Halcyon House news

Pastor Rick Zickefoose, of Brighton Community Church, provided the weekly church service on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, at Halcyon House. The sermon title was 'Worship Is Loving God With All My Strength,” with Scripture from Mark 12:30. Beth Janecek shared her talents on the piano. Special guests included Anne Zickefoose and Brighton Community Church members.

Halcyon House resident Clyde Pearce hosted a presentation titled Japanese Farming and Gardening, Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Marshall Game Room. During the first class Clyde presented information covering geographic, topographic and climate aspects of the country. A PowerPoint presentation compared Japan with the United States and looked at how differences manifest in cultural differences between the two countries. Clyde also discussed the Japanese language, its structure and development, and learning basic greetings for travelers. Numerous Japanese loan words are in the English language, and Clyde explained why the katakana script would be the basis for the rest of the course. Participants should be confidant that, in fact, we Americans really can learn to speak Japanese.

Christmas is over, the trees and decorations have been put away, the New Year has been celebrated; so what do you do for the rest of this cold and snowy month called January? The answer is a Hawaiian luau party celebrated in the Timmins all-purpose room. Everyone got a lei when they first came in, and had their picture taken (with a Hawaiian background of palm trees and beaches) for a remembrance of this fun-filled day. This celebration had a tiki bar, with a gentleman (Larry Canfield) wearing a grass skirt, Hawaiian shirt and shorts, serving up drinks (nonalcoholic) with a decorative little umbrella to top off this pineapple blue punch drink. Also helping at this celebration were Denny Sorrell and Don Kline, both wearing grass skirts, serving pineapple upside-down cake with fresh fruit to all of the partygoers. The tables were decorated for the luau party, with sand-filled bowls, different-size seashells along with a candle in the middle, and colorful napkins. A Hawaiian trivia game was a fun part of this party, with everyone winning with a candy bar. To end this palm-swaying luau party, a hula dance consisting of our own Halcyon dancers – Denny Sorrell, Don Kline, Larry Canfield, and Adele Reese – was shared, to the delight and laughter of all.

Monday at trivia it was 'Tea for Two.” A tea party -- with antique violet pattern cups and saucers, lace table coverings for the tables, two different kinds of cookies, and a variety of teas for everyone to try – was enjoyed on a cold Monday morning. Some of the teas served were 'the Queen's Evening Tea,” Mrs. Patmore's pudding tea, graham breakfast blend tea, English Rose tea, caramel apple tea and white tea. The health benefits of tea are that it is good for the heart, it can regulate cholesterol, it can help boost the immune system since tea contains antioxidants, and it can help strengthen one's bones.

Happy Birthday wishes this week go out to Harold Steele, Evelyn Heald, Dick Chorpening, and Mona Paul.