Here are the national days to kick start the new year

The theme for this Bulletin is Happy New Year! Hello 2021!
Here are the national days to kick start the new year:
January 1- New Years Day, New Years Resolution Week Begins, National Hangover Day, National
Bloody Mary Day, Happy Birthday Big Apple, First Baby Boomer Born – Kathleen Casey-Kirschling,
born one minute after midnight on January 1, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is considered the first
baby boomer (those born between 1946 and 1964), First Foot Day
January 2- "Someday We'll Laugh About This" Week Begins, Buffet Day, Cream Puff Day, Science
Fiction Day, Boogie Day, Television Stepping Stone Day, Monarch Butterfly Migration Day
January 3- Chocolate Covered Cherry Day, Drinking Straw Day, Fruitcake Toss Day, Festival of Sleep
Day, Alaska Day, Unforgettable Forties Day, March of Dimes Day
January 4- Trivia Day, Photobombing Day, Spaghetti Day, Missouri Day
January 5- Bird Day, Keto Day, Screenwriters Day, Whipped Cream Day, "Celebrate the Past" Week
Begins
January 6- Wheel of Fortune Day, Charlie Brown Day, Apple Tree Day, Shortbread Day
January 7- Bobblehead Day, Tempura Day, Putty in Your Hands Day
January 8- Futuristic Friday, Show and Tell at Work Day, Bubble Bath Day, Winter Skin Relief Day,
English Toffee Day
January 9- Apricot Day, Balloon Ascension Day, National Vision Board Day, Word Nerd Day, Hole in
One Day, Share a Quote Day
January 10- Houseplant Appreciation Day, George Foreman Day, Record Singles Day, Bittersweet
Chocolate Day, Wheat Bread Day, Sunday Supper Day
January 11- Grand Canyon Day, Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day, Are You Felling Lucky? Day,
Arkansas Day, Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Clean Off Your Desk Day
January 12-Curried Chicken Day, Marzipan Day, Pharmacist Day, Shop for Travel Day, Soup du Jour Day
January 13- Rubber Ducky Day, Sticker Day, Wacky Winter Wardrobe Wednesday, First Radio
Broadcast Day, Korean American Day
January 14- International Kite Day, Spice of Life Day, Dress Up Your Pet Day, PEZ Day, Hot Pastrami
Sandwich Day
January 15-Bagel Day, Hat Day, Strawberry Ice Cream Day, First Super Bowl Anniversary

*Biweekly Recipe: Cream Cheese Oreo Party Balls (A No-Bake Recipe)
   Makes 30 servings
Ingredients:
 - 1 (14.3-ounce) package Oreo cookies
 - 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
 - Chocolate almond bark or melting chocolate
 - Vanilla almond bark or white melting chocolate
 - (Optional) Sprinkles of choice
Directions:

    1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
    2. Place half of the cookies into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until crumbs form. Add the
    remaining cookies and pulse again until crumbs form. Add cream cheese and mix until combined.
    3. Scoop mixture with a small cookie scoop and roll into a ball with your hands. Place each ball on
    the prepared baking sheet. Cover and chill 20 minutes.
    4. Place chocolate almond bark in a small microwave-safe bowl. Place vanilla almond bark in a
    second small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave barks 1 1/2–2 minutes or until melted, stirring every
    15 seconds.
    5. Coat one half of the balls in the chocolate bark and the other in the vanilla bark. Return balls to
    the baking sheet.
    6. While warm, sprinkle each ball with sprinkles of choice. Allow to harden before serving.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Bulletin Health Tips: Winter Skin Relief Day is January 8th. It's no secret that harsh winter
weather can wreak havoc on your skin, caused by bitter cold temperatures and dry air that deplete its
natural moisture.

Start off your new year with healthy, glowing skin. Here are some tips for getting rid of, treating and
taking care of dry skin.

(Credit/Read More: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/tips/a23739/winter-dry-
skin-remedies/)

1. Don't take super-hot (or long) showers: Nothing sounds better than a steaming hot shower or
bath on a cold day, but hot water is actually the enemy of dry winter skin. "Too much hot water causes
increased evaporation of your skin's natural hydration," explains Anne Chapas, M.D., a dermatologist in
New York City.

And keep it short, adds GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D.: All you need is about 10 minutes. To
make your shower more moisturizing, swap parching soaps and gels for a body cleansing oil or bath oil
with fatty acid-rich soybean oil or other plant oils to fortify and protect skin's moisture barrier.

