Seymour Southern

February 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!  Today, we will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a party!  A great time is in store for all.  Join us!

Check out pictures from last year's event by clicking on the picture above.

February 8, 2012

More Information: Katie Maass, (520) 626-4083, kmaass@shc.arizona.edu
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January 2012

Today was a big day for resident Merle Cashwell who celebrated her 94th birthday!  Her son Ken Christie his wife Verna Christie came to celebrate her birthday with us.  We gathered together, sang songs (including happy birthday), and enjoyed delicious cake and other treats.  Then Mrs. Cashwell opened a few presents from her family.  Everyone had a fun time, and we all look forward to celebrating with her again on her 95th birthday.

January 3, 2012

Dec 16, 2011

Today we celebrated Christmas with the employees, residents and their families.  We exchanged gifts, sang songs, and had lots of goodies and food. Mrs. Seymour spoke about the true meaning of Christmas, the 1^st Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, and her son Dante quoted from the 1983 Presidential address to the nation at the lighting of the national Christmas tree which reminded us of a time when our leaders didn’t have apprehensions about acknowledging Christ at Christmas time. 

We here at Seymour's would like to wish you a Merry Christmas as well.  May God's plan continue to lead you to where God's grace will always keep you.

 "A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore.” Psalm 51:17

Last Sunday, Eddie Hall was kind enough to bring the residents a cream cheese pound cake & some Christmas cards.  Thank you Eddie!  

Then Wednesday afternoon we celebrated the birthdays of residents Audrey Knight & Quinelle Eberhart, and employees Dante Ferrigno, Glenda Bronner, & Wes Knowles with a party and cake. Mr. Ralph McGill played the piano and everybody sang and had a ball.

And Eddie Braswell, Diane Bentley and Frances Christy brought baskets to several of the residents that are members of the Dawson Methodist church.  Thanks to all of you!

December 7, 2011 (Pearl Harbor Day) 

At 6:00 a.m. on 7 December, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 181 planes. Even as they winged south, some elements of U.S. forces on Oahu realized there was something different about this Sunday morning.

In the hours before dawn, U.S. Navy vessels spotted an unidentified submarine periscope near the entrance to Pearl Harbor. It was attacked and reported sunk by the destroyer USS Ward and a patrol plane. At 7:00 a.m., an alert operator of an Army radar station at Opana spotted the approaching first wave of the attack force. The officers to whom those reports were relayed did not consider them significant enough to take action. The report of the submarine sinking was handled routinely, and the radar sighting was passed off as an approaching group of American planes due to arrive that morning.

The Japanese aircrews achieved complete surprise when they hit American ships and military installations on Oahu shortly before 8:00 a.m. They attacked military airfields at the same time they hit the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The Navy air bases at Ford Island and Kaneohe Bay, the Marine airfield at Ewa and the Army Air Corps fields at Bellows, Wheeler and Hickam were all bombed and strafed as other elements of the attacking force began their assaults on the ships moored in Pearl Harbor. The purpose of the simultaneous attacks was to destroy the American planes before they could rise to intercept the Japanese.

Of the more than 90 ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor, the primary targets were the eight battleships anchored there. Seven were moored on Battleship Row along the southeast shore of Ford Island while the USS Pennsylvania lay in dry-dock across the channel. Within the first minutes of the attack all the battleships adjacent to Ford Island had taken bomb and or torpedo hits. The USS West Virginia sank quickly. The USS Oklahoma turned turtle and sank. At about 8:10 a.m., the USS Arizona was mortally wounded by an armor piercing bomb which ignited the ship's forward ammunition magazine. The resulting explosion and fire killed 1,177 crewmen, the greatest loss of life on any ship that day and about half the total number of Americans killed. The USS California, USS Maryland, USS Tennessee and USS Nevada also suffered varying degrees of damage in the first half hour of the raid.

There was a short lull in the fury of the attack at about 8:30 a.m. At that time the USS Nevada, despite her wounds, managed to get underway and move down the channel toward the open sea. Before she could clear the harbor, a second wave of 170 Japanese planes, launched 30 minutes after the first, appeared over the harbor. They concentrated their attacks on the moving battleship, hoping to sink her in the channel and block the narrow entrance to Pearl Harbor. On orders from the harbor control tower, the USS Nevada beached herself at Hospital Point and the channel remained clear.

When the attack ended shortly before 10:00 a.m., less than two hours after it began, the American forces had paid a fearful price. Twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or damaged including Floating Dry-dock Number 2. Aircraft losses were 188 destroyed and 159 damaged, the majority hit before they had a chance to take off. American dead numbered 2,403. That figure included 68 civilians, most of them killed by improperly fused anti-aircraft shells landing in Honolulu. There were 1,178 military and civilian wounded.

Japanese losses were comparatively light. Twenty-nine planes, less than 10 percent of the attacking force, failed to return to their carriers.

The Japanese success was overwhelming, but it was not complete. They failed to damage any American aircraft carriers, which by the hand of Providence, had been absent from the harbor. They neglected to damage the shore side facilities at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, which played an important role in the Allied victory in World War II. American technological skill raised and repaired all but three of the ships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. Most importantly, the shock and anger caused by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor united a divided nation and was translated into a wholehearted commitment to victory in World War II.

