Author: oscwebdesign

When you live in one of the most beautiful places in Maine, why would you need to go far from home? We have some of the most incredible museums, restaurants, parks and artists right here! Therefore, this month we will be “keeping it local!”

Although we are located on the coast of Maine, we are not far from rich farmlands. We like to visit our local farm stands and farmer’s market as often as we can. This month we will be visiting School House Farms in Warren. They offer some of the best fresh produce, as well as jams, jellies and homemade donuts! We also frequent the Rockland Farmer’s Market every other week. This market, located right on Rockland Harbor, has so many vendors; there are always many options to choose from.

Summer means ice cream! We have many local ice cream shops to choose from, and this month we are visiting one of our favorites… Bray Brook Farm in Appleton. This little shop has a huge menu to choose from, with seats under the trees overlooking the donkey pasture! It’s always a pleasant afternoon at Bray Brook! And as an added bonus, their ice cream is made in Maine!

Golf anyone? Mini golf that is. A fun afternoon it will be at Cardinal Cove in Rockport.
The Midcoast of Maine has some of the best seafood restaurants in the state and we love to support our local eateries. This month we will dine at Archer’s on the Pier, with beautiful views of Rockland Harbor, the Breakwater Lighthouse and the islands and bay beyond, all while enjoying fresh seafood! Later in the month we will visit McLoon’s Lobster Shack on Spruce Head Island to enjoy more incredibly fresh seafood with beautiful views of the lobster boats and islands just steps away.

Rockland is the Art Capitol of Maine and we are so fortunate to have The Farnsworth Art Museum just minutes away from Bartlett Woods.

“In 2021, the Farnsworth Art Museum is pleased to celebrate thirteen remarkable women who have made lasting contributions to the culture of our state. In many ways our tribute was inspired by Lucy Copeland Farnsworth, the woman who founded the museum, which, since opening in 1948, has promoted the arts in the port city of Rockland and has played a key role in shaping the arts in the State of Maine.”

We are looking forward to viewing this exhibit.

Another great museum is the Penobscot Marine Museum just up the road a bit in Searsport Maine. This museum is a true gem, and so much history is available to explore on the large campus. Along with tours of the museum, they have some of the most talented people who love to share their exhibits. Kevin Johnson is the Photo Archivist for PMM and he comes regularly to visit us with collections of his photos and the history behind them all. He is a great speaker and friend to us and we love having him here.

This area is also rich in local talent. We are so thankful to have some wonderful music here at Bartlett Woods. Route 17 Ramblers are pretty much famous in these parts. They bring some good old “Americana” music along with some Country and traditional classics. They always pack the house and lots of toes are tapping and hands are clapping.

As you can see, staying local has so many benefits for our residents. Along with all of the above, we will visit some local shops including Reny’s (A Maine Adventure) and enjoy scenic rides to see all the beauty this area has to offer.

Each month we still have our usual shopping trips, discussion groups, games, knitting group, and cocktail parties. There is always something happening here at Bartlett Woods and we saved a seat for you.

Karen Tooley/Activities Director

IT’S FINALLY DONE!

Although we took delivery of our new bus last fall, it’s taken some time to finally be able to dress her up!

If you see this beauty around town, be sure to wave!

#BelieveinBartlett

Happy July! We are at the halfway point for the year. That’s hard to believe. When 2021 started, there was so much uncertainty as to whether or not we would even be able to hug our loved ones, go out to dinner, go to the grocery store again, or enjoy any in-house activities.

I am happy to report we are doing all of those and more, all within the guidelines given to us from both the CDC and DHHS. All Bartlett Woods residents and staff are fully vaccinated! We are so happy that we had 100% participation. That one fact, along with Knox County’s participation rate, is a huge factor in where we are today.

July is going to be a great month here. We start off with a long time favorite, Pianist Arlene Gamble. Arlene will be offering a show of all Rogers and Hammerstein. She always draws a crowd.

Tuesday, July 6th will be a FUN IN THE SUN day. We will set up our dunk tank, have the water cannons ready to go, as well as our friend Silent Bob. We will be serving ice cream and cold drinks. This day is an opportunity for the residents to “soak a staff member” or for a staff member to soak a fellow co worker. We’ve also had residents volunteer for the dunk tank. It’s always a fun day with lots of laughs!

I am very excited to announce local author, birder and columnist Don Reimer will be here to discuss his new book, “Seen Anything Good?”

Don Reimer is a lifelong birder and photographer residing in Warren, Maine. A board member of the Midcoast Audubon Society, he has led field excursions for local environmental organizations and the American Birding Association National Convention. He is a board member of the Friends of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Rockland, Maine.

