United Presbyterian Home News

The Fulton Hall fireplace was lit for the first time on Monday morning following the first snowfall that held off until December this year. Residents gathered around the warm flames to listen to Julia Gamon play Christmas music on the piano while they nibbled on cookies and coffee. The maintenance crew has firewood in place and preparations are made for the winter months ahead of us.

It has been a busy week of December birthdays. Gene Driscoll celebrated his birthday with cake for everyone in the Town Center on Monday morning. Raymond Swailes shared doughnuts and coffeecake on Tuesday in the Town Center for his birthday and on Wednesday it was Bob Ross turn to furnish treats for friends and neighbors. It is already a fat December.

The United Presbyterian Church Circle 4 held a hymn sing in the Health Center on Tuesday. Lee Buchholz, Jerry King and Betty Beenblossom led the group in traditional hymns accompanied by Julia Gamon on the piano. Residents enjoyed singing along.

The Washington Middle School Social Problems class visited the United Presbyterian Home on Wednesday afternoon in order to become more aware of places and services in their community. Staff members Carol Enfield and Diana Rich guided students on a tour of the buildings on campus and shared with them some of the home?s history.

Santa checks in with Up with Day Care Director Lisa Clark on a regular basis so he knew exactly when to arrive for the day care Christmas party. Santa passed out presents for each child and told them that he knows who has been naughty and who has been good this year. After opening presents the children posed for pictures with Santa and the group before going to the Campus Center for cookies and punch. The pictures can be viewed on the United Presbyterian Home Facebook page.

Julia Gamon played holiday music on the piano for the listening enjoyment of the Campus Breakfast diners Thursday morning. The buffet breakfast is a popular monthly event made special by the beautiful music.

Classics Et Cetera for Dec. 8 included the overture to ?The Mute Girl of Portici? by Daniel Auber; Selections from ?Gloria in D Minor? by Antonio Vivaldi; ?Hallelujah Chorus? from ?Christ on the Mount of Olives? by Ludwig van Beethoven; ?O Come, O Come, Emmanuel? performed by Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens; 1st Movement of Symphony No. 3 (?Scottish?) by Felix Mendelssohn; ?Knightsbridge March? from ?London Suite? by Eric Coates.

The opera ?The Mute Girl of Portici? by the French composer, Daniel Auber (1782-1871), was a total success in 1828 all across Europe. It became the foundation, followed soon by Gioachino Rossini?s (1792-1868) ?William Tell,? of a new genré in stage productions: grand opera, which usually feature a private drama within an important historical event, in which the chorus represents ?The People,? and having grandiloquent marches, spectacular effects, and a ballet.