

Another big day is well underway! This morning, we kicked things off right with a flexibility exercise after we "played ball".

After we got our blood pumping, we took a breather and had our blood pressure checked. Miss Sherry came in and made sure that we were all right where we are supposed to be! Remember, regular blood pressure checks can be very helpful to your doctor-so keep a record every time! We have blood pressure checks twice a month right in the Stardust Room!

After Wilma had her blood pressure checked, Verna jumped into the hot seat!

After our normal exercise and blood pressure checks, we gave the Stardust Room a quick makeover to be ready for our monthly Residents' Meeting. All the neighbors came out to bring their questions and concerns to the whole management team. Always the clown, Sam had to make us all laugh before we got down to business.

"Stacy, look-I'm a pot head."-Sam
"He's always like that, even without the pot"-Charles
"Save it for date night, Sam. Save it for date night."-Stacy

You can see that we all take this Residents' meeting VERY seriously.

Linda took the microphone and let everyone know about the new decorating committee. In the coming months, all hands will be on deck to get our home looking great for fall-and then even better for Christmas!

And now...the tense moment...wait for it...the winners of the free meal tickets are... *drumroll*

After the Resident's Meeting, it was time for lunch. Today's big lunchtime event was Roberta's birthday. John was kind enough to sing to her over the microphone. She is a lucky lady! Happy Birthday Miss Roberta!

This afternoon, we'll be having a New Resident Meeting & Greet Social at 1:15, then Handbell Choir practice at 3:00. Don't forget Chair Dancing at 3:45! Get a good dinner, because Bingo tonight will kick off at 6pm.

Don't forget, tomorrow night we'll be going out to supper at Outback Steakhouse. Make sure you get signed up!

Living Life "CCV Style"!!

2011-08-23T15:46:00.001-05:00

Our week is off to a great start! On Monday, we wrapped up exercise and went downstairs for some home made smoothies! (By 'Home Made", we mean that Stacy made smoothies with a blender under direct supervision by William and Lee to make sure she didn't manage to burn down the kitchen.) Monday's flavors? Strawberry/Orange and Strawberry Banana. And trust us, these were DELICIOUS!

After lunch, we headed upstairs to play Wheel of Fortune! Our theme for the puzzles? "Country Club Village Sayings!"

This was our favorite puzzle for the day!

(If you missed the joke, Sharon is our Office Manager who has been with us for the better part of 20 years. She's our anchor. Without her, the world (quite literally) crumbles.

And up next? Bingo! Have you ever tried playing Bingo with 3 cards? It's not as easy as it looks! Today's Coverall Winner? Mr. Charles! He is on the left wearing the white shirt.

Remember our "Not-So-Impromptu" Dancing Video from Monday? We don't get that good by skirting by on our good looks! It takes PRACTICE! Tuesdays are the day to get our moves on!

Marvelous Mike and Lovely Lyn lead the class. This may be the only "practice" picture we ever get. As soon as Lyn saw the camera, she shoooo'd it away with a vengeance. "No paparazzi, please!"

Our favorite people in the building (we're talking about the Chefs, of course!) are making Club Turkey Casserole tonight for supper-bite sized pieces of roasted turkey with celery, onion and almonds in a white sauce topped with cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips. They are also serving herb rolls and twice baked potato soup. Better eat a good supper and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow is a big day!

You Have Waited ALL Weekend to See This!

2011-08-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Friday was a busy, busy day! So busy, in fact, that we couldn't squeeze it all into one blog post. Late Friday afternoon, our favorite performer, Mr. Jefro Hyde, stopped by for a visit. Those who have been practicing Line Dancing twice a week got a chance to strut their stuff! When we heard our favorite song, Elvira, we ran to grab the camera. By the time we got upstairs-almost everyone was on their feet and dancing!

This video is a MUST SEE. Be sure to catch the extra special moves all the way at the end. Miss Wilma won't disappoint you!

We hope you had a great, restful weekend. It's time to gear up for another rip-roaring rip full of surprises!!

Busy Fridays Keep Us Moving!

2011-08-19T15:35:00.003-05:00

Today has been a busy, busy day-and we aren't even done yet! We've been up and moving since breakfast and have a great time all day long!

This morning started with exercise. 8:20 was Flexibility Training-lots of bending and stretching and getting our blood moving. We took a short coffee break (because, honestly? We just really love coffee!) and after the break, we started Strength Training at 9:00. Fridays are Chair Stands days, and after a few minutes of grumbling-we made it through. Sam and Charles got their usual chuckles as they somehow managed to kick each other during Side Leg Lifts:

After Leg Lifts, it was time for Exercise Bands! 1-2-3-4.....NOW BEHIND YOUR HEAD!

After Exercise, it was time for another coffee break. It gave us just enough time to get ready for Bingo at 10:00. The Coverall Winner today? Mr. Charles! It seems like kicking Sam around is good luck. Who knew?

And after Bingo? You guessed it-Coffee!! We had just enough time to squeak in a cup or two before lunch. Don't forget-the Coverall Lunchtime Bingo numbers today were B8 and I28. We're getting closer and closer to that big Coverall Prize! I'm betting we have one in the next few weeks!

Just after Bingo, Patches was out on his midmorning walk. He is easily one of our most adorable residents! Everybody loves Patches-be sure to say "Hello!" to him when you see him flopping around causing trouble.

After lunch, it was time to load up for a trip to Walmart. Don't forget to pick up odds and ends that get you through the weekend!

Those of us who picked up everything we needed from Walmart earlier in the week scurried upstairs for Nascar Racing on the Country Club Village Race Track. After several laps, Ellis pulled ahead for a clean win! Congratulations, Ellis!

And now...the highlight of our day? Check the post on Monday, August 22nd. (What can we say? Sometimes, computers take AGES to upload awesomeness. Patience is a virtue!)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lazy Afternoons Are ALL BUSINESS!

2011-08-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

We take our relaxation seriously! On any afternoon walk around the neighborhood, you are sure to see a few things that will make you smile.

Verna, Stella, Polly, Edith, James and Louise enjoy cookies and coffee at the Cookie Monster Table every afternoon. James keeps everyone laughing with the best jokes around! Just remember, it's not polite to talk about religion or politics!

Dorothy, Mildred, Betty and Marge have a weekly Bridge game every Thursday afternoon. Nothing can stop these ladies from getting together!

Join us tomorrow and we'll show you some more of what you can find going on at Country Club Village!

Welcome to the Country Club Village Blog!

2011-08-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to be able to share the excitement of Country Club Village with wide Internet world! Join us on our daily adventures and follow us as we grow closer together.

Country Club Village is an Independent Retirement Community located in beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas. Residents enjoy a comfortable, carefree lifestyle in private, pet-friendly apartments or cottages. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Hot Springs National Park, our community offers a wealth of services, amenities and activities. We hope to use this blog to share our wonderful daily life with the world!

Sit back and relax-read through the pages of this blog and let our residents work their way into your heart through their daily adventures.