Currently he serves as a regional coordinator for the 2018–22 Maine Bird Atlas project. His bi-monthly column Birding with Don Reimer has appeared in the Rockland Free Press since 2007.

We will also welcome back the Shelley and Jacklyn who are Compass Rose Images.

“The Traveling Sisters”

Compass Rose Images was established by sisters Shelley Lance-Fulk, Jacklyn Amtower and Jacklyn’s husband Jon. We have all had a passion for traveling the world and photographing wildlife. We have been to all seven continents several times to enrich and expand our collection of animal photographs. We reside in a small community in Central Maine where the abundance of local critters, moose, deer, raccoon, fox and birds (not to mention our golden doodle, Latte and golden retriever, Bailey) keep us amused and reaching for our cameras. We travel three to six months each year to capture images of wildlife from animal-rich regions around the globe.

They are a house favorite with their stories and the most incredible photos! We are so excited they are coming back to see us!

This month we received a very generous and special offer. This offer was made possible thanks to a grant from the Maine Bicentennial Commission. I am so very excited and honored to announce that the DaPonte String Quartet will be playing here at Bartlett Woods on Thursday July 22nd. The concert will be followed by a cocktail reception and appetizers. The Maine Bicentennial Commission offered this grant for the quartet to be able to take their music to the communities for the Bicentennial celebrations. Obviously due to the pandemic, those celebrations last year were cancelled. Now they are celebrating the Bicentennial plus 1. We are honored to be included as a location for their music.
I told you July was going to be a great month… but wait, there is more. We will also welcome back the Davis Violin duo!

The Davis sisters have been playing music together for most of their lives. The sisters grew up in Waldoboro where they spent many an afternoon playing their violins and exploring Muscongus Bay in anything that floats. They received their bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, and in 2018, Josie earned her Ed.M from Harvard University and Sophie was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship to spend a year studying music and climate change in the South Pacific island of Samoa.

Along with all of that fun, we will have a few luncheons out for outdoor dining, shopping trips, including the Rockland Farmer’s Market, ice cream excursions, walks on the Boardwalk, exercise classes, movies, games, discussion groups, scenic rides, wine socials, church services and Bible studies.
It’s going to be a very busy and a very fun month.
But don’t worry…we saved a seat for you!

Karen Tooley/Activities Director

Welcome June! This month brings so much hope and excitement towards returning to life as we knew it before Covid19.

Since we have come so far with vaccines and safety precautions, we are now in a good place to be able to start our activities programs again while following all recommended guidelines.
We are still being cautious and limiting our exposure as much as possible, all while having fun!

We are excited to welcome back a few of our favorite entertainers this month. We begin with a longtime friend of Bartlett Woods, Hank Lunn. Hank will be sharing the story of Floating Reed Island on Lake Titicaca in Peru. It will be nice to “travel” to a foreign destination without the restrictions. We are looking forward to his presentation.

Speaking of traveling . . . we are starting a new series this month called “Travel Tuesday.” Each week we will watch a documentary on a specific foreign land or take a ride to a local destination on our new bus. I also hope to incorporate speakers as we progress with this series.

We will be doing some traveling of our own this month to some of our favorite destinations, such as the Rockland Farmer’s Market, Beth’s Farm Stand, Reny’s in Belfast and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland.

Another sign of life returning to normal is some of our favorite speakers will be back!! Michael Perry of Freeport has been coming to Bartlett Woods for many, many years. Michael travels all over the world and creates incredible slide shows along with stories of the area to share. After an hour with him, you feel as if you have traveled to the same destination. We welcome Michael back on Friday June 18th for a “Happy Birthday Maine” show!

We will also be welcoming back our favorite fiddle player, Owen Kennedy. This kid is just 15-years old and he is amazing! He’s got a huge following right here at Bartlett Woods. We were also lucky that he came and played outside around our building during our “shelter in place” phase last year. He’s got a big heart and loads of talent. He will be playing for us in our Parlor on June 30th.

Of course our regular programs are all back in place including exercise with our YMCA instructor, Victor. He’s working hard to get us all back in shape after this past year. We are also holding our regular monthly activities, such as games, shopping trips, picnics, lunches out (outside dining only), discussion groups, and the list goes on and on.

We are so excited to be able to resume most of our activities, even if we have to do them a little differently. We are looking forward to making some great memories this summer.
We saved a seat for you!

Karen Tooley/Activities Director

Wow! The first two months of 2021 have flown by! During this time there have been some really exciting changes. First, and foremost, ALL residents AND staff have received the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine. To date, we have had no positive cases here at Bartlett Woods! This is a huge step in the right direction towards resuming life as we knew it.