2. Use a thicker moisturizer in the winter: After your shower, use a soft towel to pat skin dry and
apply a hydrating moisturizer. Opt for a cream or balm that's thicker than the lotion you use during the
summer. The thicker texture "seals moisturizing ingredients into dry, cracked, flaking skin," Dr. Chapas
says, helping them adhere for long-term, intense healing. She suggests using balms and salves with
silicone, petrolatum, lanolin, and natural oils.

For dry skin on the face, GH Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann recommends layering
moisturizer with a hydrating serum packed with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which can help increase
moisturization

3. Moisturize All Over

Areas of your body like the hands and feet can easily be missed, but are also prone to dehydration. Skin
on the feet is thicker, so can build up with dry, rough layers of dead skin, and skin on the hands is
constantly exposed to the elements (cold, wind) and repeated hand washing, which can deplete skin's
moisture. Keep hands and feet soft and hydrated all winter long by slathering on a rich hand cream.
Then, slip on socks or gloves: The fabric and heat inside them will help the formula absorb into skin.

4. Eat Naturally Moisturizing Foods (Read more: https://www.eatthis.com/foods-to-combat-
winter-skin/)

Oatmeal- Oatmeal is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals but, most importantly, it's also
a fiber-rich food. "Fiber is essential in helping prevent dead skin and alleviating redness," says Brooke
Alpert, MS, RD, CDN registered dietitian and founder of B Nutritious. The indigestible part of a
carbohydrate that adds bulk to food, fiber also works to keep you feeling fuller longer (it swells in the
stomach), meaning you're less likely to snack on the sweets and salty foods that are often associated
with dry skin and breakouts.

Sweet potatoes- help lock in moisture, give your skin a healthy glow, and protect it from damage thanks
to their abundance of vitamin A. "Vitamin A can help with skin renewal and decrease dry, flaky skin.
Sweet potatoes are a great option in the winter," says Dr. Jennifer Lee, Board-certified Dermatologist,
Medical Director REN Dermatology, and USANA Consultant. Alpert also recommends sweet potatoes
to her clients because, aside from their nutritional and aesthetic benefits, their high vitamin C content
helps fight off winter colds.

Wild Salmon- "Salmon is an amazing food for dry skin as it's full of omega-3 fats, which strengthen skin
cells, can protect against cancer and help reduce inflammation," says Alpert. "Certain fish like halibut
and yellowfin tuna also contain selenium, which preserves elastin in the skin, helping your skin stay
supple, smooth and tight." If you're not a fish eater, look for other foods that are rich in omega-3 (like
chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, egg yolks) to help preserve collagen, fight inflammation, and keep skin
firm.

*Themed History: History of “First Foot Day” – January 1st:

National First-Foot Day marks the new year custom of first-foot, which is part of the folklore of
Scotland and Northern England, with variations of it existing elsewhere. In this tradition, the first
person who steps into the home of a household following the start of a new year is viewed as a bearer of
good fortune for the coming year. This person cannot be someone who was in the house when
midnight struck; they need to be someone who was outside of it and has stepped back in. It is
permissible for them to be an occupant of the house.

There are regional differences as to who brings good luck. In some locations, a tall, dark-haired male is
desired to be the first-foot, and a fair-haired male or a female is seen as being unlucky. This goes back
to the notion that blonde strangers are Viking invaders. In order to bring good fortune, a first-foot
usually must bring gifts. Coins represent financial prosperity (with silver specifically seen as bringing

good luck), bread—such as shortbread or a black bun—represents food, salt represents flavor, coal
represents warmth, an evergreen represents a long life, and a drink—usually whiskey–represents good
cheer, and with it the new year is toasted.

In Scotland's tradition of the day, entertainment often follows. Group singing of "Auld Lang Syne" is
commonplace with first-footing. Practices similar to the Scottish and English tradition take place in
Sweden, the country of Georgia, Vietnam, and Greece—where it is called pothariko.

*Biweekly Brainteasers:

*Craft Corner: New Year Coloring Page

*Themed Humor:
New Year’s Morning Lecture
Early New Year’s morning, Daniel was in no shape to drive, so he sensibly left his van in the parking lot
and walked home. As he was wobbling along, he was stopped by a policeman.
“What are you doing out here at four o’clock in the morning?” asked the police officer.
“I'm on my way to a lecture,” answered Daniel.
“And who on earth, in their right mind, is going to give a lecture at this time of the night?”
inquired the constable sarcastically.
"My wife," slurred Daniel grimly.

