Residents take digital vacation

Betty Schantz Beenblossom, Mary Schantz and Mary's daughter, Becky Schantz Mattson of Lockridge, Iowa hosted a Schantz family reunion Sunday, March 24, in the Campus Center. Betty has been in contact with many family members as she adds to her genealogy information. Becky brought along a slideshow of old family photos that everyone enjoyed looking at. Relatives came from various places in Iowa including Washington, Mt. Pleasant, Fairfield, Red Oak, Indianola, Packwood and Lockridge.

Cottage residents met Monday evening for their monthly potluck social. The event was hosted by Linda Boston, David Draheim, Esther Fickel, Jim Lloyd and Mary Atwood. The tables were decorated with a St. Paddy's theme and the group sang Irish songs led by Ted Stewart and accompanied on the piano by Mary Atwood. Those attending report that it was a jovial crowd due to delicious food, good fellowship and spring weather.

Pat Bagley and Julia Gamon hosted a meet and greet social to introduce the new pastor of the United Presbyterian Church, Erin Kaye. The event took place in the Moore Family Dining Room and was well attended by several religious denominations. Pastor Kaye introduced herself and spoke of her family including her husband and two children before answering questions. Betty Beenblossom, Kathy Knutson and Sue Kretschmar assisted with the social and served cinnamon rolls and coffee which the kitchen staff prepared.

Carol Ray led the discussion at March's book club. Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Endless Compassion is Gregory Boyle's true story of his work with gang members in Los Angeles. He founded Home Industries, which employs those who want to earn an honest dollar. When he gives one of his 200 or more speeches a year he usually takes a couple of his 'homies” with him. The book for the April 24 meeting will be 'A House Divided” by Catherine Cookson. It is a novel about a British soldier blinded in The Great War. He falls in love with his nurse amid the problems of their two families. Kitch Shatzer will lead the discussion.

Washington Middle School Students returned Wednesday for an encore virtual expedition using Google's Virtual Reality Goggles. Residents were taken on a whirlwind vacation tour of places in Greece including the Parthenon, the Great Hole in Scotland and Rome. They also went deep-sea diving to view the coral reefs as they looked through the Googles. Ann Thomas took part in the tour and reported that the students were extremely helpful and very polite. It was a very enjoyable trip to different parts of the world.

Classics Et Cetera for March 28, 2019 included the overture to 'The Imaginary Invalid” by Marc-Antoine Charpentier; Nos. 7, 8 & 9 from 'Liebeslieder Waltzes” by Johannes Brahms; Etude No. 299 by Carl Czerny; 4th Movement of 'Petite Symphonie” by Charles Gounod; 'The Swan of Tuonela” by Jean Sibelius; 'Nightingale Waltzes” by Claudio S. Grafulla and played by the 1st Brigade Band; 3rd Movement from Octet in F Major by Franz Schubert; 'Manhattan Beach,” a march by John Philip Sousa.

Born on Minorca Island in the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain, Claudio S. Grafulla (1812-1880) immigrated to America when he was 28 and became a French horn player in the New York National Guard band. He eventually became the band's director and added woodwinds to the band. He also became well-known as a composer of music for bands, especially marches and dance music. Some of his music was heard in the 1990 Ken Burns PBS mini-series 'The Civil War.” A quiet and unassuming man, he directed the National Guard Band until his death.