United Presbyterian Home News

The second annual boxed lunch auction was held in the Main Dining Room on Friday, and even though it was April 1 there was no joking about the lunches or the $1,185 raised to benefit Alzheimer?s research. The United Presbyterian Home?s Longest Day Team of Pat Jenkins, Melva Mineart, Lois Swank and Dorothy White organized the event with the help of staff from the Wellness and Fitness Center. Darwin Widmer and Brad Goff were able to raise $300 more than last year, possibly due to their improved auctioneering abilities. Much thought and preparation went into the contents and decorations for each boxed lunch and it was evident that they were made with love by talented cooks. The dietary staff appropriately filled a chef?s hat with an avocado wrap and other lunch goodies and tissue paper flowers for decoration. There were shoe boxes and gift bags fashionably decorated, a Hawkeye box, an ice bucket and Easter baskets to complement the season. The 25 boxed lunches auctioned off were made by individual residents, employees, and several local businesses. Following the auction, everyone ate together revealing the contents of their delicious lunches and the cooks who made them.

The family of Wayne Brock hosted an open house at the Marr Park Conservation Center on Saturday in honor of his 85th birthday. Wayne?s family was present for the celebration bringing with them the paintings that Wayne has done over the years for each family member. Marsha Platt of Waterloo; Patrick Brock of Omaha, Nebraska; Ron Brock of Washington and Larry Brock, of Washington, along with their families, were present to help Wayne celebrate his special day. The only three family members not present are currently serving active duty, an impressive accomplishment itself. The celebration continued on Sunday when the youngest family member, Georgia Brock, was baptized at the United Presbyterian Church in Washington. Georgia is Wayne?s 3-month-old great-granddaughter.

Verna Spangler celebrated her birthday in the Town Center Wednesday morning with friends and neighbors. Verna?s son and daughter-in-law, Bob and Birgit Spangler; and daughter, Linda arrived last week for a visit. Before returning home to Bainbridge Island, Washington, Bob and Birgit special-ordered a cake for the birthday party.

Ronald Caney recently returned from a trip to New York City. Ronald reports that he had a wonderful time sightseeing. He was able to see a Broadway show, tour museums and eat at special restaurants.

Classics Et Cetera for April 7, 2016, included the overture to ?The Stolen Bucket? by Antonio Salieri; Concerto for 2 Oboes, Op. 7, No 11, by Tomaso Albinoni; ?Tea for Two? by Vincent Youmans: ?Tahiti Trot? (arrangement of ?Tea for Two?) by Dmitri Shostakovich; 1st Movement of the Septet in E-flat Major by Ludwig van Beethoven; ?As Her Flag Flies? by Johann Strauss Jr.

In 1927, after hearing the song ?Tea for Two? by Vincent Youmans (1898-1946) played on the phonograph at the home of his friend, the Soviet conductor Nikolai Malko (1883-1961), the young Soviet composer, Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) commented on the arrangement. Malko bet 100 rubles that Shostakovich could not re-orchestrate the song from memory in under an hour. Shostakovich took him up on it and won, completing the orchestration in about 45 minutes. He eventually inserted it into the score of his ballet, ?The Golden Age,? as an entr?acte.