Our Monday morning started with a freezing rainstorm outside, but we didn’t let that stop us from laughing the morning away inside at our first ever “Folding and Funnies” activity! While residents helped fold dining room napkins, we told jokes and watched a funny Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis movie. Sometimes we were almost laughing too hard to get a lot of folding done, but eventually we made our way through the pile. It is true that “many hands make light work.”  After noon lunch, the mail arrived right on time due to the temperature rising and the roads becoming ice-free. Thank goodness for all the hard working plow trucks making quick work of the slushy streets! As the sun came out to warm us up, it was time to warm up the popcorn machine for our afternoon Popcorn Social! Residents “popped” on down to the dining room to load up on bowlfuls of delicious popcorn and visit with friends. We cranked up the country tunes and a friendly game of Tic Tac Toss was next on the afternoon agenda; we cheered each other on as nine residents bounced beanbags across the board to achieve the highest score possible! Our third-place winner this week was Kevin Bauer and we had a two-way tie for second: Frances White and Shirley Klinski. The first-place title was shared by Penny Stafford and Linda Tollefson! All that beanbag slingin’ sure works up an appetite and once supper is finished, it’s time to get ready for Bingo! A huge THANK YOU to our lovely volunteers Marie and Joyce Berger for helping with set-up, clean-up and candy distribution!

We had a break from wintry weather Tuesday morning, which made it perfect to gather together for a peaceful Mass and communion. We sure appreciate our faith leaders’ service each week and a bit of spiritual reflection definitely does a body good. After lunch, we had a group of residents gather together for our once-a-month Resident Council meeting. We talked about the past month’s activities and what is in store for the month ahead; we also discussed how things could be improved upon and what activities they want to continue! It is so wonderful to have our residents coming together as a team and helping staff make sure we are providing the best care for everyone. After the council meeting adjourns, it is time for Crafty Corner! Folks put the finishing touches on their sunflower/button canvas art they started last week and then we hang them on the wall for all to see! They are displayed in our dining room (you should stop by to see how beautiful they are!), which will hopefully inspire even more residents to tap into their inner artists. We joyfully welcome Pastor Pfaffe from Immanuel Lutheran Church for our afternoon church service and before you know it, it’s time for the evening meal and then games with Aaliyah after supper!

Wednesday brings out the snow, sun and bowlers! We also have Ave Maria students, Weston and Braydon, helping with pin-setting and score-keeping. It was a smaller group than usual, but we still had a grand time cheering each other on! Frances White took fourth place, with third place awarded to Milda Bautch and second place to Nancy Bishop! Kevin Bauer was our first-place winner! Since a new month starts today, we had new activity calendars to hand out; it’s always exciting to look at the month ahead and see what is in store for food, fun and entertainment. Lunch and mail delivery were right on schedule today and after that it’s time for Fruit Bingo. Since it was the first Wednesday of the month, we welcomed five Ave Maria students to play with us! Our blackout winner this week was Nancy Bishop! It was a joy to have our volunteers Kathy Shingledecker and Marlene Zimmer assist with set-up, clean-up and prize delivery. Thank you, ladies! Today was National Peanut Butter Lovers Day, so we just had to cap off our afternoon with peanut butter smoothies drizzled with chocolate syrup. They were such a hit with our residents (and staff!) that we needed to make a second batch! Yummy!

Thursday began with a delicious cup of coffee and the local news being read to residents. We sure appreciate everyone who stops by for a chat and to keep us informed on what is happening in our community! Lunch followed and then we had several ladies line up for manicures.  Freshly painted nails dried just in time for the puppies to arrive! Our residents (and staff) always love cuddling and cooing over these little bundles of furry energy. It was doubly special to see them today because last week they couldn’t make it due to the winter weather. It was hard to tear ourselves away from these cute canines but soon, supper was ready and then it was time for an evening of Pokeno fun with Aaliyah!

Before you know it, Friday arrives again and that means another game of Ring Toss! We had 11 residents (and a new face or two!) join us for a rousing game of Ring Toss and goodness, is it harder than it looks! Rings were flying and bouncing all over the place, but with a little aim and focus, those rings also racked up some pretty high scores. Fourth place was snapped up by Alice Brantner, Nancy Bishop came in third place and second place was awarded to Goldie Helwig. This week, Linda Tollefson was our first-place winner! Lunch was served and then it was time to deliver mail and have a pleasant afternoon chat with friends. Happy Hour kicked off our afternoon; we turned up the polka tunes and had a blast at our “Broadcast Bonanza.” We laughed until we cried dressing up in funny wigs and costumes, posing for comical pictures in front of our Breaking News backdrop. We saw weather girls and wolves, tourists and rockers, actors and hunters; you never know who you’re going to see when our residents step in front of the camera for their close-ups! Sadly, all parties must end and then it’s time for supper; but there was more fun to come afterwards because Friday night is always Movie Night at the Plum City Care Center. The movie this week was the 1990’s classic “Matilda:” we always look forward to relaxing after a busy week of activities and what can be better than popcorn, soda and a magical movie? If any of this sounds like fun to you, you should stop by for a visit – we would love to see you!