Happy May! It's a busy month with Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, the Kentucky Derby, National
Nurses Day, and Memorial Day and we plan to celebrate them all! Our Cinco de Mayo festivities begin with a traditional Mexican luncheon followed by an afternoon fiesta at which residents will make guacamole and layered bean dip. Derby games are on the schedule as a warm-up to Saturday's 148th running of the Kentucky Derby and on Mother's Day, we're hosting an ice cream social with live music and fresh flowers for the moms!
Speaking of flowers, the scores of daffodils pictured herein are among the 2000 daffodil bulbs cottager Chris Galligan planted last fall! Noble's campus has certainly reawakened with color...and with people!! After two years of empty parking lots, and despite a recent visitor's lament over the paucity of parking spots, it is truly gratifying to see the parking lot full again! In fact, the Noble parking lot has never looked better, festooned with 50th-anniversary banners featuring photos of the last 50 years. Once you find a parking spot (!), please treat yourself to a stroll through Wagner where you'll be fully immersed in a half-century of nostalgia.
Life's pre-Covid rhythms have truly returned and at Noble, that means music is back. Among last week's highlights was a classical music concert offered by several extremely talented Hotchkiss School students and a performance by Middlebury College's male acapella group, The Dissipated Eight, who regaled their audience with harmonious renditions of old and new favorites.
We hope to welcome you to campus soon and wish all mothers a very happy Mother's Day!!
New Memory Care Program Director
Administrator Bill Pond has appointed long-time Recreation team member Danielle Bailey to the newly created position of Whitridge Memory Care Director. Danielle is a familiar face in Whitridge and is especially revered for the hand-cooked breakfasts she enthusiastically prepares each week.
During a blog interview two years ago, Danielle presciently reflected, "I would love to work more directly with our Memory Care population at some point but no matter what the future holds, the most rewarding experience here is getting to know everyone on a personal level and having them feel safe within our care. I feel as though they are family to me and they feel the same. If I can do anything to make them happy in this stage of their life I will — they deserve it!”
Gallery Opening and Upgrade
Be sure to join us for the reopening of Noble's gallery on May 6 from 5-7 pm. Not only can you
view the fabulous art donated by Susan and Tino Galluzzo who owned the White Gallery for 20 years but you can do so in Noble's spruced-up gallery.
As owners of the White Gallery, Tino and Susan were transformative leaders in the arts community, known for giving back to their community. As Susan explains, “For years we wanted to collaborate and do a show at Noble with the gallery, but time got away from us and we never did. After we closed the gallery in 2019 to enjoy some retirement, we had quite a few pieces of art that joined our personal collection and we both knew it was time to reach out to Noble and bring some joy to their residents and leave a legacy for the community.”
When going through their collection, Tino and Susan came upon an Andrew Wyeth lithograph they knew belonged at Noble Horizons and that prompted their donation of many other pieces as well. Tino offered, “We are thrilled the art from the White Gallery and our private collection will be staying in our hometown. Many of the artists are local and leaving our legacy to our community, knowing it will be enjoyed and appreciated by so many for years to come is special.”
Susan went on to say “Life...should be enriching and fulfilling just as it was when you were younger. Noble has that history and culture, and we are both very glad to be a part of it. We hope our contribution brings joy to not only the residents of Noble but to the community for years to come.”
Don't miss the opportunity to meet the Galluzzos while enjoying an evening of fine art, wine and hors d'oeuvres.
30 Grandparents and Countless Sisters and Brothers!!
As we look back over our first 50 years we are continually inspired by the stories of Noble's dedicated nurses. On the occasion of National Nurses Day May 6, Margaret Adams' reflections on her long career are particularly meaningful. "I earned my nursing degree in 1979 and I didn’t really know where Salisbury Connecticut was. But I took Route #44 and found Salisbury with beautiful Noble Horizons nestled in there. Over the years I have worked as a Charge Nurse, Assistant Director of Nursing, Nursing Director, Care Plan Coordinator, Wellness Nurse and now I am working as Nursing Supervisor.
"I think what happened was that Noble became my second family. Here I was blessed with thirty or more grandparents (mostly grandmothers) who nurtured me as I helped them.
"The Noble Nurses and staff are my sisters and brothers. I work alongside them and always learn something from their expertise...I guess that’s why I keep coming back. To give back what I’ve been blessed with. Really, who could ask for more?" You may read more about Margaret's 40+ years of nursing while raising a family of three boys.
Join Us for National Senior Health and Fitness Day
Celebrate National Senior Health and Fitness Day with us on Wednesday, May 25. Recognizing
the significant strain the pandemic placed on our bodies and minds, we are offering a program to rejuvenate your mental and physical health. At 11 am Suzanne Mazzarelli, who leads Noble's weekly therapeutic movement and breath class, will teach movement, breathing, and stretching techniques to enhance mental and physical fitness. A walk on Noble's beautiful campus will follow after which you can enjoy a delicious meal with ingredients that feed your brain and your body Registration is required.
