ARCHIVE

Pretty-up day changes to Mondays

By AMELIA VINDUSKA AND SUE GUTSCH

St. Luke Living Center correspondents

We have changed pretty-up day to Mondays, which resulted in it being on the calendar twice in one week. Conventional wisdom says we should look twice as pretty, yes? This may be the case, but causing confusion could have been the most noticeable result. Perhaps two times a week might be a good plan.

Magdalen Dvorak came Friday afternoon to call bingo. Because she has us spoiled, she again brought kolaches, apricot and pineapple, to share. As a matter of coincidence, an article in Monday's paper told of the International Federation of Competitive Eating's record holder for kolache eating. A 21-year-old male culinary art student from Chicago left the Nebraska State Fair $1,500 richer "after scarfing 44 kolaches in eight minutes. Before coming to Lincoln he had never tasted one of the fruit-filled pastries, which are beloved in Czech culture." We're not sure he took time to notice, but the article states he "scarfed" cherry kolaches.

Our Sunday afternoon guest minister this week was Pastor Phil Smith of Valley and Lincolnville United Methodist Churches. We were fortunate to have the pastor's wife, Sharon and their daughter Allison, an Emporia State student, here as well. We kept them as long as we could by requesting to hear their beautiful voices sing "just one more" hymn.

Three more chapters of "Little House in the Big Woods," were read Tuesday afternoon. We had enjoyed the illustrations of Mary and Laura cuddling their rag doll and corncob dog, so on this day, Alice Van Buren allowed us to see the delightful rag doll she recently received. We also had coffee and cake from John and Sue Gutsch's 50th anniversary party, which almost certainly put a damper on our appetites for the evening meal.

Every day between four and five o'clock we assemble for our group exercise activity. The exercise regimen includes rock-a-bye baby, chopping wood, climbing a mountain, Popeye muscles, touchdowns, vowels, and down by the old mill stream. We probably should add a disclaimer — the St. Luke Hospital physical therapy department is not responsible for our rigorous, intense calisthenics!

We have nine ripening tomatoes in our sunny dining room windows after stripping "Ranger" of anything slightly pink, plus one bi tomato a grasshopper beat us to. It surely had to be of the large variety to eat that much fruit. Those ravenous insects even land on the window to look at the tomatoes on the inside ledge!

This week the living center lost a special resident. His name was Tony Rando. Tony had lived with us for many years and was loved by residents and staff alike. He had an adorable, sweet smile, and a hearty, rakish chuckle, never failing to say "please" or "thank you," for even the smallest things and always hungry for a "Pepsi and a cheeseburger." He was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day and melted your heart in the depths of winter. It was our pleasure to know Tony and the Rando family.

Quantcast