UP Home residents enjoy State Fair Week with special treats

We have been able to enjoy our campus with the recent mild weather. We have had celebrations, birthday parties, anniversary celebrations and visits from relatives. It has been an enjoyable month.

We had a great sweet corn crop again this year. Thank you all involved in the growing and sharing of the sweet corn including those who provided the seed, planted, hoed, picked, bagged and delivered bags of such tender and tasty sweet corn. We have great residents who help when help is needed. Thank you one and all.

We are enjoying State Fair Week with a variety of options on our food menu in honor of the Fair, including fried Oreos! A variety of activities are taking place in Brownlee and Garrett Hall in honor of the Fair as well.

We were lucky enough to have the performance of The Pomtastic Dance Team here on Campus. They performed in Brownlee & Garrett Hall and in the Moore Dining Room. This is a group of Dancers from Iowa City. It was a great performance. The oldest dancer was 90 years of age!

We had our annual melon feed outside of Brownlee Health Center for the Campus. The melons were fantastic and despite a few raindrops we had a good showing of people. This is quite the time honored tradition on Campus. The annual melon feed started abut 46 years ago when Ross and Millie Copeland were at the UP Home. The couple were great farmers and had begun raising a garden at the UP Home. Every year they would bring produce to the UP Home for the melon feed. In honor of the couple, the UP Home has carried on the event.

We had many residents enjoy the Encore Express Grand Opening at the Immanuel Church. This is a great opportunity for informational programs and fellowship. Thank you, Heritage Area on Aging, for giving us the opportunity to participate.

Resident Gwen Ying had a student, Rita Du performed a program of violin, saxophone and vocal music at the Washington Public Library. Gwen also had student, Ymbrace Yudelmo, perform violin at the Library with her sister Celine. These young ladies are extremely talented and we were lucky enough to have them perform for us last December in our Parlor.

The Book Club’s August book for review is ‘Something More’ by Janet Daily.

Last night the UP Home art class invited residents and staff to the annual art exhibit reception showcasing their amazing work. The display will continue to be up for the rest of August before moving to the Washington Public Library 2nd floor art gallery for all of September. Their inspiring work brought joy to both the artists and guests. Art class instructor, Nancy Albert encourages everyone to try the class. The artists are creating beautiful pieces, some after just one year. One student stated, “I didn’t know I had it in me.” Another artist commented, “This is my way to find peace, get away from the news and relax.” We are thankful to have so many artists on the UP Home campus willing to share their talents.

In Brownlee and Garrett, the residents have been enjoying the beautiful weather and golf cart rides around Campus. An Ice Cream Social with reminiscing took place. Everyone enjoyed a variety of ice cream bars. Manicures and cards took place. Music therapist Elisabeth, from the Joy of Music, came and played music with Wayne Brock playing the drum for residents. Lyle Beaver came and performed in Brownlee as well. Birthdays for the month were enjoyed by a cake from the kitchen for all to enjoy.

We would like to welcome Suresh Ganu and Pat Ribble to the UP Home Campus.

We also would like to acknowledge our August Birthdays which include Mary Schlatter, Dorothy White, Virginia Reighard, Judy Venzke, Jeana Crile, Dave Henderson, Mary Atwood, John McDaniel, Joyce Huff and Ollie Ann Bohannon.