(Source, Dept of the Navy)

Today we at Seymour Southern Comforts remember the sacrifice of the brave Americans who lost their lives in the service of our great country, and we pray for the continued protection and guidance of our Father in heaven as once again we find our nation divided by new threats.  We encourage you to take a moment and pray with us for our military men and women as they continue to stand in the gap between us and those who seek to destroy us.  Pray for their families, their encouragement, their logistical needs, and their souls to be revealed the truth about our Lord and savior Jesus Christ so that they can face the slings and arrows of this world with courage and expectant hope.  Pray for our leaders to see the right choices and the strength to make the right choices in the face of adversity.  Pray for our leaders to come to know the truth of the scriptures so that they will be guided by thinking saturated with divine viewpoint.  And pray for our citizens to do the same.  Grace be with you all, and may God bless America!

May 2011

The following useful information is from the homepage of http://www.veteranaid.org/

"The Veterans Administration offers Aid and Attendance as part of an "Improved Pension" Benefit that is largely unknown. This Improved Pension allows for Veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing, undressing, medication dosing, or taking care of the needs of nature to receive additional monetary benefits. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an Assisted Living facility also qualifies.

This most important benefit is overlooked by many families with Veterans or surviving spouses who need additional monies to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. This is a "Pension Benefit" and IS NOT dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Aid and Attendance can help pay for care in the home, Nursing Home or Assisted Living facility. A Veteran is eligible for up to $1,632 per month, while a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1,055 per month. A couple is eligible for up to $1,949 per month*.

The Aid and Attendance Benefit is considered to be the third tier of the VA's Improved Pension. The other two tiers are known as "Basic" and "Housebound". Each tier has its own level of benefits and qualifications. While the objective of this site is to disseminate information on the Aid and Attendance level of the Pension, often referred to as A&A, we encourage you to view the other two levels in the event you or your loved one does not qualify for A&A. Click Here for more information about the Basic and Housebound tiers. The Improved Pension is not a new benefit, and has in fact been an entitlement for 60 years sitting idle while millions have and still are missing out on.

Please browse this site using the menu on the left to learn more about the Aid & Attendance Pension, FAQ's, Eligibility Requirements, How to Apply, What to Expect, and Resources to help you with filing for this critical benefit. Our forum offers a wealth of information and insights to the process of filing for Aid and Attendance. Be sure to take advantage of this resource.

It is a privilege and an honor to recognize the sacrifice of service and to hopefully make a difference for your loved one.

Debbie Burak- Founder"

May 3, 2011

Today we had two residents celebrate the same birthday!  Mrs. Grace Spann celebrated her 94th birthday, and Mrs. Mary Jones celebrated her 91st birthday!  And yes, we were as surprised as you are to hear that.  We don't know what their secret is, but if we find out, we'll spread the word.  Happy Birthday ladies!

                        Grace Spann                                                    Mary Jones

November 20, 2010
Today we had our Thanksgiving celebration.  It was a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to come together and acknowledge the grace our creator constantly provides us.  

Once everyone had arrived and found their spot at a table, Mrs. Seymour began the celebration with a greeting, and a request for a volunteer to say the blessing, and Mr. Bill Morrell kindly offered a humble prayer in answer.  Then sixty plus people made their way through the buffet line, and everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal of turkey and ham with all the fixins. At the end of the meal, Mrs. Seymour shared an inspirational devotional with the guests which was met with a round of applause.

As the festivities began to draw to a close, Mr. Ralph McGill heated things up with his magical fingers on the piano, and Mrs. Seymour's angelic singing voice filled the sun-room.  It was wonderful to behold so many smiling faces, hugs, and handshakes.

(Click on the picture above to see the photo album of the event on our Facebook page)

Our thanks to everyone who came and made Thanksgiving a wonderful success for our family, the residents of our home.  And an extra special thanks to those who brought the delicious dishes we all shared, and once again, the homemade desserts were magnificent.    

November 20, 2010
After our Thanksgiving Celebration, our regularly scheduled activities resumed, and resident Wii Bowling Champion, Mrs. Marge Carter surpassed her previous personal record of 205 (set on September 11, 2010) with a new record of 217 today.

Oct 29, 2010

Today was Terrell County High's Homecoming Parade, and 11 of our lovely ladies participated with us on the Seymour Southern Comforts float.  Those who joined us today were, Mrs. Eugenia Glass, Mrs. Winnie Smith, Mrs. Audrey Knight, Mrs. Margarite Carter, Mrs. Eula Lindsey, Mrs. Alice Rogers, Mrs. Francis Paul, Mrs. Betty Raul, Mrs. Fannie Mae Lowrey, Mrs. Mary Nicholson, and Mrs. Mary Jones.

The Lord sure gave us a beautiful day for this adventure.  The sun was shining, and the air was cool.  You could not have asked for better South Georgia weather.  The ladies had a blast tossing candy and goodies to the children watching the parade go by.  On any other day, the heat and sun would have worn us all down, but even after more than an hour outside, some of the ladies were having such a good time, they were voicing their desire to ride the float all the way back to Bronwood.  When it was all over, we just about had to pry them out of their chairs to get down off the float, they had so much fun. 

All in all it was quite a successful event.  I am sure the ride will continue to be fodder for conversation in the coming weeks, and that fact alone made the whole effort worth every minute.           

(Click on the picture above to see the photo album of the event on our Facebook page)

Special thanks to all who helped in the event, including: Wes Knowles, and Terry Dickey for building the float; Wes Knowles, Amanda Pickin, and Mitch Lindsey for riding along with the ladies in the float and other support; Charles Radcliffe, Bill and Cheryl Douglas, Skylar Eledge, and Dante Ferrigno for driving everyone to the event and other much needed support that made this event such a success.