Well, if you follow this column, you know that last week we had a bit of a mystery.
As we gathered in the activity room to watch Martha Bookout’s granddaughter come by in her wedding dress to see her Nanny before the wedding at Deer Creek Baptist Church, a strange white pickup was spotted stopped on the side of the road, Elm Street, just south of Prairie Pointe.
The guesses for what may be up included a health emergency, stopping to take a phone call or text, car trouble, pending drug deal, driver incapacitated by either drink or drugs and possibly someone there in broad daylight to rob the Rozell property just across the road.
My hope was that it was a potential buyer for the property which is owned by Heartland Park, LLC and that there were some exciting development plans.
After receiving our inquiry, the Stroud Police sped to the scene but left after a short while. Then the bride arrived at Prairie Pointe and after that we noticed the pickup was gone. Inquiring minds were left to their own imaginations.
Well, the mystery was solved Monday when Martha was reading the pre-press release version of this column over the phone to her daughter, Diana Allred. The occupants of the white pickup were Diana and her husband Gary. They were there to film the event of the bride arriving at Prairie Pointe.
After a good laugh, we have decided that Ranch House is not the only place in town with a Table of Knowledge and we have a very good location for keeping an eye on things in this part of town.
We have started having mini-debriefing sessions at lunch and/or supper each day.
One day I was telling about my conversation with Ed Dyer, the administrator of the Stroud Hospital. He had called asking if we needed anything with which the hospital could help.
He also communicated the hospital was working on an urgent plan to establish 10 additional hospital beds.
His plan was to utilize exam rooms in the Stroud Clinic. On his To Do List that day was “Source a Generator.”
I shared that information with our residents at supper that night. Afterwards, one generous and community -minded individual approached me with an offer to help fund the new generator for the hospital. Early the next day, I called Ed. He was overwhelmed with the generous offer but said he had found a generator. He went on to say “BUT…….the Stroud Food Pantry has seen a surge in need for this community.
Think your person would be willing to make a donation to the Stroud Food Pantry rather than to us?”
What he said in those few words could fill volumes and its acts like this that will get us through these difficult times. Stroud is so blessed to have a hospital and the Food Pantry and everyone who is pitching in for the good of us all. We will get through this and come out a stronger community for it! Prairie Pointe resident Phil Johnson’s>Prairie Pointe resident Phil Johnson’s last job after a storied military career was Senior Analyst for the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. Phil’s one smart guy and spends a good part of his day on his own private intelligence mission. He knows where to look for all the latest news and can regurgitate in words we can understand.
Did you know the Corona Virus is a Zoonotic Disease? Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that spread between animals and people. Animals provide many benefits to people. Animals provide food, fiber, livelihoods, travel, sport, companionship, and education for people across the globe.
However, animals can sometimes carry harmful germs that can spread to people and cause illness – these are known as zoonotic diseases caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacterial parasites and fungi. Animals can sometimes appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick.
Zoonotic diseases are very common worldwide. Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people can be spread from animals, and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals.
Because of this, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) works 24/7 to protect people from zoonotic diseases in the U.S. and around the world.
Phil also gave me a chart he found on www.Coronavirus.Health.OK.Gov.
If you have had a little headache, fatigue, aches, pains, stuffy nose, sneezing, and runny nose,it’s most likely allergies. Who would have ever believed having allergies would be a good thing?
If a fever and a cough are included, it could be the flu.
If the fever persists, you are extremely Come play with exhausted and it seems to get progressively worse with shortness of breath, you may have something more serious. You should CALL (don’t walk in) your doctor’s office.
Also, please do not go to the Emergency Room. Call your doctor.
Just to be on the safe side, if you are experiencing any allergy or flu symptoms, stay away from others if you can. Whether you are sick or not, turn away and cover your coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently and keep hands away from your nose and mouth. Just do the common sense things we should have always done. This is not rocket science.
So, we have put Phil in charge of Governmental Intelligence Briefings; Alton McCune in charge of rocker restoration; Rae Bland, Beverley Graham, Rachel Handley, Helen Arrington and Wirt Trawick are leading Sunday church services; Roy Flatt is in charge of dominoes; Marion Lytle continues her jewelry making; Glenda Rains can tell us the scores on the re-run ballgames playing on TV now. We are reading the sequel to Preposterous Papa, Mostly Mama. Both books are touching and humorous remembrances of the author’s mother and father and growing up in Sapulpa, OK in the early 1900’s.
And……. if Lisa Gordon, Adm/DON, didn’t have enough on her plate, we have put her in charge of comedy – but mostly at her expense. She has been quarantined the last week due to a potential exposure. During this time, she ran out of face cream and would not venture out to purchase more. Looking around her house, she found what she thought was lotion and smeared it on her face. Later, I spoke with her and she was complaining of her face burning hot and hurting. She had convinced herself she had caught the virus and was less than calm about it. In fact, panic would be a good word to describe her mood. Next day when I inquired about her face, she admitted what she lathered on was not face lotion--it was Super Rich Moisturizing Body Wash. We have laughed about that all week.
Mrs. Livingstone dropped off some laminated spring-inspired art her students had made. Thanks Tina, Aubree, Aidyn, Kinley, Gavin, McKenna, Janes, Max, Emily, Cale, Sammy, Wyatt and Lawyer!
We are all good at Prairie Pointe and sheltering in place rather successfully. We are allowing NO visitors. Residents may go outside but are not allowed to leave the premises. Just this week, we are limiting grocery and Dollar General trips to one (1). One person will make one trip for all. Staff are practicing the recommended COVID-19 precautions here and at home.
Before any staff can enter the building, they are screened and sanitized. Anyone with a temperature of 99.9 or greater is sent home immediately. It’s a real hassle but we have been flu free at Prairie for 3 winters now and we will be COVID-19 free as well. the Lincoln county news!