Halcyon residents get on pontoon boat at Coralville Lake

This week at chapel service, residents gathered in Epworth Chapel on the campus of Halcyon House in Washington to sing hymns, and were accompanied by pianist Virginia Tschantz. Minister Scott Johnson from Bethel Church also led the service and read John II.

Monday was Joggin’ Your Noggin’. We all know how important it is to keep not only our bodies, but our minds active. We do word search puzzles, fill in the blank, circle the word that doesn’t belong, name that song, and other word games that keep us thinking.

This week we also did the “Acorn word game.” They had to come up with words like girl’s names, animals, food and drinks, and seven-letter words that pertained to the letters in the word acorn.

Wedgewood added a new program to the activity calendar called, “The Mystery Suitcase.” The second Monday of every month, a 100-year-old, well-used, suitcase is filled with a mystery object. A word search titled, “At Grandma’s House” was part of the clue to help the residents guess what was inside the suitcase. This week, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls were inside the suitcase! Trivia was a part of this mystery program and everyone shared a memory of these iconic dolls.

At “Thirsty Thursday,” we had homemade banana bread along with our usual wine, sparkling grape juice, cheese, crackers, grapes and chocolates. The topic for this afternoon’s activity was canning and the large gardens they use to have. This activity has become one of the more popular activities with everyone enjoying the social side of this fun gathering.

On Monday, Sagewood residents attended a program about Columbus Day and enjoyed some trivia to go along with it. After the program, residents enjoyed a snack of meat and cheese “boats!” They also enjoyed wheelchair rides outside. The weather was perfect and the sunshine was warm!

Residents were happy to go to Wedgewood and see some old (and new) friends. On Friday, residents attended Brain Games where we played “9 Letter Word Square” and Bingo. We were able to invite some of our Wedgewood friends to play the game with us!

In Arborwood, the residents were able to join in on “Wellness Wednesday” by helping prepare yogurt parfaits with fresh berries and granola. For “Tuesday Tunes,” residents gathered to listen to a fellow resident play on the piano. Soon enough, more residents joined in on the fun and showcased their hidden talents. Another joined in on piano and another played the accordion! Everyone’s faces lit up as they listened. It was a magical moment in Arborwood where everyone was able to share their passions. During “Coffee & Conversation,” residents sat outside and reminisced about Washington, Iowa, and how things have changed over the years. They had the most fun recalling all of the different businesses in the square and what they used to be. It was a fun week in Arborwood.

The ladies in Sitler and Independent Living got together to play several rounds of Bingo. All of the ladies got at least one Bingo and redeemed their Bingo tickets for sweet treats. Sixteen of our residents went to Coralville Lake for a pontoon trip. We had a picnic lunch provided by Circa59 and sat at the park before we got on the boat.

The residents enjoyed being out on the water and looking at the trees as their leaves change in color. On the boat, the residents had wine and cookies as they chatted the afternoon away. On Wednesday, all residents were able to enjoy the Keota Brass Band and their toe-tapping music! It was so good to have them here again. It was another great week at Halcyon House.

Lastly, we’d like to wish a happy birthday to Dean McCulley (10/24), Jean Hyde (10/26), Karen McCreedy (10/28), and Marlene Vogel (10/29).