First and foremost, as I type this, it’s my “little” brother’s birthday! Happy birthday to Rich Ross! He’s pretty amazing in my book. Thanks, Rich, for all you do for our family, for our community, and for whoever needs a helping hand.
Rich serves as fire chief for our volunteer fire department and has been on the force for 40+ years. I’m convinced he can do anything and I’ve always told him if the world collapses, I’m coming to wherever he is because I know he would figure out how to shelter and feed us. I asked him if he knew how to make soap because I would be wanting that. He didn’t, so we looked it up and I’m pretty sure he can do that now, too!
My beautiful inside and out sister-in-law Jennifer Ross has announced her retirement as manager at Cadence Bank in Oakland after nearly 40 years of service there. I’m not sure how many different bank names she has worked under, but several. The bank is hosting a come-and-go retirement reception for her from 1-3 p.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at the Cadence Bank building.
After Pete Golding was named head coach at Ole Miss, I told you I wanted to check on his Oakland connection. He is married to the daughter of the former Burnice Bailey, who lived in Oakland as a child. Long-timers will remember Mickey and Ben Bailey, Burnice’s parents. Pete’s wife is Carolyn, who was named after her aunt Carolyn, the oldest of the Bailey children. Mickey passed away in 2022 and is buried in the Oakland Cemetery. So, now you know!
Joy Mullen has been jetting about recently. She was in Ontario, Canada, watching her granddaughter Meredith Mullen perform in Footloose, The Musical, at the Stephen Leacock Theatre. Joy’s family is so very talented! Congratulations to Joy and to Meredith.
The Oakland Christmas parade was heralded as the best yet! Kudos to the team who pulled it together. Everyone was enjoying the parade so much that we failed to get many photos!
I’m already looking ahead to Oakland’s next big event, our annual Yalo-Ribbon Festival. Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve booked Danica Hart, formerly of Chapel Hart! Yes, that Danica Hart! We will make a formal announcement after the first of the year, but smart readers will put Saturday, May 2, on their calendars. If you are an arts and craft vendor or food service/truck and want to secure a spot, email me at oaklandareachamber@gmail.com. I can get you fixed up!
As we move through the holiday season, it’s hard to focus on being caretakers for ourselves. I remember years ago, an ad campaign that said “You are the CEO of your life.” The beginning of a new year also brings with it pledges of what we are going to do in the upcoming year. I was fascinated by a column written by Dr. Trisha Pasricha of Boston on what a healthy day looks like. I am summarizing but I wanted to share this with you to offer you some ideas to incorporate into a healthy 2026.
» Early morning — Dr. Pasricha says start by getting sunlight early in the day; an early morning walk is ideal because it includes that physical activity you need. Next is a high-protein breakfast — eggs, whole grains, yogurt-type foods — and coffee before noon. She says getting outside first thing is key and improves alertness, productivity and depression. If you walk or exercise with a friend, even better. Social activities increase longevity and happiness.
» Late morning — This is the time to tackle projects requiring focus because this is your most productive time of day. She also suggests 10-minute breaks every hour to enhance productivity — stretch, walk, meditate.
» Afternoon — Eat lunch with a friend if you can, then take a 15- to 30-minute walk. If the weather is bad, walk around inside to help control the blood sugar from lunch. This is the time of day to handle what she calls “mindless errands” or “mind-numbing meetings,” because decision fatigue increases as the day wears on.
» Evening — Dr. Pasricha says to eat early, but at least two hours before your bedtime. By 8 p.m., you should be entering “digital sunset,” turning lights down low inside and moving away from screens.
» Bedtime — She suggests a warm bath an hour before you head to bed. Wearing socks to bed can also help you drift off. Write in your journal and clear the day out of your head. Or write a gratitude letter or note to someone. Dr. Pasricha says she loves to write her to-do list for the coming days and a study done in 2018 found that people who do this fall asleep faster. Lights out by 10 p.m.
She closes her article by reminding us that new habits and routines take an average of 66 days to become a habit. I had always heard 31 days, but, regardless, her suggestions are based on a variety of studies to include creating the best day for us. I hope you can find one or two (or more) ideas here to improve your 2026!
Special hello to Jeff Herron and Pastor Robert Reed. I know y’all are reading! Thanks for letting me know.
