Halcyon House

Sybil Thornton had a great Thanksgiving, birthday and Christmas surprise all rolled into one, with three of the Thornton gentlemen who made Sybil very happy and proud.

Don and Loretta Gardner spent Thanksgiving in Chicago at their son, Scott?s home. On Friday, they had a grand time helping Scott decorate for Christmas. Loretta was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday when her friends Lorene Snider and Rachel Pillar from Wellman visited her. Rachel was a former Wellman resident who resides in Arizona now. What a nice surprise!

Betty Osincup and granddaughter Regina Roselund enjoyed the annual holiday Madrigal affair Sunday evening at Mid-Prairie High School. The pageantry, costuming, choral music and dinner complete with traditional wassail made the evening a special treat. The dinner was catered by Ila Miller of rural Kalona. The Madrigal was an early Christmas gift from Betty?s daughter, Elyse Chapman. Grandson Ben Chapman sang with the choral groups. The Chapmans and Betty are gearing up for their Amtrak trip to California to spend Christmas with daughter Nancy Roselund and family. Betty is looking forward to meeting her 20th great-grandchild, Archer Roselund, son of Joe and Christine Roselund.

Loretta Gardner enjoyed her visit with her friend Pat Hultman from Keota on Friday. The Gardners' company on Saturday was Sid Durst from Wellman and Ann Britton and friend Tracy from Kalona. The women did some shopping at the craft fair held at Halcyon House.

Director of nursing Tina Hoffmann and Donald Larson were united in marriage on Friday, and were welcomed by a reception held in the Day Lounge on Saturday afternoon.

The Halcyon House elves have been on task throughout the campus. The trees have been placed, and lights strung with decorations galore. There is always special attention to the tree that is displayed in the Sitler Lounge. Longtime resident Bess Edwards has crocheted the many snowflakes and white garland that are hung with care along with the traditional tree skirt and red ornaments that make for a beautiful sight.

The eighth Annual Craft Fair was held Saturday with an overwhelming response from the community. The Wellness Department did another fine job organizing the event. There were 40 vendors on hand with their many crafty handmade items as well as an array of other items that were displayed. It was reported that many were pleased to fill their Christmas list needs.

There was a lot of jingle and mingle in the Morrison Center on Wednesday evening with Melissa Turner, massage therapist. The appetizers prepared by the Turners were exquisite and scrumptious, along with items of pain relief and lovely scents that are utilized by the patrons.

Ethel?s program was titled ?Oh Christmas Tree,? which began with a 41-word search of the decorating nature. Christmas tree cookies were served as trivia was unveiled about the Christmas tree. Germany is credited with the beginning of the tradition in the 16th century when devout Christians decorated trees in their home. There are 35 million Christmas trees that are produced each year and planted on one million acres of land. The experience of driving to the tree farm, searching for that perfect tree, loading it, taking it home and then sawing the trunk to fit in the tree stand is an annual tradition for many families. It was noted in 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lit until Dec. 22, as there was a national mourning for 30 days following the assassination of President Kennedy. The idea of electric lights for the Christmas tree has been attributed to Thomas Edison?s assistant, Edward Johnson, in 1882.

The movie choice on Monday evening was ?Coming Home for Christmas,? where two estranged sisters who hadn?t been on speaking terms were reunited in hopes of sharing a family Christmas.

Music with Butch is a duo that sang some old-time songs and had the audience tapping their toes and enjoying every minute of the music program.

The Methodist Kids visited residents on Wednesday afternoon. They sang Christmas carols and handed out gift bags, spreading the spirit of the season. The visit was so sweet and very endearing to everyone they visited.

This time of year always brings memories of days gone by. Extra prayers should be extended to family and friends who are suffering from an illness, military men and women who have put their life on the line for our freedom, those who have fell on hard times, the homeless, innocent children and even those whom we don?t understand. Peace, Love, Hope and Joy are sent to all.