St. Living Center correspondent
A large group filled our chapel Friday morning for Mass and anointing of the sick with Father Hien.
Our remaining bakers chopped, mashed, measured, mixed, and successfully baked banana nut oatmeal cookies, a recipe from the Conyers Family Cookbook and submitted by Carlita Bass Price. We used a little “seasoned-bakers license,” substituting half of the granulated sugar with brown for added flavor.
Carole Davies and Bill Schimpf teamed-up to lead bingo games that afternoon. There were winners and non-winners, good sportsmanship, and snacks for everyone.
Gene Vinduska was here Saturday morning for the ever-popular polka hour.
Sunday afternoon’s church service brought us the Reverend Carl Helm, in a suit of Easter colors, and pianist Donna Hayen from Marion Christian Church.
Monday was the premier of a weekly one-half hour early evening event we are calling “Care to Share.” More than a dozen “inquiring minds” got together, to do as the name suggests. Ruth Viets has offered to help us with this activity.
Twelve resident council members had many suggestions, words of approval, and a few concerns when we met Thursday morning. The Wii game is gaining in popularity and participation daily. Boxing was instituted this week and we were amazed at who seemed to be a natural pugilist. A courtyard cookout was discussed and menu proposed.
Just before lunch, Tiger and Luke Siebert delivered a beautiful potted red dragon wing begonia. Tiger did not stay long on his visit. We would have needed to share our meal or eat in front of him.
Later in the afternoon, we were figuratively and literally “in the garden.” First we reviewed the best and worst gardening including potting soils, plants for hot, sunny, and shady areas, and locally, and the four most popular tomato plants. Eventually we ventured into the courtyard and worked at cleaning up flowerbeds and planters and even raking and bagging leaves from wind-protected areas.
Prayer group time ended with Dick Pracht singing “Because He Lives” a capella. Our resident pianist Lydia Batt accompanied the group, singing hymns.
Following lunch, we invited a front yard full of residents outdoors under our covered patio area. A “devious” group of staff members who needed a legitimate excuse to take in the beautiful weather may have initiated this. Whatever the motivation, we all were winners.
Shirley Bowers led hymns in a chapel filled to capacity with residents Thursday morning while we sang from our book of Heavenly Highway Hymns.
Lunch was served a little early, giving us ample time to excuse ourselves from the table and board the van for a 1 p.m. matinee performance of “Let’s Pass It On” by Marion third and fourth graders at the USD 408 Fine Arts Center. We appreciated Mrs. Hancock’s invitation and Marion Elementary Staff who helped by holding doors open, etc.
Last Week’s News
We engaged in a joyous hour of hymn singing in our chapel Maundy Thursday morning, with Shirley Bowers at the piano. So many wonderful songs come with the season and this week a quartet was seated together — Florence, Les, Ruth, and Lydia — providing inspiration to the rest of us.
In the early afternoon, a group of “stuffers” finished the egg project after approximately 250 of the colorful containers were filled and placed in large baskets.
At about the same time, our dear friend, Luke Siebert, was back with three dozen decorated cupcakes in her arms — another Easter blessing.
With colored pencils and big boxes of crayons, several of us began giving color to cross-centered stained glass windows later in the afternoon. Nine-year-old Emily Davies and 8-year-old Tori Shults joined the round-table of “colorists.”
We participated in a wonderful Good Friday morning service in our chapel with the Reverend Bob Priest, with his sermon, “Responsibility to Care.” Shirley Bowers joined him to play the piano while we sang songs of the cross.
At lunch, we were served the “Siebert cupcakes.” Everyone received one of the little desserts, which included aqua, pink, lavender, or orange Easter eggs and bunny rings.
As the precipitation tapered off and sunshine took the place of clouds, our “bunnies” began hiding dozens of eggs in the halls and courtyard. Martin, Amelia, and Robyn appreciated the help of volunteer Tori Shults who showed us some hiding places. Perhaps she had been a hunter a few times herself.
By 2:30 p.m., we had a wonderful group of little egg-seekers to begin the searching game that had taken us several days to prepare. By 2:50 p.m., their “job” was done! Plush animal prizes were awarded to those finding special eggs and refreshments of crackers, pretzels, cookies, and a delicious ice cream punch, prepared by our dietary department, were served to everyone.
A sincere thank you to members of the auxiliary shop for their suggestions and generosity.
Easter Sunday morning “carolers,” the tall and the small from Marion Christian Church Sunday school, walked through out halls singing and waving hello. Others of the congregation served communion to their members living here. We had an actual unplanned Easter parade.
Our usual Sunday worship service occurred later in the afternoon when the Reverend Don Mashburn, several children, and their families from Strassburg Baptist Church shared the miracle of Easter in word and song.
John Ratzlaff of Hillsboro accepted our invitation Monday afternoon and was here for an encore piano performance of hymns played in the “Ratzlaff style.”
At the request of Betty Thompson, who furnished the apple filling, we mixed up, baked, and served an apple cake AKA The Fastest Cake in the West Tuesday morning which was fast and good.
In the afternoon, we had a ball — kick, catch, throw, and noodle ball. We are still in spring training, especially May, who was the retriever of errant balls.
During current events Wednesday afternoon, we took pleasure in reading the interview with 105-year-old Norma Hannaford, especially our own 103-year-old Amelia Vinduska. There were some similar remembrances, as both women keep similarly busy.
After eating an early lunch Thursday, Robyn pulled our large white van into the “loading zone,” and we began boarding for the day’s outing. We had been issued an invitation by Anita Hancock to attend the matinee performance of “A Barnyard Moosical,” starring Marion Elementary kindergarten through second grade students at USD 408 Fine Arts Building. The weather was perfect and the “pigs, chickens, and goats” were delightful.