CORRESPONDENTS: St. Luke Living Center years ago
The living center bakers made Just Delicious Cookies Friday morning, a recipe from Lorene Fengel of Oak Hill, who likes them because there's "only one bowl to wash." We liked them because of the two cups of fats, two cups of sugar, and one cup each of nuts, oats, rice cereal, and coconut.
Magdalen Dvorak, our kolache-making bingo caller, was here that afternoon. The players took a short intermission to say "hi" to almost three-year-old Chance Shults, who brought his grandma Joyce with him.
Marion Christian Church brought the Sunday afternoon service this week. We appreciate Rev. Carl and Joan Helm and Donna Hayen, their time, and talents.
We began a virtual garden Monday afternoon with the help of Gurney and Henry Fields and their seed catalogs. It may take a couple or more sessions, but we hope to have it on the large display board by the week's end. So far we have a large, bright yellow sun, a dozen or so light blue raindrops, and lots of "seed packets" with ID on the front.
It was difficult to hold back tears Tuesday morning while reading of Laura's final days in the Ingalls' family home. Mary and Laura "watched" their last sunset on the hill together. Almanzo asked to marry quickly to avoid his sister, Eliza's large wedding plans. Ma and Laura hastily finished a black cashmere dress and Pa and his fiddle sang "Just a Song at Twilight" on the eve of Laura's wedding.
The afternoon was spent in our large dining room in the company of St. Luke Auxiliary members Evelyn Bredemeier, JoAnn Fitzpatrick, and Jean Case. These women brought a plate of ham, cheese, and crackers, a basket of large icing-drizzled sugar cookies, and a bowl of green and red grapes and mini muffin cups of fruit and nut trail mix. We enjoyed these wonderful snacks with some coffee and iced tea and Dick Bredemeier who arrived mid-tea time.
Some very cute animals visited us Wednesday before noon. Brent and Paula Hayen brought in a hair sheep and goat, about eight weeks old. We found it difficult to distinguish between the two species, but the Hayens told us a goat's tail goes up and a sheep's is down. Kay Steele brought mama and baby Polish blue rabbits in a cage and allowed us to see the bunny up-close as she held it.
After lunch we planted a variety of flower seeds into peat pellets and placed them into "seed hatchers" — seven trays full to be exact.
A group of resident council members met with Khrista Thursday morning expressing appreciation for the large carafe of hot coffee and available cups in the mornings. We also are enjoying the new accordion music at breakfast.
Some ideas and suggestions were voiced, a section of residents' rights was read, and mouths are watering in anticipation of a hot dog cook-out. We voted to have a garden party April 30 for Volunteer Appreciation Day.
Our large white van took a full load of residents to the new performing arts center Thursday morning for the dress rehearsal of the MES kindergarten through second grade musical, "How Does Your Garden Grow?" We are so grateful for the invitation to see this new facility and to watch the performance of these children.
There was time after the musical to take a trip to Canada and then drive over the dam at the reservoir and enjoy the wildlife, including a large flock of young, wild turkeys. That's what some of us thought they were.
