UP Home brings in the New Year

Six members of the book club met to share Christmas books with each other. The authors ranged from classic ones such as Charles Dickens to contemporary ones such as Debbie Macomber. The January book will be Caroline by Sarah Miller. This is the story of Little House on the Prairie as told from the viewpoint of Laura Ingalls' mother.

Residents enjoyed 'The Golden Years of Bob Hope” as part of the Dec. 29 movie night in the Campbell Room. A series of Bob Hope specials including Christmas programs as well as his overseas trips were compiled into a special movie-length program for folks to enjoy and share a good laugh. Residents will gather again on Jan. 5, 2019, to watch the Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

Ada Kleese celebrated her Dec. 31 birthday with a party hosted by her daughters. Ada received many floral bouquets and lots of birthday cards to add to her enjoyment.

Health Center residents enjoyed a pre-New Year's party Monday afternoon. They shared resolutions for 2019 and played games while reminiscing of past New Year's traditions. Each resident got a confetti popper to shoot off as they created their own countdown to the New Year. Day care children arrived to dance under the confetti and pop the balloons.

Kathy Knutson organized a New Year's Eve party for residents in the Campus Center. Everyone brought a snack and a drink to share while they played cards and board games enjoying an evening of fun waiting for 2019 to enter. Kerr Hall residents received the imaginary award for having the most residents in attendance.

Betty Flynn invited guests to share her yearly tradition of eating ham and beans, cabbage and cornbread on New Year's Day. These foods are thought to bring health, wealth and prosperity to the coming year. In some locations the pig is considered lucky and symbol of prosperity. So it is with cabbage leaves also, and the gold nuggets in cornbread are thought to bring wealth. Whatever the reason a shared meal with friends is always a good way to begin a new year.

Residents working birthday celebrations in during the holidays include Dick Magdefrau and Dorothy Koehler Yoder. Both Dick and Dorothy provided treats during coffee hour in the Town Center recently.

Classics Et Cetera for Jan. 3, 2019 included Prologue to 'Naïs” by Jean-Philippe Rameau; 3rd & 4th Movements to Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola by Ludwig van Beethoven; 'A Little Pleasure Train” by Gioachino Rossini; 'Wine, Women and Song,” waltz by Johann Strauss, Jr.; 3rd & 4th Movements of 'The Red Pony Suite” by Aaron Copland; 'The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) was the most popular composer of Italian opera in 1829 when he premiered his opera 'William Tell” and its famous overture. Then, at 37, he suddenly retired, and he never wrote another opera. Ultimately he moved to Paris and became a favorite guest at soirees among other activities. Then, during his final 11 years of life (1857-1868) he expressed his self-deprecating sense of humor by composing a collection of 150-or-so solo piano, vocal and chamber pieces. He grouped them into 14 unpublished albums under the descriptive title 'Sins of Old Age,” including a comical 10-minute piano work he called 'A Little Pleasure Train.”