It was hard to believe, but another week began, and I arrived after breakfast for a Monday morning filled with card games at Card Club! Residents came out to either play a few hands of Euchre, or they could test their luck at UNO. Afterwards, Karaoke Sing Along brought more folks out to the dining room and while residents crooned along to classic hits, Stacey and Noel were busy decorating the dining room in anticipation for the afternoon’s activities! Lunch was enjoyed, the mail was delivered and then it was time to party at our afternoon Volunteer Social. We couldn’t do what we do without our world-class volunteers, and we celebrated their giving hearts with a circus-themed shindig because “this place would be a real circus without them!” The Lake Pups Ukulele Group performed peppy pop songs while volunteers, guests and residents enjoyed circus-y snacks of popcorn, soft pretzels, nachos and animal crackers. The circus shenanigans wrapped up just in time for supper and then it was on to Monday night Bingo with Teresa Fedie, Kathy Luebker and Pillar Bank employees Deb and Pat here to help with the game!  

A sunny and warm Tuesday greeted residents when they gathered in the dining room after breakfast for Mass with Father Jojo and Terry Pelzel. We continue to be blessed with such dedicated faith leaders who always offer folks a warm smile, especially when it’s needed most! After lunch and mail delivery, Stacey wheeled out our trusty popcorn machine and made a BIG batch of delicious popcorn for the eager residents waiting. It is always one of our best attended activities, as it is hard to resist the smell of buttery popcorn wafting from the dining room! The afternoon continued with one-on-ones as Stacey brought around her guitar for musical visits and soaked up the sunshine with residents while cleaning out the flower beds outside. Pastor Andrew from Pepin Immanuel came later for afternoon church and residents sang hymns and prayed until it was time for supper. After the meal, Willow was here for an evening filled with fun games!

The warm spring temperatures and sunshine stuck around Wednesday as Noel brought out residents for a morning game of Bowling! It was a large group of 16 players assembled so there was only time for two rounds. But two rounds was enough for Goldie Helwig, Janet Robelia and Zeona Bechel to come in fourth place, Ivan Mason and Dorothy Pfaffe to tie for third and Kevin Bauer and Wilbur Black to tie for second. Jeff Halverson was in first place this week with a perfect score of 20 points! Lunch brought an end to the game and once the mail was delivered, we moved on to a game of Fruit Bingo to begin our afternoon; 26 residents came to play so it was a good thing we had four volunteers here to help with the game---a huge THANK YOU to Harriet Rothe, Irene Helmueller and Pillar Bank employees Deb and Kenzie for all their fabulous assistance! Congrats to Goldie Helwig for winning the $1 prize at Blackout Bingo this week! After the hot Bingo game, we cooled down at our Mid-Week Social with Purple Cows. The grape soda ice cream floats were a hit and were gobbled up fast!   

Our sunshine disappeared and gray clouds rolled in Thursday morning when Lana Ingli dropped by for our Local News and Coffee group. She brought plenty of smiles and laughs though as she read all the newest headlines to residents! Lunch came and went; mail was delivered and then Stacey gathered folks together for the monthly Resident Council meeting in the dining room. All of April’s activities were re-capped and then we looked ahead to what May had in store; there are lots of fun and exciting events coming around the bend as we look ahead to what’s next! The meeting adjourned just in time for Noel to arrive and stock her cart in preparation for manicures. There were lots of ladies waiting to be pampered and the most popular colors this week were bright pinks and rosy reds! While Noel was painting nails, Stacey came around with her guitar for musical room visits. Once nails were dry, Noel and several residents played the dice game “Climb the Mountain” which Jeff Halverson won…and just in time for supper!    

Friday morning dawned gray, cold and rainy but we stayed warm and cozy inside as residents came out for a morning of Brain Games! Two teams of eight residents battled each other in word and picture puzzles; by the end of the match the winning team had the lead of only five points. All those brain teasers worked up everyone’s appetite and once lunch came and went, the afternoon began quite leisurely, with folks visiting or taking a quick snooze before afternoon Happy Hour! Later, crowds of residents congregated in the dining room and snacked on barbeque meatballs, beer and soda as we listened to country tunes, up-beat polkas and tranquil waltzes. Supper was served once the party was over and then Noel turned the lights down and pulled the curtains to turn the dining room into a movie theater for Movie Night! This week’s feature film on the big screen was “River of No Return” starring Marilyn Monroe.