United Presbyterian Home

Mary Atwood participated in the Washington CROP Walk held Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014. Mary and longtime CROP supporter, Dick Colby, worked together to raise over $500 for the support of Church World Services in their fight against world hunger around the world as well as in Washington County.

Norman and Ann Thomas? son, Bryan, and his wife, Jessica, visited from Southampton, Pa., for the week. They went on a riverboat cruise down the Mississippi and enjoyed a wonderful meal, great entertainment and the beautiful colors of fall.

Kathy Knutson and Connie S. Bauer along with a bus load of travelers with the H.U.G.S. tours returned last Thursday from a nine-day trip to New York City. They made several stops en route including places in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The group stayed in Newark, N.J., while touring downtown Manhattan for three days with a step-on guide who told them lots of things as they were bused around the streets of New York City with its very tall buildings. Some of the things that they were privileged to see included Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Tunnel, Times Square, Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial, the new Freedom Tower, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and much more. One of the highlights was going to the Broadway play Jersey Boys that was truly enjoyed by everyone. On the way home they stopped at The Eckley Miner's Village in Weatherly, Pa., for a preview of what an old shaft-mining town would have been like. During the 1800s English, Welsh, German and Irish immigrants moved there to form an ethnic mosaic typical of the mining region. The next day they stopped at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, where they were amazed at the variety of American art. The whole trip was an amazing adventure shared by everyone that went.

Mary Ann Knupp and Diana Rich represented the United Presbyterian Home during Senior Fest at the Washington County Hospital and Clinics on Saturday, Oct. 18. Mary Ann and Diana gave away individual bags of microwave popcorn with a message about popping by the UPH. Visitors entered their name in a raffle for a basket of useful goodies provided by the United Presbyterian Home with the recipient being Ruth Erwin of Crawfordsville.

United Presbyterian Home administrative staff attended the National LeadingAge Conference in Nashville, Tenn., this week. LeadingAge is a national association representing 6,000 nonprofit aging services and organizations throughout the United States. Members attended educational seminars as well as inspirational programs including the screening of the movie, I?ll Be Me," that chronicles the life of country singer Glen Campbell and his current battle with Alzheimer?s disease.

Washington County Public Health visited on Monday and offered flu vaccines to residents choosing to have one.

The Rev. Kitch Shatzer went outside the confines of her job description on Tuesday and escorted residents on a tour of two manufacturing businesses in Washington. Bazooka Farmstar Inc. and Modine Manufacturing opened their doors to the community in an effort to showcase the items made in their facilities and the employees who create them. Residents participating in the tours reported learning of items made in Washington that they didn?t know even existed.

Carol Ray led the discussion at the Book Club on Wednesday morning. Seven members attended and had conflicting views of "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich. The heroine of the mystery series is a courageous bounty hunter in a tightly knit community in Trenton, N.J. There are some very funny scenes. Next month?s book is "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a nonfiction account of the year her family tried eating local food only.

Oktoberfest was celebrated on Wednesday, Oct. 22, with music, dancing, food and drink. Ned Francis provided the festive dance music for the afternoon dancing and toe-tapping crowd. The Activities Department duo of Carol Enfield and Elizabeth Tschantz set the theme for the party with decorations of pumpkin and colorful gourde centerpieces. The Dietary Department provided plenty of eye-appealing and delicious hors d'oeuvres and drinks for everyone to enjoy.

Classics Et Cetera for Thursday, Oct. 23, included the overture to Imenea by George Frideric Handel; 1st Movement of String Quintet in E Minor by Luigi Boccherini; O Praise the Lord of Heavens by William Billings; Pomona Waltz by Émile Waldteufel; La Cucaracha played by Xavier Cugat Orchestra; selected numbers from Swan Lake by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky; The Runners, a quick polka by Josef Strauss.

Swan Lake is the first ballet composed by Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). It was considered a failure after its premiere and was not produced again until after Tchaikovsky?s death. The choreographer is usually blamed; he had a grudge. Swan Lake?s second production was an immense hit, and it is now one of the top 10 romantic ballets produced today. Tchaikovsky wrote three full-length ballets ? Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker and all three are now in the top 10. No other composer has more than one.