Additionally, we have started the “Family & Friends” visits back up again in apartment #108. They are being conducted the same as they were back in the fall of 2020, before cases started to rise and we had to put a hold on them. If you would like to schedule a visit with a resident, please call 594-2745. Our front desk staff will be handling the scheduling. It is great to hear the loud laughter coming from these important reunions…the smiles on our residents’ faces say it all!

We have also re-opened our hair salon; I think this is the biggest hit with our community. It seems like such a little thing, but for our residents this is huge! Everyone is so happy to feel like themselves again. I might add they are all looking pretty spiffy these days.

What’s more, our mealtime experience is slowly normalizing. We continue, of course, to observe best safety practices before, during, and after meals. Residents are reconnecting again through lively conversation over a healthy meal shared while socially-distant. It is really doing wonders for the mind, body and soul. So, we are very happy that everyone is back in the dining room for both breakfast and lunch all together.

Lastly (and it’s a biggie), Bingo is back for small groups each week. Of course, we are observing the CDC guidance while we restore one of our most popular activities.

Another favorite activity in our community is the scenic ride on our new bus. This new addition to Bartlett Woods is being put to great use. Weekly (weather permitting) small groups, seated socially distant and masked are thoroughly enjoying the comfortable rides all over the Midcoast.

Today’s streaming technology allows us to present symphony concerts, world class ballet and other special virtual events.
We have also resumed some exercise classes, Resident Council, House Meeting, discussion groups, art class, Origami class and movies. We hope to continue to add more activities in the coming weeks and months.
We continue to wish for good health for everyone.

Thank you
Karen Tooley/Activities Director

Believing in Community

Thank you to our residents, their families and friends, our staff and their supportive families, our community vendors, the healthcare teams we work with, and the local and state officials we turn to for guidance. During this pandemic time, you continue to demonstrate your belief in Bartlett Woods.

We are so grateful to acknowledge that our community is now over the “vaccine hurdle,” and can report that our residents and staff are Pfizer-vaccinated. In January, we held two on-site vaccine clinics administered by CVS Pharmacy staff. We feel extremely fortunate to have worked with them at such an early stage of the COVID19 vaccine distribution.

Our own miracle is that we have kept the virus out of Bartlett. I hesitate to say it without knocking on wood, so I do it three times!

We have come so far since the start of the pandemic. We remember all too well when the thought of a vaccine for COVID19 was a distant dream. So, we worked hard, with all of our partners, to collect new information and vital supplies, to educate all and reconfigure systems, and to practice the best safety steps, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

None of this would have been possible without our community. It is a wide-reaching circle of support we feel, from the volunteers who made us masks, to the families who sent us kind words of encouragement, to the EMTs who helped us learn how to use new equipment.

Above all, we are grateful for our residents, who understood what it would take to stay safe, and were on board with our staff from the start. Our residents know what sacrifice means, what rallying together looks like, and they respect the science behind the safety measures. We know we are doing things right, when they tell us, “I’m so glad I’m here,” or “Thank God we got the vaccine early,” and of course, “At least I’m here with my friends, and not all alone.”

We look forward to when all of our community members are fully vaccinated, and better days will come for everyone. To every one of our families and friends, please stay safe, and know that you are very much appreciated by us.

Sincerely,
Mary Eads, LPN, RNC
Executive Director

I don’t believe we need to do the usual “year in review” for 2020. I honestly think we will not soon forget this year. What I feel we should focus on, so we DO remember, is how fortunate Bartlett Woods has been this year.

Every day the news was grim, more people infected with Covid 19, more people losing their lives to this ghastly virus. Yet every day was one more day Bartlett Woods fought the battle and won. We worked hard and the hard work is paying off. We kept Covid 19 out of Bartlett Woods.
This wasn’t done by one person, it wasn’t done by one policy, but it was done by EVERYONE who lives here, works here, and visits here or even delivers here. It has taken the entire community here to keep our residents and staff safe.

It has come at a great cost as well. Residents have missed their families and friends, who are so very important to them. Staff has missed their families and friends as well. Babies have been born, loved ones have passed, birthdays came and no celebrations were held. Holidays were spent alone. However, the cost was not in vain.

While the virus rages on, Bartlett Woods is standing strong against Covid 19. Our staff is just as, if not more, committed than ever to keep fighting. Our residents tell us regularly how thankful they are to be here, where they are safe. Those words keep us going.
As 2020 is coming to close we are still fighting the virus. However, we will start 2021 with the best defense against the virus. Bartlett Woods’ staff and residents will receive their first dose of the vaccine for Covid 19 on January 4th.

