United Presbyterian Home news

Roger and Gail Jenkins of Corpus Christi, Texas spent last week with his mother, Pat Jenkins and family. They were joined at various times through the week by Rhonda and Dale Hesseltine of Crawfordsville, Iowa; Rick and Nancy Jenkins and Randy Jenkins from Ainsworth, Iowa. Also joining the group was Tiffany Brenneman, Mya and Lara of Kalona, Iowa and Randi and Josh Brase of Riverside, Iowa. At the end of the week. Jason Jenkins of Trinidad, Colorado came to Iowa and visited with his dad, Roger and the rest of the family. Pat and her children enjoyed Sunday dinner at the Odessa Grill near Wapello. The Texas people did not appreciate the Iowa 50-degree weather.

Hocus Pocus was the featured movie Saturday night in the Campbell Room. This movie was loaded with Halloween fun and bewitching laughs as three wild witches are accidentally conjured up from 17th century Salem by unsuspecting pranksters. Residents enjoyed the zany fun and comic chaos of the season.

A large crowd of cottagers gathered on Monday for the monthly pot-luck feast. Hosts were Dick and Charlotte Magdefrau, Darwin and Dorothy Widmer and Ted Stewart. New residents John and Jan McDaniel were welcomed. Guests of Betty Beenblossom were her grandchildren, Brynne and Luke. The tables were decorated with beautiful, unusual gourds which were generously shared by the committee as door prizes, one to each table. Birthdays were celebrated for Brad Goff, Betty Colby, Bill Stewart, Margaret Stangohr and Dave Draheim, as well as anniversaries for Charlie and Betty Thompson and Rodney and Joyce Letts. The needs of the new homeless shelter in town were discussed after the meal. Residents were all very thankful for homes, good food and good neighbors.

Children in the UP with Kids Day Care held a pumpkin decorating contest this week. Residents and staff were encouraged to view the pumpkins on display and cast a vote for a favorite one. There were scary green monster pumpkins with big green eyes and a detailed black cat, cute pumpkins with glitter and one with a St. Louise Cardinal logo. These kids are very talented with great imaginations.

Don Kline was the featured speaker for the Health, Happiness and Hobbies program in the Health Center Tuesday afternoon. Don shared with residents his vas collection of antique and vintage Halloween decorations that he and his wife Marjorie have collected for many years. Some pieces date back to pre-WW1 as in the case of a very rare embossed paper design from Germany. Other pieces include more recent items such as Pez dispensers, clickers, pens, paper mâché and skeletons. Don's passion for the history of these items is evident in the research he has done and the story that he shares with others about them.

The Wellness Center organized a scavenger hunt held Wednesday afternoon. Participants were asked to follow clues that lead them around the inside of the UP Home. Each of the fifteen destinations housed a bucket with the next clue and a riddle to be answered. When participants collected all fifteen riddles, they were able to collect a prize.

Physical Therapy Assistant, Kiley Roder was recognized as the Aegis Therapy Employee of the quarter for the Midwest Region. Kiley was nominated by her superior for her superior work ethic and dedication to her Job. Congratulations, Kiley!

Classics Et Cetera for October 31, 2019 included the overture to 'Leave It to Jane” by Jerome Kern; 3rd Movement of Bassoon Concerto in G Minor by Franz Danzi; 'Sempre libera” from 'La Traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi; 'The Spinning Song” by Albert Ellmenreich; 'The Swan of Tuonela” by Jean Sibelius; 'The Three Solitaires” by Victor Herbert; 2nd Movement of the Clarinet Concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; 'Guadalcanal March” from 'Victory at Sea” by Richard Rodgers.

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), considered Finland's greatest composer, was deeply interested in his country's national epic, the Kalevala, which tells of the heroic mythical character, Lemminkäinen. Sibelius wrote a four-movement work based on the Kalevala, the third movement of which tells of how Lemminkäinen, to win his intended bride, must kill the Swan of Tuonela that swims around the dark river surrounding Tuonela, the island of the dead. However, on the way he is shot with a poisoned arrow and dies himself. The hauntingly beautiful piece is the perfect Hallowe'en treat.