St. Luke Living Center correspondent
After we had served residents breakfast Friday morning, our staff enjoyed a wonderful buffet of homemade breakfast enchiladas with chips and salsa, and a fresh fruit bowl of melon, grapes, berries, pineapple, and mango, a gift from our director, Janet Herzet, in honor of administrative professional and nurses’ day. The evening shift staff experienced this meal at 5 p.m. and our nighttime staff was served at 10 p.m.
Our bakers veered from the “norm” later that morning and concocted cupcake May baskets to be served with our evening meal. After the three dozen little orange-flavored cakes were baked and cooled, we added whipped topping, fresh fruit “flowers,” and handles.
Bill Schimpf was the whole “ball of wax” that afternoon and masterfully managed the games.
Gene Vinduska played his accordion Saturday morning for our enjoyment. Gene makes us feel like he enjoys it, too — a win-win situation.
The Reverend Bethann Black, pianist Wanda Williams, and Betty Just and Cindy Moore of the Florence and Aulne United Methodist Church congregations, led the Sunday afternoon worship service.
Our little beauty shop was buzzing Monday morning with hand and fingernail repair and beautification, music, and conversation.
Eager card players began a pitch competition following lunch, with Marie Navrat “at the helm.”
We happily accepted an invitation to be volunteers on behalf of McPherson-Marion County Head Start program. With scissors and sheets and sheets of laminated construction paper mice, two tables of residents filled the chairs Tuesday morning and began cutting out individual rodents in colors of gray, and the more unusual blue, red, and yellow. We produced perhaps 100 or more at that sitting.
There were plans to sow flower seeds in the afternoon but as if on cue, a light rain began. So we switched to indoor horticulture, such as assisting a houseplant with some much-needed pruning. There also was talk of gardens, vegetables, and sharing experiences.
Prayer group began at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday with Dick Pracht, pianist Lydia Batt, and guests Elmer and Delores Waterman of Hillsboro.
In the afternoon, we were able to put our flower seeds of phlox, daisies, bachelor buttons, larkspur, and forget-me-nots in the soil of a large rock planter in the courtyard. Two Easter lilies were transplanted into the tulip end of the planter. With some residents sporting sunglasses, we also took time to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather, and drink coffee and sodas.
With Lois Winter’s thoughtful reminder, we participated in World Day of Prayer Wednesday morning, as she led an hour of conversation and singing of prayerful hymns.
Our Thursday afternoon outing began with a look at the water coming through the gates and into the spillway at Marion Reservoir. We drove back to Marion and out to Marion County Lake, past homes and places of interest, and leisurely returned home.