Greetings from “The Home” front …

We started off this wintery week with a beautiful piano concert by Dee VonRuden on Sunday afternoon in the chapel. Dee played many old time favorites, some hymns and just lovely listening music. Thanks, Dee, for sharing your talent with our residents.

Elaine was here on Monday for Newscurrents with a recap of important events of 2018. Later the residents played cards and board games plus a rousing game of 5 square. There was also bingo in the evening. On Tuesday we worked on getting rid of those extra holiday calories with Sit & Be Fit and then Rhythm Band. There was Resident Council on Wednesday morning and Mary and her quilting gang were here in the afternoon. They brought a cute project for the resident crafters to work on. We do so appreciate this group of dedicated women who give of their time for the benefit of our residents. The Men’s Club sanded and worked on their woodworking project Thursday morning and then the Peter Boe 3rd Graders visited their “adopted” grandparents in the afternoon. We also played 3 of a Kind. Plus there was bingo in the evening. Friday brought mass and church in the morning and root beer floats and pretty nails in the afternoon. The residents will be playing horse shoes on Saturday morning and reminiscing in the afternoon. Our Saturday movie matinee at 2 p.m. is “The Crocodile Hunter”. Steve Irwin (aka the Crocodile Hunter) has nabbed a crocodile hoping to save it from poachers. What he doesn’t know Is that the croc innocently swallowed a top secret US Satellite beacon and the poachers are actually American special agents sent to retrieve it. This should make for a very funny comedy.

Next week Molly will be here on Sunday afternoon to play Trivia at 2 p.m. There is also Kaffee Hus from 2-3:30 on both Saturday and Sunday in the dining room. The Food Committee meets Monday morning and then there will be newscurrents afterwards. We also have cards and board games in the early afternoon and then Kitchen Cappers. The residents are making Snow Ice Cream – hmmmm sounds interesting. We definitely have enough snow! It’s Sit & Be Fit and Rhythm Band on Tuesday. Nancy is here for Name That Tune on Wednesday morning and we will be playing my favorite game – Bunco – in the afternoon. Pastor Dianne will lead Bible Study on Thursday morning and then many of the residents are ordering “out” for dinner from LaCantina. We have a special musical treat in the afternoon when Paul Swanstrom comes to play for us. Later we will try out hand at Table Hockey – this is such a fun and hilarious activity as the players use swiffer dusters to move the puck down the table. There is church, pretty nails and happy ½ hour on Friday.

We have several resident birthdays next week – Marsall Weibye on Jan 12, Dorothy Heskin on Jan 13, Gerald Storebo on Jan 15, Linda Anderson and Ramona Chamberlain on January 18. We also have four staff birthdays coming up – Katie Sayler and Carole Larson on January 12, Sarah Zapata on January 14 and Andrea Knudson on January 16. Happy Birthday to all of you and enjoy your special day.

Our sympathy goes out to the friends and family of Bernard Breidenbach. Bernie was with us a short time but enjoyed visiting with family and staff, listening to music and receiving hand massages. We would also like to extend our sympathy to resident Barbara Hettevig on the recent death of her son Marty. May he rest in peace.

Until next time … a thought for the week … Your life is completely up to you …