Jan. 2015

Thank you for helping us celebrate Christmas here at Providence Park! We had a wonderful time and hope you did too! Here are just a few pictures that captured the joy of the season.

Christmas 2014

Happy New Year!

PAGE 2

New Friends at Providence Park

Dr. Parker, a new resident of St. Elizabeth Center, joins his wife, Mary Sue, and son, both currently residing at St. Catherine Center.

We are happy to have such a well-traveled intellectual, who counts being a published writer of inspirational books, as “his ministry of service to others”.

He is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, and began his early career in Personnel, purchasing, and managing a Construction Company.

Dr. Parker began serving as Pastor in Baxter Springs, Kansas, in 1956, while Mary Sue taught school, following her graduation from University of Arkansas, Little Rock.

He also served in the Army and Army reserves.

Upon his first attempt at retirement in 2000, after having served 50 years as associate pastor, Pastor, then Executive Minister, he

Welcome John Parker Apt. 2318continued on in a consulting role, serving 200 churches as an Architectural consultant.

He is the author of 5 books, and is currently working on another. He considers his books “an Outreach Ministry”.

He remains an active member of Woodway First Baptist Church.

When asked how he likes living here, he replied “I love it”. He explained that he enjoys the tasteful décor, ambiance, and elegant dining.

A Visit to the Stage Coach Inn

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The Connection Between Honeybees and the Foods We Eat

Our new activity director, Jill Saxon, told us recently in her bio-note that she and her husband Monty maintain honeybee hives. She said they began their beekeeping venture as a sort of hobby; however, one hive has led to another and so on to the present six. When a swarm occurs, the effort is made to capture the “mass” and place it in a new hive. Twice it has been necessary to buy a queen bee for their new hives. Protective garments are worn when dealing with the hives. Even so, she admits that beekeepers occasionally get stung.

We talked at some length later about the importance of honeybees in our society today. One writer has suggested that “honey bees are the glue that holds our agricultural system together.”

The significance of that statement cannot be overstressed. For example, the yearly $4 billion dollar

almond crop in California is totally dependent on honeybees. Other crops that rely heavily on the work of bees are apple, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, blueberry, and onion.

So much for the importance of honeybees. For the past 30 years or so, the honeybee population has been on sharp decline. During the past winter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that one third of the honeybee colonies died or disappeared. The beezkeepers, essential for the maintenance of the industry, are also “disappearing,” as they seek more productive employment.

The drastic decline of honeybees is a top concern of Washington leaders. Since 2006, the Department of Agriculture has funneled millions of dollars into research on the bees, hoping to pinpoint causal factors that possibly could contribute to a reversal of the downward

a note from the desk of Charles Tolbert

trend.

For years scientists have long focused on agricultural pesticides.

A new class of chemicals were used this year that saturates the seeds as they are planted, resulting in spreading the chemical throughout the growing plants—and that includes the blossoms. Then there are bee killing pests like Varroa, a small parasitic mite that has ravaged bee colonies since its accidental introduction in the U.S. in the 1987. Other research suggests that bacterial and viral diseases account for some deaths.

Jill and husband Monty probably don’t have time to keep up with the ongoing research; however, their daily concern is on improving the health and habitat of their honeybees, using the best practices they know about.

Continued on page 4

Fitness Center (FC)Chapel (CH)Village Dining Room (VDR)St. Elizabeth Dining Room (ST E DR)

Activity Calendar Location AbbreviationsVillage Activity Room (VAR)St. Elizabeth Activity Room (ST E AR)Quilt Patch 2nd floor Village behind elevator (QP)

St. Elizabeth Library (ST E LIB)Village Lobby (VLB)

Jan. 1 James MaddoxJan. 2 Dorothy GoldenJan. 3 Ellen Jones Jan. 4 Louise Bartosh Jan. 6 Bobbie McKethanJan. 6 Letha Gradel Jan. 9 Marjorie Yarbro Jan. 10 Cecil Alexander Jan. 14 Ralph Post Jan. 17 Annie Terry Jan. 22 Jean WebsterJan. 27 Henry Patterson

Happy Birthdays This includes supplemental

feeding in times of nectar/pollen scarcity. Sometime in the afternoon or evening later in the spring, we residents would enjoy a presentation by Jill about their beekeeping experiences.

Continued from page 3

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary

Jim & Helen Ping