*Brainteaser solutions:

                                 Too

                                 ____
                                 __

Resolution Mining
There are over 200 possibilities. Here are just a few:

outliner solution erosion                                  Risen result roost rouse
nitrous nostril outsole retinol                            route siren snoot snore
routine utensil enlist insert                              snout stein stone stool store
insult insure listen loonie                                suite tenor toner until into
lotion lust luster orient                                  iron lent lien line lost lute
oriole routes rustle senior                                nest noir note ours rein rent
silent suitor sunlit tonsil                                rule rust slot soot sour
euros inert inlet intro islet                              toon unit eon ion let lot oil
liter loner loose lotus nitro                              run son
noise nurse oriel outer rinse

                            Westbrook Senior Center Contact Information
Address:                                                         Phone:      860-399-2029
Westbrook Town Hall                          Email:   cburks@westbrookct.us & ashaw@westbrookct.us
Attn. Senior Center                                           Website: www.westbrookct.us
866 Boston Post rd.
Westbrook, CT 06498
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                                     -Courtney and Amber

December 21, 2020

Federal Agencies Warn of Emerging Fraud Schemes Related to COVID-19 Vaccines

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) are warning the public about several emerging fraud schemes related to COVID-19 vaccines.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, and CMS have received complaints of scammers using the public’s interest in
COVID-19 vaccines to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) and money through various
schemes. We continue to work diligently with law enforcement partners and the private sector to
identify cyber threats and fraud in all forms.

The public should be aware of the following potential indicators of fraudulent
activity:

   ▪ Advertisements or offers for early access to a vaccine upon payment of a deposit      or fee
   ▪   Requests asking you to pay out of pocket to obtain the vaccine or to put your       name on a
   COVID-19 vaccine waiting list
   ▪ Offers to undergo additional medical testing or procedures when obtaining a vaccine
   ▪ Marketers offering to sell and/or ship doses of a vaccine, domestically or internationally,
   in exchange for payment of a deposit or fee
   ▪ Unsolicited emails, telephone calls, or personal contact from someone claiming to be from a
   medical office, insurance company, or COVID-19 vaccine center requesting personal and/or
   medical information to determine recipients’ eligibility to participate in clinical vaccine trials or
   obtain the vaccine
   ▪ Claims of FDA approval for a vaccine that cannot be verified
   ▪ Advertisements for vaccines through social media platforms, email, telephone calls, online,
   or from unsolicited/unknown sources
   ▪ Individuals contacting you in person, by phone, or by email to tell you the government or
   government officials require you to receive a COVID-19 vaccine

Tips to avoid COVID-19 vaccine-related fraud:

   ▪  Consult your state’s health department website for up-to-date information about authorized
   vaccine distribution channels and only obtaining a vaccine through such channels.
   ▪   Check the FDA’s website (fda.gov) for current information about vaccine emergency
   use authorizations.
   ▪ Consult your primary care physician before undergoing any vaccination.
   ▪   Don’t share your personal or health information with anyone other than known and trusted
   medical professionals.
   ▪ Check your medical bills and insurance explanation of benefits (EOBs) for any suspicious
   claims and promptly reporting any errors to your health insurance provider.
   ▪ Follow guidance and recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
   Prevention (CDC) and other trusted medical professionals.

General online/cyber fraud prevention techniques:

   ▪   Verify the spelling of web addresses, websites, and email addresses that look trustworthy
   but may be imitations of legitimate websites.
   ▪ Ensure operating systems and applications are updated to the most current versions.
   ▪ Update anti-malware and anti-virus software and conduct regular network scans.

▪  Do not enable macros on documents downloaded from an email unless necessary and after
    ensuring the file is not malicious.
    ▪ Do not communicate with or open emails, attachments, or links from unknown individuals.
    ▪ Never provide personal information of any sort via email; be aware that many emails
    requesting your personal information may appear to be legitimate. ▪ Use strong two-factor
    authentication if possible, using biometrics, hardware tokens, or authentication apps.
    ▪ Disable or remove unneeded software applications.

If you believe you have been the victim of a COVID-19 fraud, immediately report it to the
FBI (ic3.gov, tips.fbi.gov, or 1-800-CALL-FBI) or HHS OIG (tips.hhs.gov or 1-800-HHS-
TIPS).

For accurate and up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit:

▪   coronavirus.gov
▪   cdc.gov/coronavirus
▪   usa.gov/coronavirus
▪   fbi.gov/coronavirus
▪   justice.gov/coronavirus
▪   oig.hhs.gov/coronavirus