A winter storm may be on its way, but we don’t care as we cozy up Monday morning for our Karaoke Sing Along! We sang our hearts out to old hits like “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain” and “Ol’ Man Rive.r” As the snow continued to fall and the morning wore on, we bid farewell to the red and pink decorations of Valentine’s Day and welcomed the vibrant greens and golds of St. Patrick’s Day! It is President’s Day today, so unfortunately there is no mail…but there IS plenty of popcorn to be had! It was soon time for our weekly Popcorn Social and although we had a smaller group than usual, we still had a wonderful time chatting with friends and munching on mouthfuls of delicious popcorn. Tic Tac Toss was the name of the game for Monday afternoon – residents warmed up their throwing arms and it seemed we had some sharpshooters in the group! We had a two-way tie for both third and second place. Third place went to Nancy Bishop and Ivan Mason; in second place was Penny Stafford and Linda Tollefson! First place went to Kevin Bauer with a whopping 65 points! And Kevin, Nancy and Penny each made a perfect tic tac toe with three in a row! After supper, it was time for evening Bingo – a big thank you to our Bingo volunteers Pat Frion and Teresa Fedie for helping with set-up, clean-up and candy delivery.

Due to the big mid-week winter storm starting today, we had a little switcheroo with our scheduled activities on Tuesday! We eased into the day with Catholic mass and it was pretty quiet until the afternoon. After lunch it was time for Crafty Corner! This month we made pretty sunflowers out of bright yellow buttons on canvas; they are so beautiful that we will probably display them on our dining room walls for all to see! The residents make such beautiful artwork that we want to start a gallery wall to display their masterpieces. There was no church in the afternoon. After supper, residents played games with Aaliyah all evening!

It was a snowy and windy Wednesday morning, but that didn’t stop us from holding our weekly bowling game! Sadly, due to school snow closures, we didn’t have any elementary school children here to help. We had 10 bowlers ready to strut their stuff on the bowling lane and they did not disappoint! We played four exciting rounds and the sound of crashing pins and rousing cheers could be heard up and down the halls all morning! There was a two-way tie for third place: Alice Brantner and Shirley Klinski. Second place went to both Kevin Bauer (who made three strikes in a row!) and Frances White. Our first place bowling champ this week was Milda Bautch! Our afternoon mail delivery came very early today (probably to beat the worst of the snowstorm) and soon it was time for lunch. Pretty soon it was 2 o’clock and you know what that means on Wednesdays…. time for Fruit Bingo! Our blackout winner this week was Frances White! Although none went home empty-handed as each “Bingo!” earns the lucky winner a piece of yummy candy. After Fruit Bingo, we had Father come and distribute ashes for residents, as today was Ash Wednesday. 

The snow keeps falling on Thursday and we adjust our schedule yet again due to the wintery weather and slippery streets. Unfortunately, there is no morning coffee and local news but that just means more time for peaceful conversations, hand massages and room visits with our residents! Before long, lunch is served (mashed potatoes and gravy, yum!) The mail is running late, but with the snow still falling it’s really no surprise. Pretty soon it’s time for manicures! We have several ladies in the afternoon ready for some pampering and to have their nails beautified.  Bright pink is a crowd favorite and that pop of color inside is a breath of fresh air what with the weather being gray, snowy and dreary outside. Due to the snowstorm, there are no puppies to cuddle later in the afternoon; but we’ll just have to give them extra snuggles when we see them again! The snow stops just in time for a pleasant supper and an evening of Pokeno fun with Aaliyah!

Shuffleboard kicks off our Friday morning with seven residents hoping to take home the title of first place! While we have a slightly smaller group playing than usual, several others come out to cheer them on and watch the fun! Our third place winner is Sandy Sjoquist, second place goes to Milda Bautch and first place is awarded to Alice Brantner! Our shuffleboard game takes us almost right up to lunch and after lunch there is a little bit of downtime to relax. The mail is right on time today and there sure is a lot of it, since there was no mail delivery on Thursday! Soon the dining room starts to fill up with folks as we prepare for our weekly Happy Hour, this week with music by Rich Schroeder! We have a grand time listening to timeless tunes and Rich even sneaks in a round of “Happy Birthday” to our birthday girl Dorothy Pfaffe! A yummy supper is served and then residents stick around for our Friday movie night. This week’s flick is “Blue Hawaii” starring Elvis Presley! What a wonderful way to end the day (and week). When the weather gets better, we would sure love to see your smiling faces; stop by for a visit anytime!