United Presbyterian Home News

Myron Shields celebrated a birthday last week and had a bunch of cookies in the Town Center. He reports that they gobbled them all up. We are not surprised.

Larry Bartlett and Elna Tompkins each provided treats in the Town Center this week in celebration of their birthdays and Lidvil Hart shared cake and fruit with residents for no known reason.

Golf carts and walkers lined up in front of the El Gringo Loco Food Truck serving window Friday for lunch. The food truck was parked in the United Presbyterian Home parking lot to serve the community. Residents and staff enjoyed the meal.

The Easter Bunny visited the Health Center Friday morning, hopping room to room to wave hello to residents before joining day care kids and more residents for an Easter party in the Garrett Center. The children hunted Easter eggs, sang songs and followed the big rabbit down the hallway doing the bunny hop before having their pictures taken.

Spiritual Life Director Andrew Zuehlke held a Good Friday service to commemorate the suffering Jesus endured on the cross before His resurrection and gift of new life on Easter. Andrew emphasized that Jesus showed us his amazing love by not sparing Himself any amount of pain or suffering so that we might be saved. The cross holds feeling of great suffering and also great joy. Esther Bordwell and Carla Carter shared Scripture readings and Dorothy Koehler provided piano accompaniment to the vocal music of those in attendance.

The United Presbyterian Home was well represented at the Kewash Half Marathon, 10k and 5k event held on Saturday. Employees, Hannah Brenneman, Claire Horak, Erin Kaufman, Amy Kleese, Lindsey Mayer and Kara Williams; former fitness employee Brooke Stout; and residents Jean Frazer and Jana Nieman did well in each of their events and brackets. They all report a feeling of satisfaction following the race and added that their weeks of preparation and training paid off.

Many residents, family and friends attended the Easter Buffet on Sunday in the Moore Family Dining Room. The dietary staff prepared seasonal spring salads, roasted vegetables along with glazed ham, chicken and roast beef. Strawberry dessert, carrot cake and chocolate éclairs provided a sweet finish.

Cottage residents met Monday evening for their April potluck social with a record number of members in attendance totaling nearly 48. They also welcomed back snowbirds, Randy and Jane Fehr and Jim and Marcia Wilson. Jim and Marcia were recognized for celebrating 25 years of marriage on April 16, 2019. Charlie Thompson provided the program and introduced new residents Darwin Sherman and Jill Jordan to the group. Day care children provided place mats for the event using their artistic talents to color Easter scene place mats for each table setting.

Kitch Shatzer led the discussion of A House Divided at the April book club meeting. Seven members participated. Mary Atwood reported on the author, Catherine Cookson. She was one of Britain's most popular novelists during the 20th century and wrote as many as four books a year during her long prolific life. The book for May will be The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith. It is set in Botswana and is one of his series about the #1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Washington Middle School students stopped by Wednesday to share their technology expertise in an ever-changing technical world. Residents welcomed help with smartphones, computers, laptop devices and email management. The future is in good hands with these intelligent young people who are willing to share their knowledge and gifts with others. We appreciate their help.

Classics Et Cetera for April 25, 2019, included the overture to 'The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner; 'Spinner's Song” & 'Spring Song” by Felix Mendelssohn; 'Prague Waltzes” by Antonin Dvorák; 'Western Medley” sung by the Choraliers; 2 numbers from 'The Sigurd Jorsalfar Suite” by Edward Grieg; 'Tripoli March” by Angelo D'Anna.

Felix Mendelssohn's (1809-1847) greatest gift to the solo piano literature lies in the 48 short pieces that make up his 'Songs Without Words,” composed between the late 1820s and his early death in 1847. The works are divided up into eight 'books” of six pieces each. The overall title came to him in 1832 after he had already written several pieces. Primarily composed for amateur pianists at the time when the piano was becoming popular in middle class European homes, the 'Songs” became quite popular. Only a handful of them were given titles by Mendelssohn, but publishers added titles to many more, probably hoping to increase sales.