We want to thank everyone who has followed the guidelines, said prayers and just kept us in your thoughts. We all appreciate the love and support we have received. We will keep fighting until the virus is no longer a threat to our beloved residents who call Bartlett Woods home.
We wish everyone peace, health and happiness in 2021.

Happy New Year!
Karen Tooley/Activities Director

I hope all who are reading this are healthy and well! It is tough times for sure! But we have stayed the course and have managed to keep the virus out of Bartlett Woods. We will continue this fight until the virus is gone! We thank all of our residents who have been tough and followed the guidelines to make sure we all stay healthy. It is a true team effort.

WE HAVE A NEW BUS!!!!! We are so excited to show off our brand new bus. While it looks a little ‘naked’ right now, I assure she will be beautifully dressed once it is safe to take her to the lettering shop. We are taking residents out for socially distanced scenic rides. We are limiting the trips to 5 people right now, using every other seat. These rides are a huge hit and the residents are so happy to get out and see different sights. Thankfully we have been blessed with some truly beautiful weather for November. If you see us on the road, be sure to toot and wave!

In October we were able to set up indoor visitations. We created a beautiful space for families to visit. It’s been a huge hit. However, with cases climbing in Knox County, we have had to put those visits on hold for now. But don’t worry, they will be back.

Here come the holidays!! Ready or not, they are coming. This year Thanksgiving will look a little different for many people. Most families, we hope, are following CDC guidelines and celebrating with those who live in their home. That is exactly what we are doing here! Our kitchen will make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for all to enjoy. Many of our staff, who also aren’t able to be with their families, will be here to help make the day a little more special and help serve dinner.

While we aren’t able to bring live entertainment into the building, we are still able to provide some amazing digital concerts.

We are so excited to present the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s Bach and Brahms concert as well as “The Magic of Christmas” We have traveled a few times to Merrill Auditorium in Portland to see the Magic of Christmas and it is definitely one of the highlights of our Christmas Season. So, we are very excited that we can still see and hear the show right here at Bartlett Woods!

Along with the PSO’s concerts, we are reaching out to our many entertainers to see who is offering digital concerts this year. We hope to provide several different concert options.

Speaking of the holidays, if you follow us on Facebook, (and you really should!), you would know that we have already put up our Christmas tree in the parlor. We felt a little extra holiday cheer would be great for all! Right after Thanksgiving, we will begin putting up the rest of our trees and decorations. We plan to do a little extra decorating this year to bring out a little more holiday cheer.

We know this holiday season is going to be hard for many. The staff here at Bartlett Woods is committed to making these holidays as special as possible given the circumstances we are living in. While we may not share the same DNA, I assure you every resident is family to us.
Please stay safe, stay healthy and we can’t wait to see you all again!

Thank you
Karen Tooley/Activities Director

Wow, it’s the beginning of October and our world has not returned to normal. Or perhaps this is the new normal. Let’s hope this “new normal” doesn’t mind being short-lived.

I remember the meeting our team of managers had in March when it was decided we would go on lock down for two weeks because the virus had come to Maine. All residents were confined to their apartments and we, as staff, quickly realized our jobs were changing. But we also thought it would be short term. We thought by April for certain life would resume again. April turned into May, then June, July and August. Now as we are about to welcome October we are still here…keeping the virus at bay. Lock down now has a different meaning here. The residents, no longer confined to their apartments, are free to move about the building and grounds. Meals are being served in the dining room again, albeit in a slightly different manner. Nonetheless life has improved here over the last 6 months. Family visits are happening in our beautiful screen gazebo.

Through this whole process we all realized how strong we are. Residents especially, along with their families, have stayed the course. It’s been hard, it’s been heartbreaking at times, and it’s even been aggravating. However, the one sentence that everyone agrees on is; it’s worth it, because everyone is safe and healthy.
Bartlett Woods is its own community. And this community truly cares about their fellow residents. We see the ones who struggle with the changes, and right there beside them are their friends, fellow residents, keeping them going.

Perhaps there is more to this virus than just the sickness…perhaps this is society’s chance to turn itself around. We know it has slowed us down, allowed us more time with our family at home. We have seen the good in people shine brightly on the darkest of days. We have seen the caring and the kindness. Maybe, just maybe, the reset button has been pushed. Let’s not forget that we have the opportunity to continue with the kindness, caring and compassion we have seen over the last 6 months even after this virus is gone.

Thank you to all who are doing their part in keeping Bartlett Woods a safe, healthy and happy place to be, even in these uncertain times.
Karen Tooley/Activities Director